One More Time

Post Race/Pre Race

11:40pm

I'M IN THE QUARTERFINALS BABY!!!!!!

By the grace of God I made it through the semis to the quarterfinals. I will be the first to say that I didn't have a perfect race but that imperfect race extended my season. So elated. Before the race all I could think of was, "Make the top 3 and you're in." I wish I would have taken my own advice. I wound up finishing fourth in my heat and had to wait 20 mins after my heat to see if I made it in. That was the longest 20 mins of my life!!! Thank goodness I made it in. The news also calmed Riley's nerves. We have been training too hard for me not to advance. It's all starting to pay off.

My season has been extended until tomorrow. I run one more time. I have one more chance to make it to Nationals in Iowa next month. You don't have to tell me how HUGE making it to the next stage is; I know all too well. After failing to make it to the the second round in years past, I will NOT make the mistake of letting this opportunity slip away from me. This is the most important meet of my career and between me and you I felt the pressure. As I got dressed I was so nervous, I had to sit down and control my breathing. Being here just seemed so surreal and what's even more surreal is the fact that I actually have a legitimate chance of making it to Nationals.

From humble beginnings I came to now competing on the one of the biggest stages in college athletics. I cannot thank God and all of the experience I have been allowed to endure enough for preparing me for this moment in time. I admit, I'm not the most humble person when it comes to certain things but sometimes in life there are moments where the culmination of everything you've accomplished becomes meaningless. One of my teammates Dominic texted me and encouraged me. His text read, "You're right there with everyone, Anyone can make it in (Nationals). Why not DeAngelo Wilson." He's exactly right, why not me? Why not now?

Tomorrow I will need to bring more heart, more determination and more focus than I did today. Tomorrow will be my moment in time and I MUST show up. Currently, I sitting 14th going into the quarterfinals. The top 12 go to Nationals and I plan on making it to Nationals. My start has to be smoother and my finish stronger. I will keep those two thing sin mind while I'm in the blocks. When that gun goes off tomorrow, that will be my signal to make history and Shock The World!

And if I don't make it to Nationals, I am more than pleased with my career and even more thankful for my coaching staff, teammates, friends and family for believing and supporting me through it all. You all are who I do it all for. Of course I want the glory too but if it wasn't for you all I would just be running without a purpose. This one's for you. I will never forget what I've learned and will forever be a Ram.

Signing off,

-d

Tomorrow is the Beginning of the Rest of My Life

5:06pm

5.25.11

Pre Race Thoughts

Tomorrow is the beginning of the rest of my life. Well my track life at least. Tomorrow is my 3rd NCAA East Regionals appearance in 5 years and this is the most important one. Tomorrow sums up 5 years of ups, downs and sacrifices. It also will sum of 5 years of mental, physical and spiritual battles. Coupled with coaching changes, injuries that reignited my love for my craft and the reintroduction of me. This has by far been my best season. they say good things come to those that wait. It feels like it took an eternity to get to this moment in time. As cliche as this may sound, its all true. All in all, I know that everything happens for a reason. This is the perfect time for me to showcase what I have learned and to overcome myself, the doubts, the times I wanted to give up and the 2 hamstring injuries that almost stole my love for track & field.

Over this year I have learned a lot about myself. My teammates say that I'm old. but I'm aged like fine wine. I believe that my age has been a great advantage for me on the track this season. My experience and knowledge of track and field has grown over the years. I have a bette understanding of how to my body works and how my body responds to certain types of training. This season, I am in the best shape of my life. I have never been so focused, determined and anxious to get better. There has never been a time in my career where I had truly had the will to be the best as I do now. This meet tomorrow will showcase what I have learned over these past 5 years. Yet, I know I still have more to learn.

Truthfully, the two main reasons for me coming back and competing in my final season were my team and my dream of going pro. Through all the unsuccessful tries of winning a conference championship, I still believed that above all, NOT winning a conference championship was the best thing for my career. Some may say that I'm crazy for feeling this way but I believe that all of the knowledge, experience and success that I have acquired with out winning one is just a powerful as being a multiple conference champion. Going pro has always been my dream since I was a little kid. My dream of becoming the best and being recognized as the best is so rewarding to me. I pray that I will NEVER lose the hunger I have now.

