ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT: Joe Quez Keith – Sparkman Sprinter

HARVEST – In his room of his family’s house located on the west side of Harvest, Joe Quez Keith displays most of his 400 trophies, ribbons and medals he has won over the years as a sprinter in track and field. He has so many awards some are stuffed away in a suitcase. But his prize award recently came his way by setting a new Alabama state record in the 400-meter at the AHSAA Indoor Track Meet.

With all of his accolades, Keith feels he has a long way to go saying, “This won’t be the last time you hear from me.”

Keith is a senior for the Sparkman Senators’ track and field team and recently signed a full athletic scholarship with Alabama A&M where he hopes to earn a degree in communications as he’s headed to “The Hill” with a 3.1 grade point average.

“Joe is a young man who basically loves track as he was raised around track running for his family’s Parker Track Club,” said Jeff McNealey head coach of the Sparkman track program.

At 5-foot-10, 155 pounds, Keith is a perfect physical specimen of a sprinter as he began track and his endless pursuit of perfection at age five running for his family’s track club started by his grandfather. The club conducts practice sessions at both Milton Frank Stadium in Huntsville and at Bob Jones High School. His father, Antonius Hollis, was once an elite track athlete in the sport’s field events while his mother, Chassity Parker, was a two-sport athlete as a sprinter and cheerleader and both lead the track club with their son as a star performer.

Outdoor track is also a specialty for the 18-year old Keith. Last year as a junior, he assisted two relay teams as well as finishing third in both the 400 meter and 300 meter hurdles at the AHSAA State Championships. His personal best times in both seasons include outdoor- 100m: 10.78, 200m: 21.50, 300m hurdles: 38.46 and 400m: 48.28; Indoor-60m: 7.00, 60m hurdles: 8.08, 400m: 47.81.

Thinking back to his childhood, Keith spoke of how he would line up next to a road and race cars traveling down the roadway. He would also race against the fastest dogs in his neighborhood. Among his friends he was known as the fastest and would often get challenged to a sprint. He added, “Even at the local barber shop guys in there would challenge me to a race.”

As a nine-year old performing in the State Games Nationals in Grand Rapids, Mich., Keith took two gold medals winning both the 100 and 200 meter races. At 12 years old, he beat both the No. 2 and No. 5 nationally ranked sprinters. Last year as a junior, he attended the National Junior Olympics in Greensboro, N.C. and placed 22nd in the 200 and 14th in the 400 races. As his life raced by he has always held onto his dream of running in the Olympics. “I would many times pretend I was in the Olympics and win the gold medal as I used to watch the games on TV and the races would motivate me. My dream has always been the Olympics, an education and having a good job.”

Keith transferred to Sparkman as a sophomore from Lindsay Lane Christian Academy of Athens. He began playing football along with running track for the Senators, but chose to give his fulltime effort towards track and dropped football after one season. The move is one he’s not regretted as he has been recruited by several schools, but felt his commitment to Alabama A&M should hold up as the Bulldogs were the first to approach the young Keith early on.

“The sky is the limit for this young man and he will continue to accomplish greatness on the collegiate level,” added McNealey.

“I feel I’m motivated and always ready for practices and races as I feel correct preparations makes me fast as I eat right and sleep correctly,” said Keith. “Each day I come into running with a plan and set a goal for each day. I want to smash my times almost every day. I feel I’m mentally strong. My uncle and my father have always coached me and taught me to be mentally strong.”

Keith once took piano lessons and said he could sit down and bang out a tune today if given the chance, but running track is what he now concentrates on. He knows he’s been very lucky as he’s been basically injury free. If school and track weren’t enough, Keith also works in retail at Hibbett Sports in Athens several nights a week after school and track practice. He somehow finds the time to assist at his church, Evans Road Church of Christ in Athens.

“I pray before each race as I get into the starting block and I block out all noise and concentrate and get my breathing correct and then explode out of the box at the start,” explained Keith. “I soon bring my head up, pump my arms, make good knee lifts and work my shoulders all in unison all the way to the finish line. As for my opponents, I don’t see them. I feel them.”

If you believe in dreams coming true, it’s a sure bet Keith will see his appear right before his eyes in front of the competition that will lag behind allowing him to add to his already rich collection of awards, guaranteeing we will all hear from him again.