O’Neal Wanliss Making an Impact at North Carolina

By O'Neil A. Reid “I am not as aggressive with my start as I should be, so I am working on that,” said O’Neal Wanliss, the 19-year-old freshman on the University of North Carolina track and field team. Wanliss, the 2011 Georgia state high school 400m (47.77) and 800m (1.49.62) champion is adjusting well to life at North Carolina. O’Neal, New York-born and of Jamaican parentage, moved to Atlanta at a young age and has established himself as one of the best high school 400m/800m runners to come out of Georgia. O’Neal is the three-time Georgia 400m high school champion. Armed with a personal best 1.49.03 seconds in the 800m, Wanliss heads into his first Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championship next weekend (February 22).  TrackLedger.com caught up with O’Neal to see his progress.  Adjusting to College Life “In college it’s all about adjusting to training, classes and your workload,” said O’Neal, who pointed out that he is doing well right now in track but he can do much better. O’Neal said he likes the coaching staff especially Davian Clarke (former Jamaican Olympian and Jamaican  4x4 relay record- holder), who he said is a very good coach and that there are a few things that they are working on.  Academically, O’Neal is also adjusting well in the classroom and emphasizes the importance for good time management. O’Neal, who established an indoor 800m personal best 1.49.03 seconds at the SPIRE Invitational Geneva, Ohio on February 10^th, said that he has no preference for the 400m or the 800m. “When I started running track I started with the 400m, I enjoy both [400m/800m] right now so I am working on getting better at both,” he said. Goals for this Season “I just want to run fast; for indoor I just have to be aggressive. I am a strong runner but I don’t start strong,” said O’Neal. His goal this season is to start faster and to attack the first 200m (whether running the 400m or the 800m). O’Neal also stated that once he is out, he is working on executing his race by maintaining his form and by using his strength in the latter part of the race. He also wants to stay healthy. O’Neal insists that his mindset right now is to focus collegiately and to make the transition from high school to college. He wants to help his new team and teammates in whatever way he can. O’Neal has become an integral part of the North Carolina 4x4 relay team. Will he Represent Jamaica? O’Neal, who is of Jamaican parentage, said that he participated in both track and soccer during his high school years. He excelled in both sports. “When I was younger I played soccer but did not do track as I did not want to get burned out”, he said. His soccer schedule was rigorous; he was travelling all over the Southeastern states on weekends. His parents were very supportive.  However, during his junior year in high school, O’Neal had to make a choice and he chose track over soccer. “I have the dream of running international so wherever I get the opportunity to run, I am going with it,” said O’Neal, who tried out for the 2011 US World Youth team but did not make the team. When asked if he will try out for the Jamaican Olympic team this summer, O’Neal said, “We will cross that bridge when we get there. My focus right now is on training and helping my teammates.” S.P.I.K.E.S 4 Tykes  O’Neal’s passion for track extends beyond competition as he is the founder of SP.I.K.E.S 4 Tykes, a Not-For- Profit initiative that provides athletic footwear to needy athletes in several Jamaican schools. He also mentors some of the athletes from those recipient schools. “I used to collect used spikes at track meets and last August (2011) I was able to give those spikes to six primary and secondary schools in Jamaica.” He said. Montego Bay Preparatory, Cornwall College, and the Craighead All-Age School are three of the Jamaican schools that benefited. O’Neal is very proud and happy with the progress the organization is making and says that it now has a life of its own. While O’Neal has yet to declare a major, he likes Global Studies and his posts-college aspirations include working in the international arena. For fun this talented mid-distance runner plays the X-Box and hangs out with friends and teammates. O’Neal has accomplished much at a young age and is poised to have an impact in the ACC, the NCAA and beyond. .