Emporia State track star Sam Jacob Williams, who had been missing for three days, was found dead by a sheriff’s deputy Wednesday in a ditch along a county road.Police said Williams, 24, who liked taking weekend motorcycle rides, was the victim of a fatal motorcycle accident Sunday evening. Williams apparently lost control of his motorcycle on a curve, struck a road sign and was thrown from the vehicle. He was found about one-tenth of a mile off the road near the Kansas 99 intersection with Lyon County Road 190, north of Emporia.Authorities said an autopsy report indicates that Williams’ neck was broken. Williams, a junior business management major from the Ivory Coast, a west African nation, was an All-America indoor and outdoor track athlete. He ran the 60 and 200 meters and was a member of the school record-setting 400-meter relay team last year, according to Emporia State’s track and field coach, David Harris.“He was a smiling, positive young man,” Harris said. “He was humble, soft spoken, and was a real international man. He spoke several languages and had a French accent that would melt anyone.”Harris said when Williams, who lived alone in an off-campus apartment, did not show up for practice Monday and Tuesday afternoons, he and Williams’ teammates began to worry something was wrong and contacted police. A countywide search was launched. Harris said Williams was gearing up to start his indoor season in December. He had run the 200 in 20.99 seconds.The Hornets’ cross country runners delayed travel Thursday afternoon to a regional meet in Aberdeen, Texas, so they could attend a candlelight ceremony for their teammate at Welch Stadium on campus.“I’ve been coaching on the college level for 25 years and I’ve never had an athlete die in the prime of his career,” Harris said. “We are going to honor Sam now in the way that we conduct ourselves.”

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Posted on Thu, Nov. 05, 2009 11:30 PM

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Emporia State track star Williams found dead

By MARÁ ROSE WILLIAMS

The Kansas City Star

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Emporia State track star Sam Jacob Williams, who had been missing for three days, was found dead by a sheriff’s deputy Wednesday in a ditch along a county road.

Police said Williams, 24, who liked taking weekend motorcycle rides, was the victim of a fatal motorcycle accident Sunday evening.

Williams apparently lost control of his motorcycle on a curve, struck a road sign and was thrown from the vehicle. He was found about one-tenth of a mile off the road near the Kansas 99 intersection with Lyon County Road 190, north of Emporia.

Authorities said an autopsy report indicates that Williams’ neck was broken.

Williams, a junior business management major from the Ivory Coast, a west African nation, was an All-America indoor and outdoor track athlete. He ran the 60 and 200 meters and was a member of the school record-setting 400-meter relay team last year, according to Emporia State’s track and field coach, David Harris.

“He was a smiling, positive young man,” Harris said.

“He was humble, soft spoken, and was a real international man. He spoke several languages and had a French accent that would melt anyone.”

Harris said when Williams, who lived alone in an off-campus apartment, did not show up for practice Monday and Tuesday afternoons, he and Williams’ teammates began to worry something was wrong and contacted police. A countywide search was launched.

Harris said Williams was gearing up to start his indoor season in December. He had run the 200 in 20.99 seconds.

The Hornets’ cross country runners delayed travel Thursday afternoon to a regional meet in Aberdeen, Texas, so they could attend a candlelight ceremony for their teammate at Welch Stadium on campus.

“I’ve been coaching on the college level for 25 years and I’ve never had an athlete die in the prime of his career,” Harris said. “We are going to honor Sam now in the way that we conduct ourselves.”

To reach Mará Rose Williams, e-mail mdwilliams@kcstar.com

Posted on Thu, Nov. 05, 2009 11:30 PM

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