Charlie Sanders was ready to unleash his very best.
After an offseason full of training and a disappointing finish to the indoor track and field season, the West Ottawa senior lined up for his first 100-meter race of the spring.
Sanders unleashed not only his very best, but the best time in the state so far this season, crossing the finish line in 10.63 seconds.
“One of the big things was that I knew I had the speed. Now I want to go after titles – regionals, conference and try to get state title,” Sanders said.
That determination was quickly seen by West Ottawa track and field coach Daniel Blake.
“At the end of last season, he just completely dedicated himself to track. He used to play football but he knew he wanted to do big things with track. He worked out all summer and all fall on his own. He had a good indoor season and started with an incredible outdoor debut,” Blake said. “It has been a lot of work to get to this point, and hopefully it is going to pay off for him.”
He has starred in the sprints for four years, but was often overlooked by older teammates, especially the Chapa twins. Next year they will be reunited at Grand Valley State, where Sanders recently committed.
“I am very connected with the Chapa twins and Grand Valley felt like home to me,” Sanders said. “I am looking forward to the challenge of running at the next level. They have a lot of experience on the national stage.”
First, he wants to have one more experience on the state’s biggest stage.
“It has been developing. It was nice to be exposed to the state meet as a younger guy on the relays to get that experience,” he said. “Being young and having that experience helped a lot. Last year was my first time qualifying as an individual. I know what has to be done to get back to that stage.”
That confidence is something Sanders needs to continue to bring to the track, Blake said.
“It is huge to see that top time in the state. He was a little disappointed in his indoor season, so he took a break and reset. Running that in the first meet confirmed that the hard work was worth it,” Blake said. “He has big goals and hopefully he peaks at the right time. He is focused and is a competitor. He knows what it is like after running on the state’s fastest relay as a freshman.
“He isn’t afraid of that competition.”
Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: How West Ottawa track’s Charlie Sanders became state’s fastest sprinter
Reporting by Dan D’Addona, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel
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