Speed test

Competing in two of the sport’s fastest races, the 100-and 200-meter dashes, a slow start could spell disaster. 

That is unless you’ve been blessed with pure natural speed, like Riverview High sophomore sprinter Aliyah Cunningham, in which case you just rely on your kick to carry you to the finish line. 

She's won 10 individual races this season, and in each of those races, she came out of the starting blocks lagging behind. 

“She’s been blessed with a lot of fast-twitch muscle,” Riverview coach Michael Harvey said. 

Cunningham has never been one to get a lot of power off the blocks, forcing her to exert more energy down the stretch. 

“I start extremely slow,” Cunningham said. “I always start behind, but I have a lot of pick up speed, so even when I start down, I’m good to go.” 

A season ago, Cunningham was seeded third in 100 at the Class 4A-Region 2 meet and on the verge of becoming the lone freshman to go to states in the event. 

That is, until Cunningham got so caught up in getting off to a fast start that she had her first false start. Since then, she has used that experience as a learning tool. 

“I’m trying to find the right balance between when the sound of the gun hits me and being really cautious at the same time,” Cunningham said. 

The reigning Sarasota County Champion in both the 100 and 200, Cunningham is now gearing up for the postseason and a possible run into the state tournament. 

To do so, Cunningham will first have to get past Lakewood Ranch junior Sophia Falco — or at least stay with her. 

Falco, who finished fourth in last year’s Class 3A state meet, posted a new personal best time of 11.63 seconds in the 100, at the Pre State April 9, at IMG Academy, the site of this year’s state meet. 

Cunningham’s personal best is 12.19. 

The two are expected to meet on the track for the first time in the Class 4A-District 8 meet April 20, at Booker High. 

Cunningham plans to use the opportunity to see how fast she really is. 

“I’ve never set a personal record when I’m ahead,” Cunningham said. “I don’t have that killer instinct. If I’m in front, I won’t go as fast. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” 

Growing up, Cunningham would spend family reunions racing her cousins, all of whom wanted to see if they could take her down, at her great-great grandmother’s home in Alabama. 

When she wasn’t racing her cousins, Cunningham was competing against another member of the family: the family's pit bull, who would race out from his spot under the deck and chase her around the yard. 

She joined her first track club in fourth grade, finishing second in the 100 at an AAU meet in Tallahassee. 

With a lack of endurance and natural speed, Cunningham opted to focus her attention on the 100 and 200, along with the 4x100 meter relay. 

Now, Cunningham prefers the 100, but her coaches to teammates agree the 200 is actually her signature race. 

The 200 also happens to be the signature race of her idol, Olympic champion sprinter Allyson Felix. 

Cunningham watches videos of Felix’s races, analyzing the different phases of her race, her drive and her position as certain points on the track. 

Doing so, Cunningham has learned the importance of driving through the finish line even when your body is telling you to coast the final 5 meters. 

“Now I always run through the end even though I’m super tired and have no endurance,” Cunningham said. 

That extra push at the end has been the difference for Cunningham on more than one occasion, including during the 4x100, at last year’s regional meet. 

Riverview was in last place when Cunningham, who ran the anchor leg, received the baton with fewer than 13 seconds to make up ground.

“I just told myself I have to pick it up,” Cunningham said. “I passed one girl, and I looked to the next and said ‘OK, now I have to break her down.” 

Cunningham picked off four girls down the stretch, propelling the Rams to a fourth-place finish by one-100th of a second and a berth in the state meet. She also helped Riverview set a new school record in the event with a time of 48.99 seconds. 

Cunningham hopes to hold all of Riverview’s sprinting school records and hopefully land a college scholarship along the way. 

As for the thought of following her idol into the Olympics — that’s a feat Cunningham hasn’t even considered. 

“That’s so scary,” Cunningham said. “If I’m able and fast enough to go then that would be great, but that feels like such a big thing.”