To me, nothing is more powerful than learning from those who have been around for a long time. I had guys like Dirty, Davion and Jackie (former teammates) to teach me how to both be a competitor and a man. Learning to be a competitor and a man go hand in hand. Learning how to practice, compete and live with integrity and discipline is to me what makes you a true champion. Aside from the medals, ribbons and recognition, being able to hone these traits are immensely important to making the transition from adolescent hood to manhood.

Tomorrow is the day that everything comes to fruition. What I have learned, what I haven't learned and what I have taught myself. I'm both excited and anxious to lace up my spikes, put on my VCU, black and gold and fly. Tomorrow I run for my family, my team and my dreams. George Washington once said, "No individual has any right to come into the world and go out of it without leaving something behind." I pray that when my time is done on the track, I will have left something behind for someone to take hold of and run with.

Signing off,

-d

MY season IN a NUTSHELL

THROWERS LEAD RAMS AT FIRST SPRING MEET

Williamsburg, Va. (MARCH 19,2011)– The Rams took colonial Williamsburg by land and the air at the William & Mary Invite. For the men, the aerial assault was led by sophomore Kenneth "Niko" Wooten won the javelin with a new personal record of 53.98 meters. Of Wooten's six throws, he set a new personal record on four of them.

Fifth-year senior Marvin Edison took second in the shot put with a personal record of his own of 14.47 meters. He broke his previous record by over a foot en route to his second place finish. His throw was just one centimeter short of the winning throw.

The men's throwers rounded out their top five finished with Kevin Parkhurst (40.95 meters) finishing fourth in the discus throw and Luke Thomason (12.98 meters) finished fifth in the shot put. Parkhurst's final toss bester his personal record by ten feet.

On the track, VCU sprinters torched their way to two IC4A qualifying times. DeAngelo Wilson's 21.78 seconds in the 200 meter dash, and Donnie Seward's victory in the 100 meters at 10.81 seconds, which was also a personal record, gave the duo championship qualifying times.

For the VCU women, Samantha Mosley led the throwing charge. Mosley, the junior from Farmville, Va., won the shot put with a best throw of 13.01 meters. Supporting Mosley's effort was supported by Julia Anyaugo. The junior's throw of 40.06 meters in the discus throw gave the Rams another top five finish. Following that top five trend was junior Brandy Preston of Rocky Mount, Va. Preston's 38.75 meters in the hammer throw was good for fifth place.

Rachel Montague led the way for the VCU women on the track with her new personal best in the 100 meter hurdles. Her time of 14.53 seconds was good for second place.

RAMS POST STELLAR SHOWING AT PRESTIGIOUS FLORIDA RELAYS

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (April 2,2011)– Most people head to Florida for a little vacation and time on the beach.

Not the Virginia Commonwealth University track & field program, who headed to the "Sunshine State" for a business trip at the prestigious Florida Relays. It was a successful business trip as the Black & Gold posted an outstanding showing against some of the nation's top athletes.

"Our team was excited and hungry for an opportunity to get out into some warm weather and compete for the first time this season," Head Coach Jon Riley said. "They definitely made the best of their opportunity and performed at a very high level with some of the best athletes from all over the country."

For the men, senior DeAngelo Wilson had a strong weekend with a seasonal best in the 100-meter dash. Into a very strong head wind, Wilson posted a time of 10.83 against some of the nation's best.

He then teamed with classmates Donnie Seward and Axel Mostrag, as well as sophomore Dominic Costanzo in the sprint medley relay. The quartet posted the strongest showing by the Black & Gold all weekend with a fourth-place finish and a time of 3:21.24, missing the school record by less than two seconds.

Seward and Costanzo then teamed with Josh Bostick and Jeff Hernandez in the 4x400 relay to notch the third fastest time in school history, clocking in at 3:14.72.

On the individual side, senior Walid Berkhedle recorded a personal best in the 1500-meter run with a time of 3:47.94. That ranks him as the third-best runner in school history. Mostrag rounded out the Rams weekend with a top-15 showing in the 800-meter run, posting a time of 1:52.46.

