Cunningham aims for 60 hurdles title at NBNI  

By Arthur L. Mack for DyeStat 

It’s not often that a small-town athlete from Alabama produces big-time performances at track and field meets.

But that is certainly the case for Windfield City’s Trey Cunningham.

The senior created a stir earlier this winter when he ran the fastest 60-meter hurdle time in history with a 7.49-second clocking at the Last Chance Meet in January, as well as a 6.78 time in the 60-meter dash. He showed the performance was no fluke when he had some eye-popping performances Feb. 3-4 at the Alabama High School Athletic Association Indoor Track and Field Championships.

First, Cunningham broke the old Class 4A/5A 60-meter dash record of 6.95 set last year by Moody’s Shaquawn Vandergrift with a clocking of 6.85 in the prelims. In the finals, Cunningham broke the record again, winning in 6.79, narrowly missing his own CrossPlex facility record.

In the 60-meter hurdle heats, Cunningham destroyed the old record of 8.30, running 7.58. In the finals, he broke the record again, going 7.54. Cunningham also won the 400 in 50.09, as well as the long jump (23 feet, 1 inch).

“I’ve coached him for five years and it was evident very early on that he possessed a remarkable gift,” Winfield City coach Steve Reaves said in a Gatorade release in June when Cunningham won the Alabama Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year. “He’s worked hard to hone his talent and he strives continually to beat his own records.”

Cunningham's big day at the indoor state meet powered his team to second place behind perennial power Scottsboro. Winfield City is a town of less than 5,000 people in Northwestern Alabama.

“For the state meet, (the goal) was just to get first place in all four events,” he said. “At the time, I wanted to get four first places and 40 points for the team, but if a good time or if a good jump pops up out of it, it pops out.”

Birmingham’s CrossPlex facility has been convenient for Cunningham. It's only an hour and 15 minute drive from Winfield City.

“It’s always about winning a state title, and that’s for every team, whether you’re scoring in this event or another, you’re trying to help everybody,” Cunningham said at the state meet. “This is like a second home. There’s a lot of memories here. I found out I could really run fast here, and it’s a good place.” 

As far as the national 60-meter hurdle record he set last month, Cunningham said it was a goal he had in his sights since the start of the season.

“That has been my goal during the season,” he said. “I knew I could do it, because I’ve been running fast times here (at the CrossPlex facility), and hopefully I can run it (and break it) somewhere else, and if it happens, it happens.”

Cunningham said that Florida State, which he chose over Alabama, South Carolina and Stanford, stuck in his mind for a long time. He joins Birmingham-Woodlawn star Jayla Kirkland, who will attend school in Tallahassee as well. Cunningham, who plans to major in Exercise Science, said choosing the Seminoles felt right. 

“Florida State was among the top four schools on my list,” he said. “All four schools made it super hard for me to choose from, but Florida State just kept nagging at me in my head, so I chose there, and I think I made a good decision.”

Cunningham still has some unfinished business with the New Balance Nationals Indoor this week at The Armory in New York City. He placed fourth in the 60 hurdles final last year.

Outdoors, he has some big goals.

“The goal will be to get the national record in the 110-meter high hurdles, and the 20-and-under record,” he said.

All of Cunningham’s performances have brought national attention to Winfield City.

“It’s pretty cool,” he said. “If I go to New York and break the record (again), it will show that Alabama is a great place to run track.”