Athlete Spotlight: T.J. Autrey, Auburn HS

Feb. 4 was a historic day for Auburn High track and field star T.J. Autrey. Autrey walked into the Birmingham Crossplex for the 53rd AHSAA State Indoor Track and Field Championships and did something no one else had done before in the high jump.

The junior cleared the bar at 6 feet, 9 ¼ inches to clinch the 7A high jump title and also break the 7A indoor state meet record. Autrey broke the record originally set by Oak Mountain’s Trey Allen in 2019.

Autrey stated before the season started his goal was just to surpass 6 feet, 8 inches and that setting a state record meant he overachieved his preseason goal.

“I was very excited,” Autrey said. “It meant a lot to me… I felt accomplished. I overcame that when everybody said I couldn’t do it."

Autrey is also a member of the school’s basketball team and that was the sport he grew up playing and loving. However, when his track and field head coach, LaDextric Oliver, saw him play basketball, he knew Autrey had the skills to be a star on the track.

“I told him ‘I’m not gonna waste your time. Get out here and if it didn’t look like he can be anything then I’m not gonna hold you to the fire. But just give it a chance to see how it goes,’” Oliver said. “It was easy to see early on that he had the ability to get off the ground. He’s very fluid in the way he gets over the bar, the way he attacks the bar.”

Autrey will continue to build on his state-record success in track when the team begins the outdoor season on Feb. 25 at the Smiths Station Relay.

— By Jacob Waters