Palisade Senior, CJ Mullaney, is the Male Athlete of the Week brought to you by Palisade Dino Mart. Mullaney is a three sport athlete in football, basketball and participates in track where he high jumps. In his current sport, basketball, Mullaney plays power forward and center on varsity. Basketball has been a part of Mullaney’s life for 13 years now, where his love for the sport first sparked by going to Nuggets games, especially watching Kenneth Faried.
John Sidanycz (Coach Sid) is the head coach for the Palisade Boys Varsity Basketball team. Coach Sid appreciates the hard work and reliance that Mullaney represents. Coach Sid comments on Mullaney saying, “CJ is a senior who has been a leader on our team all season long. He models everything our team stands for. He models positivity, trust, respect and a next play mentality each day. CJ scored the game winning basket at the buzzer in Overtime vs Grand Junction High School on February 11th and scored a season high 12 points against Coal Ridge in a big win on February 18th.”
The game-winning basket was just one of Mullaney’s great successes throughout his season. Some of his other accomplishments this season include, “Being able to dunk and scoring double digits on senior night.” Other than his successes, Mullaney holds so many other highlights throughout his basketball career.
“My favorite thing about basketball is spending time with my team over the years and having the energy support of the whole Palisade community during games.”
Mullaney is greatly supported by his community, which is one of the greatest support any athlete can receive. Mullaney is also inspired by bigger names who have worked almost their whole lives to get to the highest point in their athletic career. “My biggest inspiration is Demaryius Thomas. He had a lot of injuries and adversity that he played through, which is something that I can relate to on a smaller scale. I always admire the way he fit into his team and the positive impact he had, big or small.”
Mullaney’s passion for basketball, leadership, and memorable moments this season highlight his dedication as an athlete. Mullaney’s hard work and positive impact on his team make him the respectable human being he is today. Congratulations, CJ Mullaney, for receiving Male Athlete of the Week!
