William “Alex” Batts is a senior at Joseph A. Foran High School who succeeds whether it is outside on the track or inside the classroom. Batts has been running track since his sophomore year, and he has been named captain of the indoor and outdoor track teams.
“Track has been the best thing throughout my high school career, coming to practice every day and being able to spend time with my friends and teammates,” states Batts. He’s usually the first one on the track and the last one to leave.
For the indoor season, Batts ran an 11-flat 100-meter dash and a 23.9 200-meter dash, qualifying for SCCs and states for the third year in a row. Now that the season is over, he will be remembered for the records he broke.
For the outdoor season, Batts runs an 11.1 100-meter dash and throws a 1’13” discus.
“I have been working hard all year to get faster times, and finally the work is starting to pay off,” says Batts.
Batts broke records, even though he was injured near the end of his junior season with a pulled hamstring. He still ran and placed in the top 15 in state qualifications.
During the start of his indoor track senior season, he was injured again with a pulled groin. He still ran the whole season and placed in the top 20 in states.
Teammate Alphonse Bradley states, “Batts has been a wonderful captain this season, whether it was on or off the track, Batts is always making sure we do our workouts and don’t cheat ourselves out.”
Batts tries to improve both his skills and his teammates by training nearly every day.
Team member Justin Rodriguez states, “Batts always makes sure to help our teammates get better or improve positively.”
Batts has been successful in class just as he’s been on the track. He has a 4.3 GPA and a schedule of honors and business classes.
“Batts is a great student in class,” says his honors humanities English teacher Shauna Newall, “He provides a lot of interesting insight and is always willing to share his ideas during classroom discussion. I’m so glad that I was able to have him in class during his senior year!”
Batts has recently won a billboard design contest that the Milford Prevention Council held.
After high school, Batts will be attending the University of Connecticut to study finance and intends to run track.
