Federal Way has had quite a few stars in track and field in recent years. A local middle school student is hoping to be the next one in line.

Anthony “AJ” Frazier, a Lakota Middle School student, was the fastest recorded seventh grader in the nation this past track season at the 100-meter event. He ran a time of 11.48 during the Federal Way Middle School district finals on June 11.

At the Junior Olympic Region Championships at Jesuit High School in Oregon on July 10-12, he finished in the top five of the 100. This earned him a spot in the USA Track and Field Junior Olympic Championships at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville from July 27 through Aug. 2.

“I was nervous,” AJ’s father Chris Frazier said. “I’m a dad, so I try to be supportive and not get too nervous, but it’s pretty hard to try to stay calm. As soon as he ran his first race, I knew it was a qualifying time. He’s one of the top runners in the country. It’s really jaw dropping.”

AJ began running track two years ago. Just last year he was a distance runner, participating in the 400, 800 and 1600 mostly. This past season he decided to give the sprint races a shot. He now runs the 100, 200 and 400 and is also a long jumper.

The change has paid off for him. His 11.48 time in the 100 is not only just the best for seventh graders, but also seventh best for middle schoolers. Six eighth graders are ahead of him and he is one of only five seventh graders in the top 50 recorded times in the nation.

His father knew he would excel at track, but did not expect it to happen quite so quickly.

“I knew he was fast from when he played football last year, Frazier said. “He’s already beating kids who have done this for years. He has amazing agility, mostly from martial arts. His muscle memory is unlike any kid I have ever seen.”

There have been other track athletes in the Frazier family before AJ. His grandfather qualified for the Olympics in the late 1960s/early 1970s, but was unable to compete due to an injury.

Track and field is not the only area of success for AJ. He is also a talented cellist, football player and artist. He also practices Keishindo martial science, the martial art that his father teaches at the Keishindo Martial Science Academy in Federal Way.

“He’s a multifaceted kid,” his father said. “Anything he puts his hands on, he wants to excel at.”

AJ has also excelled academically. Currently he participates in the Cambridge Preparatory Checkpoint Program at Lakota Middle School, an advanced program for academically talented students. He has an interest in cars and is looking into mechanical engineering.

“The number one thing I’ve always told AJ is that it doesn’t matter how good you are at athletics, intelligence is what you’re going to keep,” Frazier said. “He understands what it means to be a student-athlete at his young age. It’s something you don’t see often at his age.”

Currently, the Fraziers are trying to raise money to travel to the Junior Olympic Championships. They have set up a gofundme.com page and are hoping to raise $4,000. So far, they have raised over $1,200. While they have enough to cover the flight, they still need to cover lodging, food and travel expenses while in Florida.

“We’ve got to pinch a little bit, but I definitely want to make the sacrifices so he can get there,” Frazier said.

To donate to AJ’s trip to the Junior Olympics, visit www.gofundme.com/yh54e4c.