Special to the Skiff
Senior sprinter Lindel Frater runs at the Texas Relays. Frater had twice
won the 100-meter race at the relays.
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Staying
on track Under a blanket of sun, on an unseasonably warm February day, four young men with legs like thoroughbreds and arms of Greek gods crouch side by side awaiting their destination 100-meters away. Forty fingers slightly wet with perspiration from the warm day press into the synthetic surface of the track. Eight spiked shoes dig into the sturdy blocks behind them.
The call is made, “set.” The young men rise with the grace
of a teen-ager sneaking in past curfew. Silence. A shot rings out
and every muscle in the runners’ bodies pull and push almost
in unison.
One runner, almost effortlessly, grabs a slight advantage over the other three. And then, just as fast as it all started, it is over. The runner begins to slow after only 50-meters, barely enough time to get a glimpse of what is possible. On this day, with the finish line in sight, he is happy with what he has accomplished. There will be other days. There will be more important races. For TCU senior sprinter Lindel Frater, it has always been about the next race. One more chance to prove himself; one more chance at reaching that seemingly unattainable goal. Turning a hobby to a goal The four-time All-American from Kingston, Jamaica, has already accomplished more in the athletic arena in his 23 years than most people do in a lifetime. He won the prestigious Carifta Championships, emblematic of the fastest boys sprinter in the Caribbean, at 15. He was an alternate on Jamaica’s 4x100-meter Olympic team in Atlanta at 17. A Division II national champion by 19 and a Division I All-American by 21. This past summer, Frater added Olympic semi-finalist to his resume in the 2000 Sydney games. Frater’s numbers are gaudy, considering he didn’t even start running competitively until middle school. “I started running when I was about 13,” Frater said. “I had always liked running but had never really done much with it. I really just needed something to do to keep me out of trouble.” That hobby turned into a focal point for the Frater family. Monica Frater, Lindel’s mother, remembers when the family made a choice to move from their small country town to Kingston. “Lindel and his brothers had always enjoyed running,” she said. “It was because of the running that I pushed for them to go to school in the city. So we moved, about 120 miles away to Kingston for the exposure. “I wouldn’t say it was easy. I had to change jobs and everyone had to adjust, but I never regretted a moment of it.” Life’s little influences In Kingston, Lindel Frater met high school head coach Stephen Francis. Lindel Frater said Francis, one of the biggest influences in his life and gave him the tough love and guidance that a young star needs. “I stopped running track for a year because I wasn’t doing that well,” Lindel Frater said. “The only reason I went back was because if you ran track, you got lunch for half price, and they would let you into the stadium for free. “The first day I came back, I asked coach (Francis) if I could get in the (120-meter) race. There was only one lane open, and I had to beg him to get in so he just kind of stuck me in lane eight. It was the very last, outside lane and I just thought I would run the curve but I ended up winning. Coach didn’t believe it so we ran it again, and I won again.” Winning just seemed to come natural for Lindel Frater after that, and so did his relationship with his coach.“I am glad that Lindel had someone like (Francis),” Monica Frater said. “He always pushed, but in a kind way. He got real close to our family, and we established a very good rapport. He was hard on him, but it was good for Lindel.” Lindel Frater said his coach was always there for him and guided him on and off the track. “He was kind of like a father figure to me,” Lindel Frater said. “I mean, my dad was always behind me, but I just felt like I could go to (Francis) with anything. His believing in me made a lot of difference. I saw for the first time that if I kept working hard, I could win.” Coming to TCU Lindel Frater kept working hard and kept winning and eventually began to get noticed by people in the track community, not only in Jamaica but around the world. Competition led Lindel Frater to meets in places like Lisbon, Portugal, where he finished fifth in the 100-meters in the World Junior Championships. Running also brought Lindel Frater to the United States, which eventually led him to Texas and to TCU. “During the Penn Relays in 1994, I met (TCU head coach Monte Stratton),” Lindel Frater said. “He probably doesn’t even remember it was me. I was just some young, skinny kid. “It
really meant a lot that he showed interest in me even though I was
only running in the prelims.” “I became aware of Lindel long before the Penn Relays,” Stratton said. “It is hard to overlook someone with the raw ability that he has. I was at (Texas-Arlington) but I continued to keep track of him.” Lindel Frater remembered the initial meeting a few years later when it came time to choose a college. Lindel Frater said he was really looking hard at TCU and Southern California, but when TCU hired Stratton from UTA, his mind was made up. High school grades and SAT scores would eventually lead Lindel Frater down a different road. With his sights still set on the bright lights of Division I athletics and tradition-rich TCU, Lindel Frater took a detour to Division II Tarleton State. It was there, under head coach Lonnie McMillan that Lindel Frater developed the intense style that he still has to this day. “The first thing that impressed me about Lindel was his sheer foot speed,” McMillan said. “I mean with some people you can notice things they are doing wrong, but with Lindel you would have to video tape it and slow it down to catch anything. “Lindel always had the natural ability, but I felt that he needed to develop a more combative attitude for college, and I think we were able to accomplish that.” Armed with a new attitude, Lindel Frater dominated in his only season at Tarleton. Lindel Frater was named the top sprinter in Division II and scored 18 of his team’s 31 points in the championship meet. Despite his success, Lindel Frater’s mind was still on his ultimate goal of running for TCU. With McMillan’s blessing and the grades to back it up, Lindel Frater transferred to TCU in the fall of 1999. From that point on, his career has been nothing but victories and accomplishments with few second and third-place finishes. Lindel Frater has been named to the all-Western Athletic Conference team six times, has been a member of TCU’s record breaking 4x200-meter relay team (breaking a 14-year-old record at the Penn Relays on April 29, 2000) and has won the 100-meter race at the prestigious Texas Relays twice. Last summer Lindel Frater ran both the 100-meter and 4x100-meter races for Jamaica in the Olympics. Lindel Frater said running in the Olympics is one of his most cherished memories. “Going to the Olympics at such a young age shows me that I have some improvement to do,” Frater said. “There are a lot of good runners out there, but I feel like I belong with them. Maybe it wasn’t my time to medal yet, but if I keep working hard something good will happen.” Looking to the future Lindel Frater has already thought out his plans for the future. He said he would like to pursue his track career, hopefully becoming one of the best in the world, returning to the Olympics and eventually making some money so he can take care of his mom. Lindel Frater said his first priority is academics. He is pursuing a degree in criminal justice, which he said he should finish by the time his track eligibility is up. Lindel Frater even has a few more responsibilities this year than most. This year his younger brother, Michael, followed in his footsteps and is a freshman sprinter at TCU. Michael Frater said it’s good to have someone like Lindel around, especially for his first year in college. “(Lindel) is really a hard worker,” Michael Frater said. “He showed me that if you work hard and believe in yourself you can do what you want. But he also understands what I’m going through right now and that is a big help.” Through it all, the Junior World Championships, the Division II championships, the Division I championships and the Olympics, Lindel Frater has tried to remain the same. He is still about the running. The same thing that had him begging Francis to let him in the last lane back in Jamaica. Nothing else. Not the worldwide success. Not the thought of a pro career and not the money that is almost certain to come his way. As Lindel Frater finished the last 50 meters of the race, he is happy with what he has accomplished. After all, there will be other days, there will be more important races.
Chris Gibson |
