By Matthew DeForest, Apr. 12, 2022
After the COVID 19 pandemic cut her senior season short just before she graduated, Imani Williams wasn’t sure if she would compete again. Being stuck at home for two years and talking with coaches changed her mind. Williams returned to Cal Poly Pomona to earn a master’s in business administration and rejoin the track and field team for one final season.
Her hard work for this return season has paid huge dividends. In addition to earning back-to-back CCAA Athlete of the Week awards in March, Williams has set the fifth-best long jump mark in CPP history. She also currently sits within the top 20 long jumpers in NCAA Division II rankings.
“The ranking was a bit of a shock to me, but it motivated me to get ranked higher,” said Williams. “I definitely just used to run and jump and rely on my speed. What has got me further is focusing on technique like how I take off and how I land, so I’m a lot better now.”
The Williams family has a history of track and field athletes. Her father was champion triple jumper in high school. He then went on to jump for UCLA and play wide receiver on the football team. Her father also played out a five-year NFL career for the Oakland Raiders from 1983 to 1987.
Williams’s mother Tammy was an avid high school athlete before she graduated from CPP. Her older brother Darryl played football for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and her sister Tayler was an accomplished triple jumper for UC Santa Barbara.
Williams herself has always primarily been a long jumper. During high school, she played volleyball and basketball while competing in track and field.
“I don’t know if I want to call myself naturally gifted, but I guess sports have always been in our lives,” said Williams. “My parents put me in sports just as an extracurricular activity, but it really grew on me. Both of my siblings and I all played three sports in high school.”
Excelling in the jumping pit hasn’t been the only success that Williams has tasted. Throughout her undergraduate career, Williams received several academic awards, including a D2 Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement Award. This award is given to NCAA Division II student-athletes that maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
Williams graduated from CPP in 2020 with a degree in political science and minored in both non-profit management and non-violence studies. After completing her master’s degree at CPP, she hopes to attend law school at either Loyola Law School or UCLA School of Law.
Williams has changed her mind about her future career a few times, at different points wanting to be a defense attorney and at other times wanting to work toward becoming a domestic violence attorney. Whatever career she sets her sights on, Williams knows that she wants to be a force for positive change.
“Coming into CPP, there was a lot of stuff happening with police brutality and racial inequality,” said Williams. “That’s where my head went, ‘I could become a lawyer.’ Now, I don’t really know, but my plan is still to go to law school.“
Williams also has lofty goals for herself and the team this season. Williams is a seasoned veteran on the track and field team; her teammates have even taken to calling her “grandma” because she is older than many of them.
On a team with a lot of young stars and championship aspirations, Williams feels that her age and experience are what makes her a great leader for her teammates. She has dealt not just with COVID 19, but also with injuries, bad seasons and the disappointment of missing out on championship hopes.
Williams expects this season to not just be her best individual season but also the best for her team. She describes the atmosphere as feeling like the team has a target on its back. Williams expects the team to win in its conference and hopefully make appearances at the national championships.
Williams has been a star for Cal Poly Pomona both academically and on the track. She has been proud all season about her performances and her chances of qualifying for nationals. Her and her team are confident and feel like they are all performing at their highest level yet.
“My expectations are to win conference and earn personal records and go to nationals this year and to also have the whole team win conference,” said Williams. “I can’t see us not winning. With throws and distance and jumps, we’re all doing really great right now.”
Williams and her team will be competing at Mt. San Antonio College and Azusa Pacific University from April 13-15. The CPP athletics website can be used to view live stats and results for the meets.
Featured image courtesy of CPP Athletics.