Katelyn Williams was Shamrocks' do-it-all girl

When Yuma Catholic track coach Ralph Farr mentioned that Katelyn Williams had the talent to qualify for the 2A state meet in all of the running events, Williams knew what her goal in her final season would be.

 "You don't put a challenge in front of her and say you can't do it, because she will do it." Farr said.

 So that set the pace of practice for this year's The Sun/Yuma Rotary Club All-Region Girls Track Athlete of the Year.

 Williams said she would practice for a week learning the unique skills necessary for the event she would compete in on the weekend. When she set a state qualifying time Williams changed her focus and spent a week practicing for a new event.

 "I qualified for 10 events in state. It made the track meets pretty hard, but I was able to overcome some difficulties in qualifying," Williams said. "I qualified in the 100, 200, 400, 300 hurdles, 100 hurdles, one mile, two mile, half mile, 4x8 and 4x4."

 Williams won the 1,600 and 3,200-meter races at the 2A State Track and Field Championships. She is competing in the Meet of Champions in the 1,600 meter race on Saturday against all the other class champions.

 Farr said Williams strength is her ability to excel in any event. He said he's coached very good athletes but none that had her ability to take on so many unique challenges. He said the nature of her training kept her from exploring her peak potential in any one event, such as developing a perfect three-step in hurdles before moving on to another event.

 Williams was an asset to the Shamrocks because she could run in and accrue points in whatever event they needed her the most in on that weekend. Even if that meant running four events in one day and saving herself by doing just enough to win.

 "If someone wants to work with her as a multi-event (athlete), the tools are all there," Farr said.

 That someone could be Central Arizona College track and field coach Mike Gray.

 Williams accepted a scholarship to run track and cross country for what she considers the best NJCAA girls program in the country. The Vaqueras even compete successfully against four-year schools like Arizona State.

 "Its been one of my dreams since I was younger. To get to college by running," Williams said.