By BY BRUCE HIXON – SPORTS EDITOR
The tougher the challenge, the better Kelly Stallworth likes it.
Not only did Stallworth welcome that kind of challenge during his athletic and academic career at T.R. Miller High School, the senior handled both areas with great proficiency.
Stallworth was the defensive catalyst this past season for T.R. Miller's Final Four basketball team. Stallworth carried over his athletic skills into track where he was an individual state qualifier this spring in the 800 meters.
None of that has taken away Stallworth's performance in the classroom where he is one of the top students in T.R. Miller's 2007 graduating class.
Stallworth usually had the assignment of guarding the other team's leading scorer, especially if that player was a post player during the basketball season.
Stallworth said his first athletic love is to run. The T.R. Miller track program gave Stallworth plenty of reasons to enjoy running with state championships in 2004 and 2006.
Stallworth gives much of the team success he was a part of to his coaches, Atkinson in basketball and Alan Baker and Eddie Brundidge in track.
Brundidge said Stallworth was a very consistent performer the two years he coached him.
Stallworth said calculus and advanced literature are his two favorite subjects.
Stallworth, who also enjoys music and singing, plans to enter the aeronautical program at the University of Alabama this fall and hopes to someday work for NASA.