A lot of the state's top athletes have begun their indoor seasons with eye-popping performances, but no one has blasted out of the starting blocks quicker than Fitzroy Ledgister.
The St. Peter's Prep senior sprint stud has already burned times of 6.38 in the 55-meter dash and 22.02 in the 200 to grab the state lead in both races. His 6.38 smashed a 37 year-old Hudson County record, is tied for No. 8 in state history, and is No. 6 in the U.S. so far this season.
The 6-2, 185-pound Ledgister, a prime example of how playing football and running track helps make you better and faster in both sports, is determined to try to make history this season as he's put the state record of 6.26 in the 55m dash in his crosshairs. The state record is shared by current Chicago Bears wide receiver Damiere Byrd of Timber Creek, who ran 6.26 en route to winning the New Balance National 60m title in 6.74 in 2011. It was matched by Mario Heslop of Franklin, who ran 6.26 en route to placing second in the 60m at the 2018 New Balance Nationals.
NJ MileSplit recently caught up with Ledgister for an in depth Q and A where he shed insight about a variety of topics, including his reaction to his fast start, his quest to become the state's fastest ever in the 55m, his upcoming announcement about his college plans, his training, how he got started in the sport, and a whole lot more.
So kick back and enjoy our latest installment of Feature Friday as we shine the spotlight on St. Peter's Prep sprint star Fitzroy Ledgister.
NJM: You got your season off to a red hot start at the Energice Coaches Hall of Fame Invitational by winning the 55 dash in a Hudson County record 6.38, which is No. 8 in state history. What was your reaction when you saw your time flash up on the board? Were you shocked to see such a fast time so early in the season?
After I ran the race and looked up to the board, I was completely shocked. I knew I had run pretty fast because I knew the sprinter next to me previously ran 6.4, so when I knew I won the race, I knew it was a fast time. I was really shocked to see that I had ran that fast for my season opener, my goal was to run 6.3 for the season as a whole, so to open up with it was crazy.
What does it mean to you to break the county record, which had stood for 37 years, and how does it feel to now be tied for No. 8 all-time in NJ history?
It means a lot to break the Hudson County record being that I'm also from here (Jersey City), and to be No. 8 all time in NJ history is a big honor and achievement.
Your previous best time in the 55 dash was 6.63, so what's was the biggest difference/improvement in your race to allow you to drop your PR by so much?
One of the biggest differences that lowered my time by so much was the fact that in between the time periods I got a lot stronger and more powerful.
What are your biggest goals this season in the 55 and the 200?
My goal in the 55m is to run in the 6.2s and in the 200 to run in the 21 lows.
What are your thoughts on trying to break the state record in the 55 of 6.26? You're not that far away from it! It definitely seems to be within your reach!
My goal at the beginning of the indoor season was to break the state record. My coaches and I believe that if I continue to train hard, stay healthy, and run against elite competition at big meets, it is something that I can definitely accomplish .
You had a sensational outdoor season as a junior, running 10.60 for 100m and 21.31 for 200m, and you won the 200 at the State Non-Public A race and placed second in the 200 and fourth in the 100 at the Meet of Champions. What are your thoughts on what you accomplished last spring, and what are your biggest goals in those races for this spring?
Last spring was a great season for me. I PR'ed in every event by a large margin. Overall I was really happy with how the spring season went, and my coaches were too. This spring season my goals are to run 10.2 and 20 mid.
Winning a Meet of Champions title is a goal and a dream of every track and field athlete in New Jersey. What would winning a Meet of Champions title mean to you, and how much does that motivate you when you train each day?
Winning a Meet of Champions title would mean a lot to me. All of my hard work through the years would finally pay off. Also having my name up there with the elite athletes that have come out of Jersey would be a great feeling.
When is your next meet?
The Hudson County Relays on January 5.
How and when did you get started in the sport of track and field?
I was brought into track and field by my parents ,who also ran at an early age
When was your big breakthrough, when you realized that you could really be a great sprinter and do big things in this sport?
When I was about 11, I participated in the AAU Nationals in Virginia and placed 2nd twice nationally, and after that I realized that track was something that I could go far in.
What do you love the most about being a track and field athlete?
The thing I love the most about being a track and field athlete is the individual aspect of the sport. Rather than a team sport, track involves just you, and the outcome of a race revolves around your preparation and execution.
You've had a lot of great highlights during your track and field career, but which one are you most proud of and why?
My greatest highlight of my track and field career was winning a National Championship this past summer at the Oregon Nationals in the sprint medley with my teammates. After having to deal with a Covid season and a lot of injuries on the relay, the ability that we had to go out to Oregon and win was an awesome achievement .
What do you consider your greatest strengths as a sprinter? What makes you as a great as you are?
My greatest strength as a sprinter is probably my top end speed. An aspect that I think makes me a pretty good sprinter is probably my practice mentally that carries over to race day.
What was your training like since the season ended last spring? I know that football was your primary focus this past fall, but just wondering if you were able to do any track and field drills etc. or did you basically start from scratch a few weeks ago?
This past fall during football season, I really didn't do anything track related. I started training for track again about three weeks ago and the majority of the workouts have been drill and base work stuff.
What has your training been like this season? Any specific workouts/drills you are focusing on, and what areas of your races are you focused on trying to improve the most?
This season's training has been a lot of lactic and endurance stuff for the most part. Recently we've been incorporating a lot of block start work and acceleration work. The area of my race that I have been trying to improve the most has been my start. Being a little taller I struggle to get out, but my coaches have helped me with that through a lot of technical and mechanical fixes.
A lot of football players choose not to compete in other sports in high school. The football/track combination has obviously worked out great for you. In what ways has running track helped you in football, and in what ways has playing football helped you become a better sprinter?
Track has helped me in football tremendously because I am able to utilize my speed in open space, and football has helped me become a better sprinter because of the explosiveness of the sport and the constant acceleration needed in order to play.
What kind of advice would you give to football players who are considering competing in track and field? In what ways will it help them?
Advice that I would give football players who are considering competing in track is to embrace the longer workouts. Even though they may hurt at first and make it seem pointless, they are really setting you up to run faster later on in the season.
How about the future? Are you looking for a school where you can play football and run track, and what do you plan to major in?
I have had a couple opportunities to do both sports at the next level, but ultimately I have decided to only run track in college. I plan to major in Business.
What schools have you taken official visits to, and where else do you plan to visit?
I have taken visits to Rutgers, Penn State, and Virginia. Ultimately I have found the school for me, and I will be committing for track and field on January 7th.