Kasen Williams heads to UW for next big challenge / Boys Athlete of the Year
Kasen Williams dominated the high-school landscape at Skyline, winning The Seattle Times Boys Athlete of the Year award three consecutive years
Skyline's Kasen Williams accomplished everything he set out to do this spring, adding his third consecutive Seattle Times High School Boys Athlete of the Year award. Next, he tries to make a name for himself with the Huskies.
By Mason Kelley
Seattle Times staff reporter
SAMMAMISH — Kasen Williams stayed true to his word.
On a rainy day in mid-April, the Skyline High School senior stood in the stands at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Snohomish, watching the Eason Invitational. He said he wanted to finish his senior year with Class 4A state titles in the long jump, triple jump and high jump.
Earlier in the day, he suffered a hamstring injury that would nag him the rest of the spring, but his confidence never wavered. He did exactly what he said he would. He won all three events at the state meet, even setting a state record in the triple jump (50 feet, 9 ¼ inches).
"I just knew that I still had enough in me," Williams said. "I knew how bad my hamstring was, but I knew I would be able to pull through and be able to take the rest of those three jumps."
Williams' inner confidence in his ability, combined with raw athleticism, has helped him grow into one of Washington's most decorated high-school athletes. After four appearances in football state-title games (with three championships), an eighth-place finish in basketball as a junior and five individual state championships in track and field, the 18-year-old has little room left to add any more patches to his green and black letterman's jacket.
The Seattle Times' Boys Athlete of the Year for the third straight year has been so busy moving from sport to sport, meeting new people and living in the moment, he has had little chance to think about what he's accomplished.
"I don't really reflect a lot," Williams said. "It's, 'OK, I'm done with this, I'm moving on to the next task.' There are always goals that I want to get."
He will look back later. Now that he's graduating, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Williams continues to move forward. The next challenge is vying for playing time as a freshman receiver at Washington. His father is former Husky receiver Aaron Williams.
Kasen's goals are already set.
"Going into college, the next question is, 'Can he hang with the college boys?' because it's a whole new game and everything," he said. "I want to be able to go out and prove to them that I can hang."
Mason Kelley: 206-464-8277 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
