D. J. Hayes eyes Southland success
2/21/2011 10:37:00 AM | Track & Field
A four-time All-Southland performer, Hayes is having his most successful indoor season this year. He won the 400-meter dash at the Wichita State Herman Wilson Classic with a time of 47.47 seconds, the third-fastest mark in the nation. It was also the third-fastest time in Sam Houston History.
Hayes is a four-time All-Southland Conference performer. He is excited about how the season has started and is anticipating continued success. Hayes has come a long way from where he began and has stepped up as a leader on his team.
"When I first got to Sam Houston I was basically going out every night, staying up late and getting in all types of trouble," said Hayes. "It almost got to a point where I was kicked off of the team. I have calmed down a lot since I got to school and started taking everything a lot more seriously and straightening out my priorities.
"Running a national provisional qualifying time at the opening indoor meet and breaking their stadium record kind of took me by surprise. I wasn't expecting to run that fast. I didn't think my body was capable of doing that right now and after I finished my race I had to double glance at the scoreboard to really make sure I had ran that time," he said.
Hayes worked a great deal on his strength in the weight room, which has dramatically improved his running. He has also been working running exact workout times. Head coach David Self is excited about the way Hayes has improved and expects him to continue to improve over the course of this season.
"DJ has put up a mark that shows," said Self. "With track it is a lot about responsibility and taking control of your training. I have seen him really mature over time and he has shown people how good he can be. DJ has also done a great job of leading by example for the freshman as a team captain. He knows that a lot of these guys are going to be the backbone of our team and so he helps them train so that they can improve."
Self and Hayes' old teammates have had a strong influence on his training and have been very influential people in his life. They really helped him through injuries and how to take care of his body. They also helped him enhance his opportunities as a student and an athlete.
"My old teammates really helped me out early in my college career when I was having injury problems and getting used to running track," said Hayes. "They were like my big brothers and they taught me so much about keeping in shape and just the track world in general. Sometimes I think they had more faith in me than I did."
Self has also been a big influence on Hayes, both on and off the track.
"Coach Self is more than a coach to me, he is a very influential male figure in my life," Hayes said. "From the first day I arrived on campus coach Self has always believed in me and gave me the confidence I needed to succeed. When he made me a team captain this year it was just the icing on the cake that he really trusts and believes in me."
Hayes' standards for this season are very high. This season he wants to win a conference indoor and outdoor championship, and to become an indoor All-American and to be outdoor national champion. His main goal is to make it to the 2012 Olympics next season.
"I am a track fanatic so I am constantly looking at results, so that I can get the motivation to go out and run the best time that I can," said Hayes. "I would like to continue to run track after my collegiate career is over and test out the professional circuit. But if me running is not in God's plan I either want to be a physician assistant or a college sprint coach."
