A late start to her track career didn’t stop Hallie Harrell from excelling.

Words by Micah Harrison | Images by Ryan McGill

It's better to start late than never just ask Hallie Harrell, Jasper High School's standout track star.

Hallie, a 2024 JHS honor graduate, dabbled in track events during elementary school but fully committed to the sport in her junior year of high school. Inspired by her older sister, a successful track athlete at the University of South Alabama, Hallie decided to give track another try.

"I hadn't had the best season playing basketball that year, so my sister really motivated me to try something new just for fun, and then it turns out I was actually pretty good," she recalls.

She started her track career halfway through her junior year and competed in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles, 4x400-meter relay, long jump, pentathlon, and heptathlon.

The next year was triumphant for the multi-sport athlete. As a solid post player for the Lady Vikings basketball team, Hallie led the team in field goal percentage and was second in rebounds and blocks per game. The team had an impressive 33-4 record, culminating in the 2023-2024 Girls 5A state championship. Hallie also continued to excel on the track, placing fourth in the pentathlon and 100-meter hurdles at the state tournament, and her team secured third place in the 4x400-meter relay.

Hallie's athletic prowess earned her an early scholarship offer. Initially, she aimed to play basketball at the University of Montevallo, but her plans shifted when a track scout approached her during her junior year.

After a year of communication with the school, Hallie committed to Montevallo as a track athlete, officially signing in February 2024. She will compete in the heptathlon, which includes the long jump, high jump, shot put, javelin, 100-meter hurdles, 200-meter dash, and 800-meter run. She'll represent Montevallo in the Gulf South Conference, competing against twelve colleges across five states.

Hallie plans to pursue a nursing degree at Montevallo, following in her parents' footsteps. Initially uncertain about attending Montevallo, she took it as a sign when Montevallo introduced a nursing program. "I said to myself, if Montevallo opens their nursing program, I'm going to go to Montevallo," she shares. “And they got their nursing program; it was like a sign from God.”

After earning her bachelor’s degree, Hallie aims to continue her education and become a nurse practitioner. She's excited about the many specialties she can choose from. "That's the good thing about it — there are a lot of options,” she says. 

As Hallie embarks on her journey at Montevallo, she looks forward to the challenges and opportunities that await her Balancing her passion for track with her nursing studies, she is excited about the path ahead. "Every day is a new opportunity to grow and improve," she says.

With her determination and talent, there's no doubt that Hallie's future as a college athlete will be as impressive as her high school career. 78