Photo Credit: Tennessee MileSplit
"Nationals will be a great opportunity to compete with other guys who are the best of the nation. Competition only makes you better; I want to get pushed and run faster times."
By Ian Decker - MileSplit Correspondent
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When Jordan Ware stepped to the track at Memphis Central High School for the first practice of his tenth-grade season, he wore a pair of sneakers because he had forgotten his spikes.
But as the team progressed through its 3x300 meter drills, Ware still managed to make his teammates look like they were "running in slow motion," according to MCHS assistant track and field coach Shawn Harris.
One year later, Ware dominated the state of Tennessee as a junior; he won two state titles in the 100m and 200m in the state's Class AAA championships and anchored Memphis Central in the 4x200m relay as the team won a state title.
Next up? This week, Ware will set his sights on conquering the nation at large at adidas Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, North Carolina. The Tennessee standout is entered in the 100m and 200m.
But for all his accolades, Ware is relatively new to the sport in which he now excels.
"As talented as he is, he's still somewhat new to track and field," Harris said. "He still has so much room to grow just from a track perspective and a technical perspective."
Primarily a football player in middle school, Ware switched to track and field after a particularly disappointing conclusion to a season where he blamed himself for a season-ending loss. And as Ware, who is currently garnering interest from NCAA Division I programs Florida and Baylor, has continued to mature as a runner, his love for the sport also has increased.
"I love the sport not only because of the people, but I love the sport because of what comes with it, too," Ware said. "It has its ups and downs like any other sport -- sometimes practices may be hard, and sometimes you might not achieve your goals like you want to -- but in the end, it all pays off."
After the coronavirus wiped out his freshman season in 2020, Ware had "a lot of catching up to do," according to Harris, who first saw his athlete run in middle school.
Elite runners must have a certain level of natural talent, but to achieve typically unattainable goals -- Ware has his sights set on running collegiately and competing professionally -- runners must dedicate themselves fully to their goals both on and off the track.
Translation? Success takes dedication and practice.
"He's one of the most competitive kids I've ever seen," Harris said of the soon-to-be senior. "Last year, even when he was running a fast time, he was never fulfilled; he always felt like there's more out there, more he could do."
Not only is Ware one of the most competitive athletes on the team, but he also understands that to be great, one must be open to constructive feedback from coaches or teammates.
"Everybody has weaknesses," Ware said. "I don't argue or disagree with what my coaches say. I just go ahead and do what is necessary because the thing about the coaches I've got around me is that they want me to succeed. They just want to pave the way for me, so I'm really thankful for them and the wisdom they also give me and all they do for me."
Since his middle school days, Ware has gone from a technically awkward speedster -- he swept the sprints at the state meet -- to a technically proficient standout. And yet, despite his improvements, Harris knows there is room to take another step.
"I love the sport not only because of the people, but I love the sport because of what comes with it, too," Ware said. "It has its ups and downs like any other sport -- sometimes practices may be hard, and sometimes you might not achieve your goals like you want to -- but in the end, it all pays off."
"If you had seen him in eighth grade and his ninth-grade year, you would have been like, 'there's no way this kid is running as fast as he's running with this type of technique.' " Harris said. "But he's a student of the sport, and he worked very hard on all his drills just to get that much better, and you're starting to see it now in his times and his performances."
After his typical banana and oatmeal breakfast before race day, Ware listens to a mix of motivational music from the mid-2000s and modern-day, 2010s up-tempo beats to help him compete at an elite level.
He also has trained his mind to eliminate distractions.
"I don't let doubt or anything like that get into my mind," Ware said. "I am nervous before races, but I tell myself, 'I got this, just go out and have fun, don't tense up.' When I do that, I'm always relaxed during the race, and I just have fun."
In under two weeks, Ware will travel to Greensboro to compete at adidas Outdoor Nationals, where he will face some of the country's top sprinters. Thus far in 2022, he's undefeated across 18 races in the 100m, 200m and 400m. This weekend will be his first opportunity to run at a national championship meet.
"Nationals will be a great opportunity to compete with other guys who are the best of the nation," Ware said. "Competition only makes you better; I want to get pushed and run faster times."
"Once we go down to Adidas, I think he's gonna run a blazing time and put on a show," Harris said.
Ware is one of the more successful runners from a state with a rich history of success in the sport, but the young sprinter knows he is following in a long line of accomplished athletes.
"To be on this level, it's almost one in a million, but it didn't start with me; it started with Emmanuel Bynum," Ware said of the current University of Tennessee sprinter. "You got guys you can look up to and get inspired by because if they did it and you come from the same city, you could do the same things."
Having been inspired by racers like Bynum, Ware hopes to pay his success forward and help younger athletes achieve their goals.
"I'm proud to be on this level, but it's not all about me," Ware said. "My success is based off the way I inspire others. I have a sense that I got this status, and people just want to get my advice, and I love helping them because eventually, I want everyone to all make it out."
And while "making it out" is different for everyone, it could manifest as a prolific career in track and field for Ware.
"If he stays healthy and actually sticks with it," Harris said, "I feel like you'll see his name in a couple World Championship meets and big-time NCAA meets."
Related Links:
Qualifying standards for adidas Outdoor Nationals
On The Line: Diving Into adidas Outdoor Nationals
Madison Gardner has learned to embrace the 400m
Photo Credit: Tennessee MileSplit