MADISON- The brother-sister tandem of Jordan and Alivia Urrutia is one of love and admiration of each other. “I haven’t seen anything like her,” said Jordan, while Alivia said, “I want to be like him.” The Bob Jones track athletes are easily setting the local high school track season on fire with each setting new standards and bringing home hardware from track meets from across the South.

Jordan, a junior, has had incredible races so far in the 2023 season including a 10.77-second sprint in the 100-meter which ranks him third in Alabama. His time in the 200m (21.86) is second best in the state and his 400m time (48.84) is ranked fifth among the elite runners in high schools across Alabama. He also has a superb time of 7.04 in the 60m indoor sprint and part of the Patriots’ 4x100m relay squad with a time of 42.9 as well as the 4x400m with a superb time of 3:23.3.

For Alivia, the now eighth grader at Discovery Middle School, was ranked the No. 1 seventh grade runner in Alabama in the 400m race in both indoor and outdoor track along with a No. 5 national ranking for the indoor season and a No. 3 ranking national wide for the outdoor track season a year ago. Now, a year older, the 5-foot-7, 124-pound sprinter is setting aglow the current outdoor season. Her 57.1-second time in the 400m ranks her fifth overall in Alabama and third among Class 7A athletes. Her best personal best times in her other events include 200m (25.2), 100m (12.5) and 60m (8.1).

“My starts in both the 100 and 200 need some improvements, but my long stride helps me catch up quickly,” said the 6-2, 165-pound Jordan, who also is a starting cornerback for the Patriots’ football team. “In the 400, I like to get out front and have others see nothing but my back.”

Besides being tremendous athletes, both are excellent students as Jordan has a 3.9 grade point average and Alivia earns straight A marks in the classroom.

The children of Vanessa Walker and their stepdad Adriel Walker, who acts a volunteer coach for the Bob Jones track team, are more than tremendous student-athletes. Their also best friends.

“He’s a very special brother as he consoles me when things go wrong and having someone who understands how I feel is very special,” said Alivia of her brother. “He calms me down and talks me through everything I do, especially in track. He’s very much my inspiration.”

Jordan said he’s always attempting to assist his sister, but in return she helps him in a different way. “She pushes me to be better as I see her early success and that drives me to do my best,” said Jordan.

After moving here from Louisville, Ky., Jordan was in the seventh grade when a coach urged him to join the track team. The young lad wasn’t completely sure what he wanted to do in athletics as he played soccer for 10 years and also tried his hand in both basketball and baseball prior to this point in his life. He followed his coach’s suggestion and was soon at the starting block in his first track competition. “I was in the 400m and finished second in the heat I was selected to run in. I had terrible form and wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue running track,” said Jordan. “I wasn’t hooked on the sport, but it did jump-start my love of track.”

Alivia’s love for sports began with volleyball playing for both Discovery and the Rocket City Volleyball Club and its 13-U National Team. She also participated in dance, gymnastics and soccer, but none of those sports early on seem to hit home for her and she began to suffer health issues and became inactive. Her parents jumped in to try and keep Alivia’s weight gain under control and introduced her to track where she is now a dynamo of talent.

“Jordan is always there at track meets somewhere in the infield at the start and finish lines encouraging me all the way,” said Alivia. “When he runs in a race, I usually record him on my phone, and he reviews the videos in a way of training to be better.”

For Alivia, she has natural talents that are rare, but she also works extremely hard at training for her events. Not all her efforts have been successful. She added, “I’ve cried to him after not doing well and Jordan consoles me and tells me what I’m doing wrong and that helps as he doesn’t tell me excuses.”

Their individual bedrooms at their home are decorated with medals each have won at track meets. Jordan has 75-plus medals for his efforts in his room and said he’s most proud of the one he captured in the summer track regionals held in Knoxville, Tenn. where he set his personal best time in the 200m running for the Parker Track Club.

His play on the gridiron began in his freshman year for Jordan. His days as a football player became a huge question mark after his freshman season when he broke his left leg during a practice requiring him to undergo two surgeries. His recovery has been nothing short of remarkable and he claims to be 100-percent recovered and most would agree with that assessment watching him race across the football field for the Patriots or hitting the track at record speeds. To complete high school and soon attend college to play football and or track are his main goals. He would love to venture into computer science during his education.

Alivia has of yet to think far off in the future about college or course of study.

“Alivia is once in a generation type talent and I’m very proud of her,” said Jordan.

“Jordan is really the person I look up to and he’s very much my inspiration,” added Alivia.

Their last name is of Mexican descent, and most have a difficult time pronouncing, but those fortunate enough to see the two student-athletes perform at their best, names are not important as extraordinary talent is what will be remembered.