Athlete of the Week — Darrell Singleton

West Ashley High School senior runner Darrell Singleton has literally outrun his competition. Singleton has been on the track team for three years, but he has already broken numerous records. In the first meet of the 2016 season, The Sandlapper Track & Field Classic, Singleton broke the meet and stadium records in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10:61. He also tied the stadium record for the 200-meter dash with a time of 21:86. Each year he has been on the team he has qualified to compete in the 4A State Championship Meet.
According to Singleton, his friends from the football team encouraged him to join them on the track team. He ended up surprising himself with his incredible speed. “I knew I was fast, but not this fast,” he says. When asked how he felt about being chosen as the Athlete of the Week, Singleton says, “I feel accomplished because all the time I’ve put in didn’t go unnoticed. I realized this school really does care about athletics.”
Singleton sets the bar high when it comes to his level of dedication to the sport. He spends approximately 15 hours a week during the season practicing. During the nine-month offseason, he says he spends as much as 20 hours a week honing his skills and conditioning. He attributes his success so far this season to his coaches. He noted his track coach, Douglas O’Donald, and his offseason strength training coach, William Wineberg. “I have the best coaches,” says Singleton.
Devoting so much time to practice and training doesn’t leave Singleton much time for his hobbies: playing soccer and video games, working on cars, and attending car shows. “It’s worth it though,” says Singleton. “I love what I do. I love running. When you have friends who participate with you it’s like you’re not losing time.”
Those who meet Singleton are impressed by his abilities and his attitude. “Darrell is an excellent student athlete and leader both in the classroom and on the track,” says O’Donald.
“I want to be a good role model,” says Singleton. He always gives his best effort during practice just in case the underclassmen are watching, and in May he will be a volunteer coach for elementary track students.
Singleton claims that the best piece of advice he was ever given was to “stay active to stay out of trouble.” Singleton also works a part-time job at Foot Locker and is a member of the youth group Awaken Youth.
When he graduates in June, Singleton plans to go to college to earn a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree. According to O’Donald, Singleton is currently being recruited by several Division I schools. Singleton hopes to get a track scholarship at The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill or Coastal Carolina. He is currently undecided on a major, but he has narrowed it to either computer science or mechanical engineering.
Before he graduates, Singleton plans to make his senior track season his best one yet. He has already broken a few records, and he hopes to break more. “I do better when I have crowd support and can hear people cheer,” he says. So, come out to support Singleton and the West Ashley track team and you might just get to see another record broken.