Alfred Larry is anxious to make his way to center stage next spring at the Class 3 State Track and Field Championships.
And he wants to bring the Jennings boys track and field team with him.
Despite winning three state medals for the second straight year at state this past May, including a first-place finish in the 400 meters, Larry was overshadowed by another North Countian, McCluer South-Berkeley's Lonell Watkins.
Watkins won four gold medals to power the Bulldogs to an impressive second-place finish. Although the Warriors won their first-ever team trophy thanks to a fourth-place finish, they had to take a back seat again to rival MS-B, which is a perennial state title contender.
Next year, however, with Watkins as well as star sprinter Camron Hampton graduated from MS-B, Larry and the Warriors are hoping to make big waves in Jefferson City.
"We're going to try to win it," said Larry. "It's what I'm going for since it's my senior year. I think we'll be strong."
To that end, Larry is competing for the fledgling R.C. Striders track and field club this summer. It's the first time Larry has competed in the hot months. In the past, he elected to train with his father, Alfred Larry Sr., who excelled in the sport when he was younger.
"Everybody told me it would help me," said the younger Larry of running for the Striders. "I'm always trying to get better."
"He's doing pretty good," said Striders coach D'Anthony Smotherman. "It's been a big change for him having to deal with different kids from different schools."
Larry is proving to be a chameleon, able to change colors to fit his surroundings. He recently qualified for the upcoming AAU Nationals (slated for July 29 to Aug. 6 in New Orleans) in both the 1,600 and 3,200-meter relays. He anchors both squads, which also feature Normandy products Derek Brown and Brandon Jackson as well as MS-B's Coty Williams.
"We're going to try to win both events," said Larry. "It's going to be tough."
"I think both can place in the top three," said Smotherman. "I feel good with (Larry) at the end because if we get in a dogfight with another team he'll put out for me."
Larry just failed to qualify in the open 400 for nationals. Smotherman said he wasn't pushed hard enough in his prelim, which he won easily, and didn't perform to his full potential in the final.
"It was disappointing," he said. "It's my favorite race. But the blocks slipped out from under me and I kind of fell."
Larry has been competing for Smotherman's father, William, who is a co-coach at Jennings, for the past three years. Despite not having run track until he got to high school, Larry quickly excelled.
"I just trained hard that's all," he said when asked how he was able to pick up the sport so quickly. "Dad helped me by training me in the summer."
Larry was outstanding in Jefferson City this past spring. He won the 400 in 48.84 seconds and was on the 800 relay that finished third and the 1,600 relay that took second to MS-B.
"They always beat us by a little amount," he said of the Bulldogs. "I thought we had them in the 4x4 but then they pulled through."
The Jennings standout said he's particularly enjoyed competing with Brown this summer, who is a burner as well.
"He's helped me a lot," said Larry. "I always faced him in high school. We always battled in the 400 but we improved, though."
Smotherman said he's glad to have an athlete of Larry's quality on the team, which he started last year.
"He's real well mannered and very polite," said Smotherman. "He's very quiet. He doesn't say a lot. He doesn't buy into the nonsense and trash talking. He lets his feet do his talking.
"He has a lot of natural ability," Smotherman continued. "He really doesn't know his ability right now. What we're working on is him being a little more aggressive."
Larry plans on being aggressive his senior year. He wants to bring home four medals this time around and he makes no bones about which ones he wants them to be.
"All golds," he said.
Smotherman won't be surprised if that happens.
"With this under his belt, the success he had at state the past two years as well as his efforts this summer, I think he's poised to do a lot next year," he said.
