Bainbridge High School Bearcats 2004 male Senior Athlete of the Year and Auburn University Tigers indoor and outdoor All American hurdler Ty Akins, who is now competing professionally for Doyle Management Group, is preparing to compete in the hurdles at the World Track Championships Aug. 22 through Aug. 30 in Beijing, China.

At BHS, Akins ran the 110-meter hurdles for Doctor Larry Clarks Bearcats track team and was a wide receiver for coach Greg Guy’s Bearcats football team. He was a Class AAAA All State selection on track.

In 2005 at Auburn, he was an indoor All American in the 4-by-100-meter relay, in 2006 he was an outdoor qualifier in the 110-meter hurdles, in 2007 he was an indoor qualifier in the 60-meter hurdles, and an outdoor hurdles All American and an NCAA champion in the 110-meter hurdles.

In Beijing, Akins will be representing Nigeria. He explained that in professional track, athletes representing other countries are quite common.

Akins, who is currently volunteering as an assistant track coach at Auburn while he prepares for the World Track Championships, credits his former Bearcats coach Dr. Larry Clark with being his inspiration.

“Dr. Clark has inspired me and so many other Bainbridge High School athletes to give their all on the track and in the classroom for many years,” he said. “He is as good a role model for young people in Bainbridge and Decatur County that you will find anywhere. Every time I achieve something in track, I think of all the faith he had in me in high school.”