Not many devote years of their life to something that takes countless hours of effort and work, a pursuit that is the source of consistent aches and pains and that tests one's ability to compete physically and mentally.

It takes a tough individual with numerous strengths. Deshaya Williams is one of the people who take this challenge head on.

She has been a member of the Penn State women's track and field team for five seasons and is getting ready to bring her athletic career with the Nittany Lions to an end.

Williams' final season has started with a bang and shows no signs of slowing down. Thus far, she has wreaked havoc in the shot put, taking first-place honors at every meet the team has taken part in. Williams has also placed in the top three, competing in the 20-pound weight throw.

"She's been a great athlete, very gifted, and she just loves track and field," Penn State women's track and field coach Beth Alford-Sullivan said.

Despite her undeniable talent, Williams' track career has not been without its troubles. Last year, Williams had to be red-shirted after sustaining a foot injury and was forced to sit out for a considerable amount of time. The time off put the athlete in a bit of a rut but now Williams feels her game is better than ever.

"I really wasn't into getting up every morning but this year I am way more focused and at a whole other level," Williams said. "I feel like I'm on the right track for this season."

Williams, a Saratoga Springs, N.Y., native, got her start back in sixth grade where she actually began as a hurdler. After suggestions from her coaches she attempted the throwing events. Her coaches knew that right from the start, she was a natural at it.

"I didn't think that I would excel at what I am," Williams said.

When it came time for Williams to choose a college, she was told to make a list of all the places she wanted to go, and Penn State was on it. During the summer of her junior year at Saratoga Springs H.S. she attended a camp held at State College.

"I really got a look at the campus and it seemed really nice," Williams said.

A year later she was recruited by her soon-to-be assistant coach, Dayna Holston. Williams had helped lead Saratoga Springs to three state championships and had won herself six state titles in both shot put and discus. Holston had a hunch that with Williams' speed and strength, she would be a great addition to the team. And she was right.

Throughout her five years, Williams has amassed an impressive resume of big wins and All-America honors. In 1999 Williams took a spot on the Pan-American Junior team and took top honors in the discus, and in 2000 she placed fourth in the shot put in the Big Ten Indoor Championships.

"For me it is very rewarding to see her do extremely well. She's an athlete with tremendous talent," Holston said.

It is not only rewarding to see Williams be successful. Holston also enjoys coaching her because of her devotion, her personality and the laughs she brings to the team.

"She always does what she is supposed to," Holston said. "And she always has a big smile on her face."

Now captain of the team, Williams leads the way for her teammates and helps set high standards for them to live up to when she is gone. However, Williams truly feels that though she will miss the competition, she will miss her teammates and their support even more.

"We are a really close-knit team," she said.

Williams is interested to see the direction her team will go in the seasons to come.

"As seniors, we like that we've built the foundation of the team and really had a big part in the long way we have come," she said.

Williams' plans at the end of this semester are to graduate, majoring in human development and family services, and bid farewell to her years of competition with the Lions. Though the end is near, Williams still cites her goals for the season.

"Making nationals would be the highlight of my career," Williams said.

And if her past performances and work ethic are any indication of what the future holds for Williams then she will no doubt meet her goals.