"Walid had a solid weekend and we look forward to his continually improvement in our school rankings in the 1500," Riley said.

For the women, junior Julia Anyaugo was the top performer for the Rams, crushing her own school record by over 10 feet in the discus throw with a heave of 150' 3". Her mark landed her a sixth-place finish, the highest women's finish of the weekend.

The school-record breaking continued in the women's sprint medley where senior Quina Fortune, sophomore Dionna Hayes, junior Jazlynn Finney and classmate Nicole Walters blew past the old school record by 17 seconds with a time of 3:56.42.

Fortune, Walters and Finney then joined freshman Niaimani Aduma in the 4x400 meter relay to post the second-fastest time in school history with a time of 3:49.96, just .56 off the 18-year old school record.

On the individual side, Fortune followed suit in the 200-meter dash by breaking her own school record with a time of 23.79, good for a top-10 finish. Hayes always had a great early season performance with a time of 11.89 in the 100-meter dash.

"As a staff, we're really excited about the way Julia and Quina showed the ability to better themselves and their school records consistently," Riley said.

The Rams head to Knoxville, Tenn. for the Sea Ray Relays next weekend as their final meet before the first home meet of the spring with the VCU Invitational set for Apr. 16^th.

RAMS LOOK STRONG DESPITE TOUGH CONDITIONS AT VCU INVITATIONAL

RICHMOND, Va. (APRIL, 16, 2011)– If you looked up "perfect track & field conditions" on Google, blustery winds and heavy rain probably don't make the list. However, that's what the VCU track & field programs dealt with Saturday afternoon at their first home meet in over a year at the VCU Invitational.

The meet was actually cut a few hours short and an official winner was unable to be declared after lightning surrounded the Metro Richmond area for much of the afternoon. That didn't slow down the Black & Gold, who grabbed 15 top-five finishes on the day.

"I was pleased with the efforts our kids give today in very tough conditions," Head Coach Jon Riley said. "Bottom line is that you can't let the conditions be an excuse because it's the same for all the athletes, our kids didn't do that today and took another solid step toward being prepared for the ultimate goal at the conference meet in a few weeks."

Earlier this week, Riley spoke about fine tuning some things including both 4x100 meter relay teams. Look like both squads got the message, taking home the top spot on both the men's and women's side. The senior quartet of Kyle Jones, Donnie Seward, Allan Moody and DeAngelo Wilson broke the line in 41.71, while the women's team of senior Quina Fortune, junior Jazlynn Finney, sophomore Dionna Hayes and freshman Niaimani Aduma clocked in at 46.37.

Those weren't the only victories on the day for the Rams as Wilson took home the title in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.09, sophomore Jennifer McAvoy claimed her first collegiate title with a leap of 37' 5 ¼" in the triple jump, junior Julia Anyaugo topped her competition in the discus throw with a mark of 149' 3" and senior Walid Berkhedle posted the best time, 3:53.31, in the 1500-meter run.

Other highlights from the day include junior Allison Morris finishing second in the high jump (5' 5"), Hayes finishing second in the 100-meter dash (11.80) and Fortune finishing second in the 200-meter dash at 24.60. Freshman Andre Hunter posted a strong showing in the long jump with a leap of 22' 7 ¾", good for fourth place in the event.

Wilson, who is in his fifth season after battling hamstring issues for much of his career, rounded out a great afternoon with a third-place finish in the 100-meter dash, clocking in at 10.39.

"DeAngelo had a pretty good day and that's what we're going to need from him come conference time," Riley said. "As a veteran on this squad, he's going to need to continue to show his leadership skills if we want to reach the goals we set for the team entering this year."

The Rams return to action next Saturday as they head out to the JMU Invitational in Harrisonburg, Va.

VETERANS LEAD RAMS ON BUSY TRACK & FIELD WEEKEND

RICHMOND, Va. (April 23, 2011)– With only a few meets left in their collegiate careers, the seniors of the Virginia Commonwealth University track & field program are doing their best to leave a legacy with the Black & Gold.

