Sacramento youth takes home two medals at USA Track and Field Junior Olympics

Sacramento native Quincy Frey took home a gold medal last month during the USA Track and Field National Junior Olympics at Savannah State University in Georgia.

Frey, 10, clocked a 200-meter sprint time of 26.74 seconds on Saturday, winning the boys 9-10 division title. He returned Sunday to take bronze in the 100-meter dash, finishing in 13.16 seconds.

Frey spoke about his Junior Olympics experience with jubilation, as he notched his first-ever meet win amidst the southern swelter’s humidity.

“I just felt good that I won the 200,” Frey said on Tuesday. “It was pretty cool winning it because it was the first time I won it.”

Frey opened the 200-meter race neck and neck with the competition, but quickly pulled away to build a huge gap between him and second place as he rounded out the last 100 meters through the finish line. His 200-meter time, 26.74 seconds, was a personal record.

Being awarded the gold medal was a gratifying feeling for the soon-to-be fifth grader.

Frey, whose favorite school subjects are math and P.E., attends David Lubin Elementary School in East Sacramento.

Frey competed in the same national event last year at Texas A&M but didn’t place, exiting in the semifinals in the same division. His parents — coaches and former Division I athletes Isaiah Frey and Brittany Woodard — entered him again this year as a way of encouraging him to conquer his challenges feet first.

“We both try to put him in positions to experience the things that he’s going to experience as he gets older,” Isaiah Frey said.

“You always see what type of person you’re going to get when you get adversity and you grow from it,” his father said. “I actually think that him going last year and losing was important in his development and in how he responded this year.”

He added: “I think that’s an important part of growth for an athlete. So I’m always big on experiencing the failures ... you continue to grow.”

Quincy himself felt the urge to hunker down and prepare by running the hills of Paradise Beach in River Park, not far from Sacramento State. With the right amount of encouragement from his parents and coaches, he said, and plenty of preparation.

“I had to practice, I had to eat well, and I had to sleep at a certain time,” Frey said. “Then I had to make it to the qualifying meet.”

His practice paid off as he placed within the top three times in the preliminary and semifinal rounds to advance to the division finals before securring his first track meet victory.

His parents are both former Division I athletes and active coaches in Sacramento. Isaiah Frey, a Jesuit High graduate, played football at the University of Nevada, Reno, and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 2012. He spent five seasons in the NFL and now coaches at Jesuit. Quincy often tags along and the competitive spirit has rubbed off.

“With (Quincy) being out there in that environment and watching those guys compete and seeing them work every single day, I think it subconsciously just got into his head to see how much work and how much discipline you have to have to be great,” Frey said.

His mother, Brittany Woodard, was a Bee All-Metro basketball player at Christian Brothers. She played college basketball at Nevada and Cal Poly, and now coaches varsity basketball at St. Francis High School. She also plays in the Women’s Professional Basketball Association, a new league based in Oakland.

The family’s athletic roots run deep.

“We’re so proud of the dedication and the hard work that he puts into it,” Woodard said. “I think that’s one of the biggest things that sets athletes apart — discipline.”

Their son is a part of Playmakers Elite Track Club, a local competitve track and field club run by head track coach Mo Glasgow. Playmakers Elite was founded by Mike Johnson Jr., who owns Playmakers Elite Sports Academy Gym in Sacramento.

Quincy said he wants to run track in high school but is most passionate about basketball and football, the sports his parents played. He’s already set on playing quarterback. As track season comes to a close, Frey is transitioning back to football practice. He plays for Jesuit’s Junior Marauders youth-feeder program.

Frey also plays AAU basketball for Strive Above Others. He won’t run track again until April.

“We know as parents that it’s cool that he’s doing (track) right now and it’s not the end goal,” Isaiah Frey said. “As long as he can take these principles and continue them as he grows.”

Whether he sticks with sports or not, Woodard said their support won’t change.

“We’re going to continue to encourage him, but not force it,” she said. “Whether that’s becoming a professional athlete or doing something else, we’re always going to support him no matter what.”