May 12, 2001

MILWAUKEE-- B.J. Blake may be sprinting his way to a stellar career as a UWM soccer player.

Blake was a two-sport standout in high school, receiving numerous awards and recognition in soccer while also winning an Illinois state title in track. In heading to UWM, Blake had high expectations as he took the pitch at Engelmann Field. But, like most freshmen, Blake struggled some with his transition to the college game, and his confidence took a hit.

Blake then decided to continue his track career in college, too, and who knew it would take coming back to track to make him a better soccer player.

Soccer was in his blood. His father, Jack, was a former professional soccer player who played for the US Olympic team in 1972. Named after his father but nicknamed "Baby Jack", Blake followed his passion when he decided to play soccer for UWM coach Louis Bennett.

Coach Bennett recruited him for his speed, athleticism, and quickness with and without the ball. With those abilities, Bennett believed he would create a lot of chances to score goals. He saw Blake as a perfect fit to the men's soccer program at Milwaukee-he came from a good soccer background and came highly recommended by top-level coaches.

A two-time Player of the Year for his high school conference, Blake played in 13 games and started six in his freshman season at UWM, tallying one assist as a forward.

"This past fall, I saw B.J. adjusting to the college game," Bennett said of Blake's first year as a Panther. "I think it was slower than he would have liked, but I saw a forward progression throughout the season and that was encouraging."

Even before Blake chose which college to attend and play soccer for, he knew he would eventually look into its track program. He focused solely on soccer during this past season at UWM, but the frustration of not meeting his own expectations grew inside of him. A fierce competitor, the urge to succeed became more and more important and would lead him to inquire about the track program sooner rather than later.

"After the soccer season was over, I talked to some members of the track team," Blake said. "I asked what times they ran to see where I stood in comparison. Some of their top times is what I ran in high school, so I went ahead and talked to (UWM track and field coach) Pete (Corfeld). I showed him a tape of me running in high school, and he went crazy."

Blake was a middle distance runner in high school and ran track for three years. He was named to the All-State team two years, and was the Illinois state champion his senior year in the 800 meter run (1:55) and in the 4x800 meter relay.

"I thought it was a good idea because the confidence level he was searching for in his soccer game, would probably be found quicker in track," Bennett said.

"The soccer coaches told me they had a recruit coming who won the 800m at state," UWM track and field coach Pete Corfeld said. "I didn't think much of it at that time because I didn't think things would work out. It's pretty unheard of at the Division I level to play two sports and be good at them. But BJ came to me after the soccer season to show me a tape of his, and that is when I got excited about the possibility of him running with us."

Blake joined the track team late and practiced for a few weeks in December before leaving on winter break. It was in late January when he returned to the Panthers and began what would become an intense cycle of training for two sports during the entire second semester.

His daily routine soon consisted of waking up early to go to a demanding two-hour track practice. A full morning of classes, Blake would then go straight to another intense two-hour training session-this time with the soccer team in the afternoon. He would spend the rest of his day studying and preparing for the same demands of tomorrow.

Even with a full load of classes and training sessions, Blake still found the time to train a third time in one day. Once a week, he scheduled individual practices with the soccer coaches to work on his skills and weaknesses.

Practicing two-three times a day challenged him every bit physically. Continually readjusting his focus between two completely different sports, he was challenged even more mentally. But B.J. Blake was a competitor. He knew what he was capable of accomplishing and he maintained his concentration to achieve it. His talent, athleticism, and drive for success quickly gained the respect of his track coaches and teammates. He ran only four meets during the indoor season before winning the 800m run at the MCC Championships and earning MCC Track Newcomer of the Year. He also led the Panthers' times in the 800m with a personal record of 1:53.77.

"He's a competitor--he's just got that quality in him. He wants to win every time he is out there," Corfeld said. "He has a great personality in how he carries himself and trains, and he demonstrates that on a daily basis. He has high expectations and works hard to get the results. It's an honor to work with him and to have him on the team. With his personality and example, he can help others on this team be that type of athlete. It's great to see him succeed."

Nicknamed "Trackstar" by his soccer teammates, Blake's success in the indoor track season catapulted his confidence in soccer. It showed in everything he did at practices and soon carried over into the spring season's games. But now Blake was not only training twice a day during the week for both sports, he would have to juggle the soccer games on the weekend with the outdoor track meets.

"B.J. hit a point where it became difficult for him to endure the demands of two sports-physically, mentally, and somewhat emotionally," Bennett said. "But it was at that point when he turned the corner and became a collegiate athlete. He subsequently ran really well and more important to our team, played really well. I think the confidence in his physical abilities carried his mental and emotional state, giving him the stability he needed to be a top college athlete."

Bennett believes it was at that breaking point when Blake determined his role. Khaled El-Ahmad, his roommate and teammate on the soccer team, believes the role he has since filled has come from the confidence he gained with track.

"I think in the fall he was a more quiet player (in soccer)," El-Ahmad said. "It took him time to settle in on the team. It's great he ran track, because it gave him the time and opportunity to find himself with an individual sport. He did really well, and that gave him so much confidence coming into the off-season. With every practice, he was becoming more aggressive-pulling on jerseys, tackling harder. He would take people on much more, dribbling past them. If he made a mistake, he would keep trying until he beat them. All those things are done only when you have a lot of confidence."

Blake's confidence gave him a distinct presence each time he stepped onto the field. Trackstar netted six goals by the end of the spring season. He ended the off-season with a statement as he scored two goals in a 3-1 win over Marquette and both goals in a 2-1 win against Green Bay.

"He basically has matured into the player we recruited him for. As an outside attacker, we need him to create goals for others when the ball is on his side of the field and then to get into the box to score when the ball is on the other side of the field. In the last four or five games of the spring season, he's done just that," said Bennett.

At last, B.J. Blake had become more of the player he always expected to be.