First-year football and track and field athlete makes Guelph proud
First-year Gryphons athlete Keysean Powell recently competed at the track and field U Sports national championship in Alberta where he was also named Rookie of the Year.
Powell, from Brampton, competes in the 60 m sprint, long jump, triple jump, and plays wide receiver for the football team.
One of the main reasons Powell chose to come to Guelph was because it allowed him to compete as a dual-sport athlete.
“The best part about being a dual-sport athlete is both track and football, they work together,” said Powell in an interview with The Ontarion. “So when you’re training for one, you’re also training for the other.”He credits the weightlifting program with the football team in the fall for helping him be explosive and prepared for the track season.
Powell won two silver medals at the OUA championship in the 60 m sprint and the long jump, putting him in contention to win the U Sports Rookie of the Year award.
“Coming into the season, I just expected to come in and do my best,” said Powell. “Maybe it was in the back of my head, but I wasn’t really thinking about getting the Rookie of the Year.”
[media-credit id=115 align=”aligncenter” width=”1024″]
“I did not know until they actually announced it. It was a really nice feeling,” he added.
Powell was presented with the award prior to competing in the 60 m sprint, which added pressure to the already extremely hyped event.
When asked how he stays mentally ready in those high pressure situations, Powell said, “Anything can happen—there are nine guys in the blocks—anyone can win the race, anyone can take it. The rankings don’t mean anything once the meet starts, so you just stay humble, stay focused.”At the U Sports championship, he finished sixth in the 60 m while teammate Kyle Thompson took home the gold medal.
“There’s no better person to get the win than your teammate, the person you train with,” said Powell about the race. “He’s also a little bit of a mentor of mine. He’s a very knowledgeable guy.”
Despite not running his best on day one, Powell bounced back for the second day of competition, winning a silver medal in the long jump.
[media-credit id=115 align=”aligncenter” width=”1020″]
Powell was originally a football player until his father encouraged him to pick up a second sport in high school. That’s when he chose track.
Playing two sports and balancing school is not done easily and Powell admitted that figuring it out is still a work in progress. Studying economics, Powell said following the system is the only way to get through it.
“The staff does a great job in taking care of me, keeping their eye on me, and checking in on me,” he explained. “The tutors are great as well and also you have SAM [Student Athlete Mentorship program].”
Powell explained that, while he learned a lot on the football team in the fall, he didn’t get a lot of play time. He said that track was his bounce back from the football season, but that he is still determined to play both sports.
“To anyone in first year, keep pushing because anything could happen,” said Powell. “Stay focused. Don’t fall off the path just because things aren’t going your way right now. Just keep trying.”Powell credits the coaches of both his teams for helping him succeed.
“The track and the football coaches are well connected and they have a really good relationship, so it just helps everything run smoothly,” he said. “They’re real genuine people that actually care for you and want to see you do well.”
Powell is taking a short break after his long season, but will be back to train with the football team in the summer months before hitting the track again late in the fall.
Photo supplied by Keysean Powell.
Go big bro