This past weekend added to that legacy as a slew of veterans led the Rams to outstanding showings at both the Vanderbilt Invitational and the James Madison Invitational on a busy weekend for the Black & Gold.

"At this point in the year, you always look for your seniors to really show their leadership and give it their all with the end of their careers on the horizon," Head Coach Jon Riley said. "This weekend was just another great example of how hard work pays off and it's just another step toward our goal, which will take place in a couple weeks with the conference championships."

In all, the Black & Gold claimed 27 top-three finishes and 10 victories between the two meets. VCU posted 14 different qualifying marks for the IC4As and ECAC Championships, which take place later this spring.

The performance of the weekend came from senior Quina Fortune, who scorched the track and her competition in the 200-meter dash at the Vandy Invite en route to a time of 23.38. That time not only won the event, but also puts her in among the top-10 200m times in the East Region this year. It would be a school record, but because of wind readings being above 2.0, it doesn't qualify.

Fortune wasn't done as she posted a second-place finish in the 100-meter dash, right behind teammate Dionna Hayes. The duo posted times of 11.53 and 11.55 respectively, both of which are personal bests and rank in the top-25 times in the East Region.

That had to be it for Fortune, right? Think again. She then teamed with juniors Nicole Walters and Jazlynn Finney, as well as freshman Niamani Aduma to break an 18-year old school record in the 4x400 relay with a time of 3:46.70.

The record breaking continued in the 4x100 meter relay when Fortune, Finney and Aduma teamed with Hayes to post a time of 45.67

"We've talked all year about fine tuning the little things to get big results," Riley said. "We're starting to see that and hope to continue that in the coming weeks."

It wasn't much different on the men's side where the Rams dominated the sprints thanks to seniors DeAngelo Wilson (pictured, right) and Donnie Seward. Wilson won both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes with times of 10.61 and 21.36, both are career bests for the Richmond, Va. native.

Seward finished fourth in the 200-meter with a personal best of 21.78 and then went on to pick up a victory of his own in the 400-meter dash with a time of 47.91.

VCU's success was not limited to the track as junior Julia Anyaugo broke her own school record yet again in the discus throw, this time by over seven feet. Her mark of 157' 8" was good for third in the event. Anyaugo has broken the record three times this year and has now increased the school record by over 23 feet this year.

"Coach Tussing has done a great job of continuing to find new ways of improving our throwers skills and Julia is a true testament to that," Riley said. "She's an extremely hard worker and it's nice to see it starting to be big dividends."

Rounding out the strong performances at the Vandy Invite was the senior distance duo of Axel Mostrag and Walid Berkhedle, who finished first and third respectively in the 800-meter run with times of 1:51.75 and 1:52.28.

At the JMU Invitational, senior Joe Edwards (pictured, left) won both the high jump (6' ½") and the triple jump (47' 5 ¾"). Sophomore Alex Hinton was the other Ram to post a victory in Harrisonburg, crossing the line in 1:58.07 to best his competition.

The Black & Gold will take a few athletes to the prestigious Penn Relays next weekend, but the majority of the squad will focus on the CAA Championships, which take place at VCU's Sports Backers Stadium on May 6-7.

Long Time Coming

Hello Everyone,

It has been a VERY long time since I last posted. I apologize. I've returned from my long hiatus. I have been partly lazy, partly tied up and partly preoccupied with other things BUT I am back. So I'm sure you all want to know what's been going on in my life (or maybe not, wishful thinking). For those of you who do, I have been doing pretty good. Life has been great, I have no complaints. School has been a roller coaster, with surprise around every corner. One being my delayed graduation date, which I am NOT too fond of BUT I am forced to grit and bear one more semester until I can receive my second degree.

Secretly, I never want to graduate. College is sooooooo fun and ever-changing. I don;t ever want to grow up. I swear at 23 I am the biggest kid known to man. I love school. Not always for the education but for the social connections, diverse people and per diem I receive for trips, lol.

In other news track has been going VERY WELL. This is how I pictured my last season to go. I've been running very well this outdoor season. I'm in the best shape of my life, my teammates are excelling and I've shied away from MAJOR injuries! THANK GOODNESS!!!! As of late I the VCU Athletics website has been flooded with the accomplishments of my teammates and myself. We have been doing big things this outdoor season. Breaking records, running fast and SHOCKING THE WORLD!!!!!!

