By Tom Rohrer
The beginning of high school is always a time of adjustment for first year students.
Freshmen face the difficult task of acclimating to the increased academic work0load, a new social setting and navigating around an unfamiliar facility.
For students moving to a new area to begin high school, those challenges are magnified tenfold.
DeJuan Frye, now a sophomore at River Ridge High School, was just such a student.
Frye, the son in a military family, moved to the Lacey area from Alabama, a cross-country and cross-culture journey.
“When I first moved, I just had to meet people and I adapted to them and how things went and flowed,” Frye said in an interview with ThurstonTalk.com
“It’s a lot different,” he said of Lacey from Alabama. “The culture is a lot different in that you meet a (more diverse) group of people here.”
Athletics offer young students ways to combat against those challenges mentioned before: teammates can become friends, the structure of the sport can allow the student to stay focused, and confidence can come from the fitness and competitive aspects of the game.
Frye, who also plays on the Hawks football team, immediately saw results in track and field, becoming one of the top sprinters, not just at his school, but the entire Thurston County area.
After a freshmen season in which he finished eighth in the 2A state meet in the 100 meters (11.32 sec) and seventh in the 4 x 100 meter relay race (along with teammates Chris Leiba, Daniel Montesa, and Ika Morton), Frye has taken the next step in his development this year, and has the award to prove it.
At the Ice Breaker Invitational in Rainier on March 16, Frye posted the best 100 meter time of 10.99. That same meet, Frye ran, at the time, the second best 200 meter time across 2A this season, finishing the race in 22.72 seconds (he was also part of the meet’s winning 4 x 100 meter relay team). The 200 meter mark is now the fourth best among 2A sprinters.
For that amazing performance, Frye was named WIAA State Athlete of The Week, a feat even more impressive considering he had to be convinced initially by his mother to go out for the track team.
“At first, I didn’t want to run, my mom asked me to do it to stay busy,” said Frye, who won both the 100 meter event and 200 meter event at his first high school meet. “When I started winning, I was surprised of the level that I was competing at. It was sort of a shock.”
Improvement in the 100 meters is measured by tenths and hundredths of a second, and while his .1 second improvement from last year (his best time was 11.09) may seem marginal, it’s a testament to his work ethic, dedication and his still untapped potential.
“He’s extremely dedicated to his craft,” said Phil Lonborg, who’s been the track at field coach at River Ridge since the school opened in 1993. “He had his eyes wide open last year at a few meets and I told him we expect him to win and that he needs to develop an attitude where he expects to win. I think he’s done that.”
Frye, now 16, notices an improvement this year in the way he handles his nerves and the pressures associated with a big race.
“I would run to the crowd and it would get loud and I would get distracted,” Frye said, “This year, my focus is just on me and the racers and the track. I block out all that noise and the distractions.”
Along with being driven by personal motivation, Frye knows there are other sprinters at the 2A level, particularly one from a nearby school, that are looking to beat him when it counts: at the state meet in May.
Tumwater’s Andrew Brown, a senior, has the best 2A time in the 200 and 400 meter races, and will likely face-off against Frye at several meets throughout the year.
“If he wants to be great, he certainly will have to earn it when everything is on the line at state,” Lonborg said. “He has stiff competition, and he isn’t going to sneak up on anybody. They know who he is.”
“I’m motivated by the competition,” Frye said. “When someone tells me they’re faster, it just makes me want to go harder.”
“He gives me that competition that makes me better,” Frye said of Brown. “When I race against him I have to take it to another level.
Lonborg has noticed maturation from Frye throughout his sophomore year, citing his consistent presence in the weight room and by showing up to optional practices.
“I was there at spring break and he was at every optional practice,” Lonborg said. “Actually, he was waiting for me when I got there. This is clearly important to him.”
Equally as important as Frye’s performance on the track is his character and demeanor off it, displaying a humble attitude and a set of morals passed down from his mother.
“It’s just that my mom taught me very well how to act,” Frye said of his mother, who he says makes sure he stays on top of his academic affairs and studies. “That and that I should always humble and be respectful of others.”
“There is not a person in the school who knows him who doesn’t love him, he’s just that great of a kid,” Lonborg said. “He doesn’t talk about himself. He appreciates when people talk to him about his accolades but he doesn’t let it get to his head and he won’t draw attention to himself.”
Frye credits his coaches for his success and is thankful of the support the entire school has given him.
“I have a great relationship with everyone I feel, but my coaches have been very supportive of me and helped me get used to the new environment,” He said. “If I need anything, I can look to (my coaches) for advice.”
While he may have the top 100 meter time in the state, Frye is driven by the possibility of defeat, and will continue to push himself until he reaches his top speed.
“Even though I have the top time, I got it in my head that I can get beat anytime and it pushes me to go farther,” Frye said. “You can always improve, always run faster, and I won’t stop working until I can’t run any faster.”
That’s certainly bad news for his competition.
