Former Holmwood Technical star Ashley Williams was a part of her school’s last ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletics Championships (Champs) winning team in 2013, and believes her alma mater’s team is too inexperienced to win this year, but expects them to make their presence felt.

Williams, now 27 years old, left her last Champs in 2016, winning the 200m in 24.02 seconds and had Natalliah Whyte of St Jago behind in fourth (24.67) and another gold in the 4x100m relays. She was second in the 400m to World Junior champion Junelle Bromfield, then of St Elizabeth Technical High School.

“My best memory at Champs was when we won Champs 2013 as the title depended on our performance in the 4x400m relay which was the last event of the night,” Williams recalled.

Now a member of the Sprintec family, Williams, or “Felix” as she was called during her school days because she resembled American great Allyson Felix, said her biggest disappointment was when she finished second to Bromfield in the highly anticipated clash over 400m.

Bromfield won in 51.74s with Williams back in second with 52.87s.

“My biggest disappointment was finishing second in the 400m in 2016 as I never executed a proper race,” she said. “I left knowing I could have done better and I didn’t when I should have.”

With Champs just around the corner, Williams is excited despite not competing.

“Champs is everything,” she said. “Having competed since Class Four, Champs is still one of my best meets to date. The anxiety, nerves, excitement — most of all, the supporters. I look forward to champs every year.”

However, she is not too optimistic about her alma mater winning this year.

“The athletes at Holmwood are all young,” she said. “None of them have ever won a Champs title

“They have never been to war, as we often say, so it’s hard for them to even imagine what it takes to get the job done. They need the championship mindset that was there in the past,” said Williams, who will be there nonetheless cheering them on.