A Virginia high school sprinter suffered a concussion and potential skull fracture when her competitor smashed her in the back of her head with a relay baton during their race.
Brookville High School junior Kaelen Tucker was the second leg runner for the 4×200 meter relay at the VHSL Class 3 State Indoor Championships at Liberty University on Friday.
Tucker – who had earned silver in the girl’s 55m dash earlier in the meet – was attempting to cut into lane one during a battle for second place in the front pack as she was rounding turn four.
Instead of blocking her entry, Tucker’s opponent — who attended IC Norcom High School — seemingly slowed down, wound up her arm back and smacked the baton across the Brookville runner’s head, according to a video of the incident.
“When we get onto the other side of the track we have to cross to lane one, you have to merge in, and as I was coming up on her she kind of made me get cut off a little bit so I backed away,” Tucker explained to WSLS.
“When we got to the curve she kept bumping me in my arm and when we got off the curve I finally passed her and that was when she hit me with the baton.”
An audible gasp was heard from the crowd inside the Lynchburg, Va. complex as Tucker detoured off the track, grabbing her head and falling to the ground.
Tucker’s mother and team trainers rushed to the ailing high schooler’s side.
“I could feel a headache coming up, so I just stood out,” Tucker said.
Tucker stopped running, pulling her team out of the race. A doctor later diagnosed her with a concussion and “possible fractured skull.”
iC Norcom was disqualified from the race for the student’s actions.
The quick-action discipline wasn’t enough for Tucker or her family, who claimed IC Norcom’s coach nor the runner apologized to them.
“They were beside us at the event. They were watching the video at the event, but no one apologized or came to check on her,” the Tucker’s parents told the outlet. “Even if it was a fluke or freak accident, you still would check on her.”
Tucker’s mom, Tamarro, says she called the sporting body, who have opened up an investigation into the alleged assault.
Heritage (Lynchburg) High School, who was leading the race at the time of the suspected attack, ended up winning the third heat with a time of 1:47.98, good enough for a fifth-place overall finish.
In March 2022, a Florida high school runner was sucker-punched during a race by another student-athlete who wasn’t even competing in the event.
The runner attacked during the 1,600-meter race at the Tohopekaliga Tiger Invitational in Kissimmee suffered a concussion.