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Dallas County High School senior track and field competitor Anthony Sullivan achieved several personal records at the King of the West Track Meet in Tuscaloosa on Saturday.

Sullivan finished with a 12.04-second time in the 100-meter dash, a 25.97-second time in the 200, a 59.76-second time in the 400 and a distance of 28-09.75 in the triple jump. His performance at the meet earned him two first-place finishes, a second-place finish and a nod as the Times-Journal Athlete of the Week.

“He really is a great athlete,” said David Hobson, the Hornets track and field coach. “He’s played basketball the majority of his career. This year, he decided he wanted to run track and has actually been a huge asset to what we’ve been doing, especially this past week. This Saturday, it being his second meet as opposed to his first meet, it was almost like a whole new person. He was extremely confident in what he was doing. He went out, set a goal and met those goals.”

Sullivan also anchored the relay team and helped them finish third in the 4×100-meter with a time of 49.76.

Before Sullivan even lined up to race, he said he prayed.

“I have a necklace around my neck, which is my good luck charm,” he said. “I grabbed it, and I said a prayer. Then, I just really pushed myself all the way to the finish line.”

While he is relatively new to the sport, Sullivan said he finds the sport to be gratifying.

“I enjoy the running because ever since I was a child, that’s all I’ve loved to do was run,” he said.

Sullivan said one of his favorite athletes is Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley, mainly for the way Ridley played in college at Alabama.

“I look to him because he was humble,” Sullivan said. “He never showboated, and he was just really that athlete that everybody looked to when they needed a win or needed someone to pull through.”

He added he tries to set an example for his younger teammates by giving them motivation and telling them that if they’re out there competing, they’re there for a reason.

“They have purpose, they have motivation and they have the strength to do it,” Sullivan said. “If I can do it, they can do it. We’re no different, really. Everybody’s the same.”

Sullivan said before a meet or game, he prefers to listen to R&B music because its subtle and helps him ease his mind. In his spare time, he enjoys going out to play basketball.

In the classroom, Sullivan said his favorite subject is math, taught by his favorite teacher, Coach Alec Pitts.

“He makes it easy,” Sullivan said. “He describes everything to you and breaks it down. That’s why I love math. I’ve always been good with numbers since I was a kid.”

Sullivan said his go-to when it comes to places to eat in Selma and Dallas County is Church’s Chicken.

“Ever since I was little, I’ve always ate chicken from there,” he said. “It’s close to how my mom makes it when she cooks.”

The Times-Journal Athlete of the Week honor offers coaches an opportunity to recognize players for their on-the-field efforts.

Coaches who wish to nominate an athlete for this accolade may send in their submissions via email to shane.dunaway@selmatimesjournal.com with the email subject line “Athlete of the Week.”

Honorable mentions:

• Morgan Academy pitcher Andrew Thomas pitched 11 scoreless innings for the Senators in two games, striking out 17 batters and allowing eight hits.
• Selma High School senior Cornell Blevins helped his team achieve a personal best in the 4×400 relay with a time of 3:43.48 at the King of the West Track Meet in Tuscaloosa.