St. Al’s Bottin caps comeback with Athlete of the Year award

Published 8:00 am Sunday, May 27, 2018

Connor Bottin hurtled over the hurdles, his face locked in the wild expression of a man with something to prove.

Bottin wasn’t just chasing a state record. He was attempting to complete a comeback from knee surgery, cap a remarkable individual performance at the MAIS Class AAA state meet, and simply end his career in style.

He accomplished it all, and more.

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Bottin got his record in the 110-meter hurdles, shattering a 46-year-old Class AAA record in the process. It was the third of four state titles he won this season, on his way to eight in his high school track career. Added to that list, now, is the 2018 Vicksburg Post track and field Boys Athlete of the Year award.

“I’m honored to be named player of the year,” Bottin said. “It’s just another award that I’ve been working for this whole track season. I’m just glad I could accomplish all of this in my senior year. It’s a good way to go out.”

Bottin’s selection marks the fourth year in a row in which a St. Al athlete has won the Post’s award. He follows in the footsteps of sprinters DeMichael Harris and Donald Woodson, who combined to win 13 state titles from 2015-17.

Bottin was right alongside for their historic seasons, just a step behind. He was part of two championship relay teams in 2015, and won the 110- and 300-meter hurdles titles in 2016. His athletic career hit a snag after that, however.

The three-sport athlete tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee midway through the 2016-17 soccer season. The injury caused him to miss all of the 2017 track season as well as most of the 2017 football and soccer seasons.

As he eyed a return for the 2018 track season, Bottin admitted there were some doubts about whether he would be able to once again compete for championships.

“There were a lot of doubts, because as soon as I came back everyone was stronger and faster and everything, and my leg wasn’t getting back as fast as I wanted it to,” Bottin said. “You just have to be patient with stuff like that. I was discouraged for a while, especially right after my surgery when I was still on crutches. But then once I started walking again and jogging again, it just kept getting better and better and better.”

Until it was the best.

Bottin quickly found his speed and ascended to the top of the heap in Class AAA in both hurdles events. He didn’t lose a race in either the 110 or 300 all season, and started the state meet by taking gold in the 300 with a time of 40.66 seconds. Up next was the 110-meter hurdles, the event in which Bottin was eyeing history.

He overcame a slow start to clock a time of 14.91 seconds and break the record set by Tunica Institute’s Jimmy Pegram in 1972. Pegram’s mark of 15.20 seconds was the longest-standing individual boys record in the MAIS.

“My fastest time, I did not run at the state meet. My fastest time is 14.58. So that gave me a little leeway if I messed up, and I did, so it’s good that I got the record. Still getting the record, that’s pretty much all I wanted. That record was 46 years old and I’m hoping it will stay on the books for a long time,” Bottin said. “It kind of blows my mind to think that in Class AAA of MAIS I’m the fastest that’s ever been there. I just have to sit back and think about it sometimes.”

Bottin added state titles in the 200 meter dash and the 4×100 meter relay, as well as a silver medal in the 4×400 relay as he concluded his track career. Bottin does not plan to run in college.
The man a lot of people forgot had turned in a season everyone will remember.

“Since track season started, I knew that we were going to be successful. My friends and peers and stuff were like, ‘Oh, Connor’s good. I didn’t know that.’ But I knew it all along. I wasn’t surprised. It was just a matter of getting to state and doing my thing,” Bottin said. “I’m glad my senior year ended this way. I wouldn’t want it to end any other way.”

PAST ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
BOYS

2018 – Connor Bottin, St. Aloysius
2017 – Donald Woodson, St. Aloysius
2016 – DeMichael Harris, St. Aloysius
2015 – DeMichael Harris, St. Aloysius
2014 – Terrell Smith, Vicksburg
GIRLS
2018 – Raven Thompson, Warren Central
2017 – Dede Apenyo, St. Aloysius
2016 – Tymesha Nabors, Vicksburg
2015 – Keiyana Gaskin, Vicksburg
2014 – Alyssa Engel, St. Aloysius

About Ernest Bowker

Ernest Bowker is The Vicksburg Post's sports editor. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post's sports staff since 1998, making him one of the longest-tenured reporters in the paper's 140-year history. The New Jersey native is a graduate of LSU. In his career, he has won more than 50 awards from the Mississippi Press Association and Associated Press for his coverage of local sports in Vicksburg.

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