University of Tennessee Athletics
Williams Earns 200M Bronze at Pan American Games
July 27, 2007 | Men's Track
Williams Earns 200M Bronze at Pan American Games
Rubin Williams
Tennessee junior Rubin Williams finished third in the 200 on Friday to earn a bronze medal at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
???I???m very happy for Rubin,??? sprints coach Norbert Elliott said. ???He???s had a very long season, but has competed well the whole time. It doesn???t surprise me that Rubin is a medalist. He finished second indoor and outdoor (in the 200 at the NCAA championships). He showed his strength by proving he can run the extended season. I expected him to get a medal because that is the kind of athlete Rubin is. He ran with poise and advanced through the rounds so well that he got a good lane in the finals. We are certainly proud for Rubin and the University of Tennessee.
Williams sprinted to the finish line in 20.57 in the finals for his third-place finish. The 12-time All-America from San Jose, Calif., recorded the third-fastest time in the first round on Wednesday with his 20.72 clocking before earning the fourth-fastest time of 20.66 in the semifinals.
Williams also ran the third leg on Team USA???s 4x100 relay team, which qualified for Saturday???s final after recording the third-fastest time of the semifinals on Friday afternoon. Arkansas junior J-Mee Samuels led off the relay and was followed by former Texas Tech sprinter Rae Edwards. Former TCU sprinter Darvis Patton anchored the relay team.
Tennessee signee Arkadiusz ???Axel??? Mostrag represented his native country of Poland last week at the European Junior Championships. Mostrag finished seventh in his preliminary heat of the 1,500 with his time of 3:53.10. Mostrag, who attended Fort Union Military Academy in Virginia, won the 800 at the Nike Indoor High School Nationals earlier this year.
Complete results of the XV Pan American Games can be found at USATF.org.
