Northside track alum Ventavius Sears gears up for NCAAs

In Western Kentucky assistant track coach Willie Johnson’s eyes, Ventavius Sears’ workload at the 2017 NCAA track and field championships will be a much lighter one than normal for the senior.

Sears, a former Northside standout, has been a do-it-all track athlete as a Hilltopper, switching seamlessly between running and jumping events. While he competed in four events when Western Kentucky won the Conference USA outdoor title on May 14, he has just two on his schedule when he makes the trip to Eugene, Ore.

Sears will compete on the 4x400-meter relay team and on his own in the long jump in his fourth and final appearance at the NCAAs.

“It’s very hard to do both running and jumping and be extremely successful at both,” Johnson said. “What he does, the last thing we’ll call it is ‘easy.’ ”

Sears reflected on clinching spots at nationals in two events. He said advancing in the long jump brought a sigh of relief, because he admitted he did not have his best day at the preliminaries. The 4x400 relay experience, however, was a bit different.

After a mishap derailed his 4x100 team’s chances, Sears said there was pressure on everyone to make it happen. That would be no small task, especially when two of Western Kentucky’s alternates were called upon to compete. The alternates wound up running faster times than their teammates anticipated, which led to the Hilltoppers taking 16th and clinching a spot.

“That’s always the goal at the beginning of the season: Let’s get to Oregon,” Sears said. “Once we get there, let’s compete at a high level. Running with those high-caliber athletes and future Olympians, it’s just surreal. It’s a great experience, and I’m beyond blessed and thankful that I can do it one more time.”

Sears took it upon himself to become an outspoken leader in his senior season. He said he wanted to instill in his teammates what it takes to excel at the collegiate level while also mentoring them on the do’s and don’ts of the day to day. Johnson explained the upperclassmen took it upon themselves to do something similar when Sears was a freshman on the team.

According to Johnson, Sears has been the perfect figure for that role.

“He’s gotten stronger and become a leader for us,” said Johnson, who works with Sears in the long jump and triple jump. “He’s led these guys to where they are now. It’s been a joy to watch, the difference in him not quite understanding how to do certain things early on, to now he can teach others how to do it. I think he’ll be a coach at some level here whenever he decides to retire, and I think he’ll do a great job.”

That leadership quality is more valuable than ever as Sears prepares for his fourth consecutive appearance in Oregon. He said he is well aware of how important keeping his composure will be, especially when some of his Hilltoppers teammates have never seen this stage before.

Sears said there will likely be nerves before competition but said just getting to participate is enjoyable enough.

“It’s just something you cherish every time that you’re there,” Sears said. “Even though this is my senior year and I’ve been there before, I’m still cherishing every moment. Since I’ve been blessed to be able and have the opportunity to do it, I’m going to definitely not take it for granted.”

Sears said it feels like only yesterday he was a Patriot competing in Kinnett Stadium, but time has passed since then. Sears is on the verge of finishing his collegiate track career and preparing for his next step in life. Sears will return to Western Kentucky next year to earn a graduate degree in recreation and sport administration.

His plan, naturally, is to become a college track coach.

Sears said he has goals of winning a title up in Oregon, but said he really just wants to enjoy every moment. He’s already collected an array of experiences at NCAAs, from being a First Team All-American to walking away with less-than-ideal finishes. He understands how rare a chance it it, explaining that many athletes just like him never get the chance to compete at this level.

“I’m just thankful for the moment, that I can wear the WKU across my chest for the last time,” Sears said. “It’s been an amazing four years. I’ve accomplished a lot on and off the track.

“I want to go out with a bang and bring a national championship back to Bowling Green.”

This story was originally published June 6, 2017 at 11:16 AM with the headline "Northside track alum Ventavius Sears gears up for NCAAs."