The 2011 CAA Track And Field Championships are next week and I'm sooooo amped to be competing for another title. My teammates, coaches and competitors this season have pushed me to be the best and that's exactly what I'm shooting for!!!! I believe both teams have a chance
to win the CAA this season. This week we are working hard in practice to fine tune and arrive at conference ready and determined to WIN! We will not be denied.

Well that's what's going on in my life. I hope I wasn't too boring, lol.

Take care,

D

the Turning Point.

post-workout
location: home
currently: nursing my wounds from today's practice

it pains me to say it BUT today's workout was KILLER! i won't lie or mislead you all; today was no joke. my day started off normal as can be. i woke up around 8:30ish, checked my email and such, brushed my teeth and washed my face, put some clothing in the washer, packed my bag for the day, ate a bowl of yogurt and granola, then jetted to the bus stop to head to campus.

i was in a fairly good mood. it was a bit brisk out, around 25 degrees and windy but i braved the cold as i do every morning. feeling great, wearing my new glasses, singing, waiting for the bus. the day just seemed so normal. i went to work, pretty chill day, "kinda slow for a Wednesday", i thought. in any case i got off 30 mins early, so i headed to practice.

in the locker room i got dressed quick and strolled into the gym confident and prepared for my workout. i was sure that i would easily conquer it and bounce. being that i had practice most of the break i figured, "shoot im about to show out today!" to my surprise, i did show out just not how i had planned to.

i went through my warm up, taking my time being sure not to miss a drill and making sure i worked up a good sweat. also to my surprise coach "changed" the workout to 300's and 200's which i saw as "cake". i thought, "no sweat i got this. i've been training, this will be money in the bank."

i ran my first 300. i thought, "not to bad, i got a little loose at the end but i can fix that on the next one. i still hit the time, so far so good." breathing was good, i was feeling better than normal. ran the second 300 and hit the time. i thought, "okay this is getting tricky now." breathing picked up. i ran my third 300, it became a little harder to finish this time. i finished 1 second off pace. i thought, "okay d let's hold it together, 1 second off isn't that bad. you just have to work harder on the last one." breathing heavy but nothing to crazy.

lined up to run the final 300, before i took off i told my coach, "im going to try to keep this one in the 40's. got out good but halfway through something was wrong. i didn't panic though, i just tried to relax and finish. 3/4 the way there my legs begin to tire but my arms were still pumping. i'm breathing heavier now. i head "40!" and im thinking "i'm not going to make this one, time to run for pride." i finished in 48, 4 seconds off pace. i wasn't upset at all, i was just happy to be finished with the first half of the workout.

"8 minutes rest", i hear. im thinking, breathing almost uncontrollably, "i don't know about these 200's." 8 minutes went by fast. my legs still weak, breathing slowed a little, not much. i got set and took off, i finish on pace. now im thinking, "crap, they only get faster from here!" i darn near collapse. i realize that im not going to make my next two times and im like, "crap, so much for showing how hard i worked this break."

in any case everyone is leaving because they had finished minutes before me. so its just me and my coach. as he walks by me he says, "this is your last one." im thinking, "that's what's up, maybe he'll take more pity on my and not time this one." yeah right, he timed it lol and i was off pace yet again, go figure."

i write all of this to say this: i am just a man and as a man sometimes i have to hurt. i now realize that i haven't been pushing myself as hard as i should have. it shouldn't be a rare occurrence that i feel as if im going to pass out after or even during a workout. if i want to be the best i have to hurt every practice. today i felt like i had no more in the tank. i worked hard and i know it will pay off. thus today's workout beat me BUT the lesson learned was a personal one that must be applied to my life as well. i MUST work as hard as i physically can in order to be the best.

this is the same for anything that we do in life. we must work diligent and as hard as we can in order to receive a return investment. no one who's ever done something great has waited and said, "oh, i'll work hard tomorrow." tomorrow isn't promised for anyone, so we must work while we can with what we have been blessed with. it must be a conscious effort, not a passive one.

