Will Stark, a junior kinesiology major, won second place in the 400-meter race in the NCCAA Indoor Track and Field National Championships for the Bob Jones University Bruins track and field team. It marked the first time a Bruin has ever earned a podium spot in the 400-meter race at nationals.
The competition took place February 13-14 in Cedarville, Ohio.
Stark began running in high school after being encouraged by his father. During these years, he advanced to the state finals every year. He worked hard to improve.
“The best part about track is hitting a new PR (personal record) and that feeling of looking at the screen and seeing a faster time next to your name,” he said.
Will runs short distance, excelling in 400-meter races. After joining the Bruins during the second semester of his sophomore year, he experienced some injuries. Despite these injuries, he qualified for nationals his first semester on the team and ran a personal record in the 400 meters. Every 400-meter race he has run in college has resulted in a new personal record.
Stark said he loves his experience as a Bruin.
“I love being a part of a team. Our team is very positive, and we push each other to try to get better each week.”
He credits some of his success to his coach and teammates.
“Coach Roach taught me so much about track and how to get faster and stronger,” Stark said.
He also mentioned other sprinters on the team, including senior business administration major Leo Mota, who did extra workouts and pushed him during practice.
Heading into nationals, Stark was excited and confident about his speed but a little more concerned about his endurance.
“My only thought for the race was to get out to a fast start,” he said. “I knew that if I split the first 200 meters at a fast time that I would be able to hold on and run a PR race.”
Going into the race, he was ranked fifth in the country.
“I knew that I was going to run faster than my listed time, I just did not expect to run .9 seconds faster than my ranked time,” he said.
Stark’s college running career is not over yet. He plans to make the most of his remaining time as a Bruin.
“I plan on winning outdoor nationals this year,” he said. “I also plan on staying at BJU my senior year and winning indoor and outdoor nationals next year.”
