Drew Volz started his athletic career in the Smithville Little League at age five. Baseball was ”the life", including all-stars and travel ball. He was drawn to the vault by older brother Drake and during his freshman year he split winning every meet (50-50) with Drake, while also spending time with the JV baseball team. Drake qualified for the IHSAA state finals and Drew missed by a place, putting baseball permanently in the rear view mirror. 

Deakin Volz attended Bloomington South High School, the third of three sons of Olympian David Volz. As a freshman, Volz was conference, sectional and regional champ and eighth at the State Finals with a PR 14-9. As a sophomore, he was conference (15-0 tying record), sectional (setting a PR 16-4), regional and state runnerup. In the summer, he was the USATF Youth Champion and the Junior Olympic National Champion. 

arry Williams graduated from Bloomington High School North (BHSN) in 1980. He was a member of the track program the last two years under the guidance of Coach John McNichols. While Williams was a student at Indiana University, Coach McNichols invited him to assist with the track program at BHSN as a volunteer.

In the spring of 1983, Williams left the BHSN program to go to Bloomington High School South as a paid assistant coach to Tom Alwine. After assisting Alwine for two track seasons and being the volunteer girls cross country coach, Williams became the head coach of boys cross country and track and field starting in the fall of 1984.