"dont put off tomorrow what you can do today". i heard that quote somewhere and since that day it has stuck with me. i pray that you too will realize the small battles in your life that you sometimes loose but in defeat you become a winner if you take something positive from the experience. today was the turning point in life. i plan to change my mentality and thus changing the outcome of situations in my life. i plan you do as well.

godspeed,

d

Operation: Shock the World

Post- Workout....5:54 pm....Thursday 23rd, 2010


So winter break is among us. I'm out of school. No more waking up for class. No more study hall. And most importantly, no more reading!! Not saying that anything is wrong with reading but I'm an athlete, I'm programmed to look. listen and replicate. So far I've been doing a pretty good job at looking and listening, I still have a ways to go before I can replicate what I see and hear.

In other news, my training has NOT stopped. I still am waking up at 8am Monday, Wednesday and Friday to lift weight and I am STILL running every single day including Saturday. So far so good. The only negative has been the weather, with the snow and ice. But this week has been fortunately has been better. I never thought there would be a day when I thanked the track gods for a 40 degree day. I will take it considering it has been in the twenties for the past week. 40 is a HUGE blessing.

I have been training with a few guys and its been going well. Lifting in the morning and running in the evenings. The track has been relatively warm, besides the WIND. I swear our track is a flat wind tunnel with lanes painted on it. What a runners nightmare. In any case I've been consistently putting money into the bank. It feels good to workout without any distractions.

This week I have started a new initiative called Operation: Shock the World. this initiative was created because I have recently grew complacent and lazy. Yes, I have been practicing. Yes, I have been lifting. BUT I haven't been doing it with a clear mind. There's always something in the way whether its mentally or physically. SO....I have promised myself that I will not allow myself to allow anything or anyone to come in between my training; not even me.

Operation: Shock the World means that if I succeed, I WILL conquer the CAA again and reclaim my titles and go down as the fastest man in VCU Track & Field history. I know this will not be easy and I also know that it will take sacrifice. So, I am cutting things out of my life in order to reach my goal. Sounds simple enough right? Wish me luck.

happy trails,

-d

Never Been so Scared

Saturday, December, 4th, 2010

After 6 months of training, lifting and working to become mentally fit, my first indoor meet is just hours away. Over 150 practice and lifting sessions have all led up to this single moment in time where I show whether I've been diligent or lax. Every muscle in my body is tense, yet relaxed. My mind is racing, year clear. I am rested, yet my legs are restless. I am mentally focusing on what I need to do. I don't know what will happen. I don't know how I will perform. I don't even know if I am even ready to compete yet. The only things I am sure of are when that that times comes I must be ready compete and to perform.

Over the past 6 months, I've experienced minor set backs. Fortunately non of them have been track related. I have had 6 months almost without distraction or injury. Which has allowed me to train, lift and perfect my craft. I have learned new techniques and have been subject to totally different training style than what I have previously experienced. In that time I've encountered a coaching change. I've graduated and I have inherited an even younger team that the proceeding teams before me. All of these things have in some way, shape or form help molded me into who I am today.

I no longer view Track and Field as a sport anymore but rather a way of life. Some start training from young ages. Beginning with club teams, through middle and high school, then eventually to college. Even though I started late in my training, being introduced to Track and Field in 10th grade, I have by the grace of God, both garnered respect and I have experienced success in just my short 8 year career. With that said, as the next calendar year rolls around I soon realize that yesterdays success is today's memory. With all great accomplishments there comes a time when you must show that you can soar even higher then you've ever soared before.

Tomorrow will be my day to soar, my day to show the world that these past 6 months have not been in vain. Tomorrow will be the first time I compete as an unattached athlete. I will not travel with the team. I will not be subject to a team speech. I will not receive per diem. I will not be wearing my alma mater's initials on my chest. Tomorrow I will be competing for the first time ever as DeAngelo Wilson. The thought of being on my own for the first time if frightening yet comforting. There has never been a time where I was this focused. This driven. this determined to compete.

Tomorrow I show what I'm made of. Tomorrow I conquer, one race at a time. Tomorrow I shock the world, one race at a time.

Signing off,

-d