It’s been a rollercoaster since our last episode. As I spend my last few days in D.C. after graduation and the track season have commenced, it is bittersweet but above all rewarding. Rewarding to have been able to be apart of something greater than myself in many different facets. In this episode, I sit down with a special young man whose story has inspired his teammates and close friends alike. Zeke Hawkins is the older of two dynamic twins(by one minute) and recently became a bronze medalist in the decathlon at the MEAC conference championships. After living in Long Beach for the first 6 years of his life, Hawkins and his family moved to Atlanta,Ga, where they reside today. Growing up with twin brother Zach, the two played sports on many of the same teams, primarily football. Their start in the hurdles began when they witnessed a track practice when the team lacked any hurdlers at all. They decided to take on the challenge, sticking to football as a primary sport. Hawkins was listed at WR for powerhouse Grayson high school, but played various positions on scout team. Zeke established himself as a hard worker and selfless teammate, although the crowded depth chart made playing time scarce. However, sharing the field with multiple national-caliber athletes on a daily basis helped him understand that he belonged. As the Hawkins twins progressed in the hurdles, Zach began honing in on track, and collecting offers. During the week that coronavirus uprooted us all, he ran a blistering time of 13.7. By this time, it was clear that the two would be Howard-bound. Zeke had already received admission to Howard early action, and had plans to participate on both the track and football teams. Unfortunately for the two of them, their final months of high school and first months of college were spent virtually. During this time, they split time between online classes and working at Amazon, not anticipating a track return. Although they did eventually receive the call that the season was on, Hawkins recalls the brutal adjustment period. They had no time to waste, arriving during the first week of January and diving straight into an outdoor season 2 months thereafter. Hawkins was not in the physical condition that he had wanted to be in, and he had to do some serious thinking about his future in the sport. Instead of quitting, and with the help of Zach, he buckled down and got to work. Work work. He lost over 50 pounds through the Fall, transitioning to a multi/decathlete. In his first indoor 60 hurdles race ever, he ran an impressive 8.50 behind his brother in 8.03 and teammate Jermanie Byrd in 7.98. He credits that meet for the confidence that he could hold his own and to go after it. After finishing top 5 during indoor conference on a bad ankle, Hawkins stormed the outdoor meet with a vengeance. The trio of himself, Nate Are and Eric Brown jr. Scored 21 big team points in dominant fashion. Keep an eye out for Zeke next year as he hunts down the school decathlon record and the coveted gold medal !Recorded: 5.17.22
