William Decuir taking 11th at the LHSAA D1 - Region 2 Championship
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When people hear the name "Decuir", most would think about the junior from last year that dominated the 400m and 800m double, however, a new name is rising to the top. A young man in his final year of middle school is already establishing himself as a prominent runner in Louisiana.
This is the story of the upcoming William Decuir.
If you were paying attention to this previous cross-country season, you would have noticed this name stood out from the rest, as he was the fastest middle schooler in the state and even secured a varsity position on the Catholic High team. Though he did not race the state meet, it would not have been out of the picture for him to finish within the top 30.
When asked about making the varsity squad as someone still in middle school, Decuir said,
"It was a big step up from middle school but I was excited to run high school varsity in the 8th grade." Catholic's William Decuir
To make a varsity squad while in 8th grade is already impressive, but to make it on a team such as Catholic High, which is known for its program depth and success is even more so. His best performance came from the EBR Metro Championship, where he finished 13th overall with a final time of 16:26 for three miles.
The athletics scene is not foreign to Decuir, as he has been on this path for some years now. William said, "I began [running] in 3rd grade with the U.S. Express Track Club" and " I have been playing soccer for as long as I can remember."
It is clear that Decuir has carried over the success that he experienced at both of those levels and has multiplied it during his very first year of varsity cross country.
As mentioned earlier, there is another notable Decuir in the midst of Louisiana cross country and track and field. This would be William Decuir's older brother, Winston Decuir. Winston has already set a precedent for the Decuir name and it looks like William will not be far behind.
William has already battled head-to-head against Winston during this last cross-country season and even pulled away from him three times before. When asked about a potential rivalry in the Decuir household, William said, "There is a friendly rivalry between my brother and me, but he prefers middle-distance events, while I like more long-distance events."
It is not certain if William will continue to compete in track and field for Catholic High this upcoming season, but one thing is certain. William has drawn the attention of many and will surely be watched closely in the upcoming years. When asked about his goals for this upcoming season, he closed with,
"My only goal is to find my limits and break them." Catholic's William Decuir