Whitehaven continues its successful track record
The Whitehaven girls track team can point to a lot of nice things that other teams don't have, like back-to-back state championships and an excellent record of sending athletes to the next level. And fans. Lots and lots of fans.
"When we were in Jacksonville and Austin (earlier in the season), we had fans that actually traveled to see us," said head coach Yusuf Sharif. "We have great parents and a great booster club, things you don't usually see with a lot of inner-city schools. But we actually have fans — just track fans — that show up and what to see us."
And those fans are seeing a great show again this spring with two athletes in particular off to strong starts.
Senior Kiara Rhodes — last year's Best of the Preps athlete of the year and the state champion in both the high jump and the 100-meter hurdles — won the latter event in 13.92 at the Bob Hayes Invitational in Florida on March 21, a result that was the best in the nation at the time. She's since been dislodged from the top spot but still holds the top time in the state and is ranked in the top-10 nationally.
Sophomore Kirstin Jones, meanwhile, is the top 100-meter runner in the state after posting a time of 12.03 at the Texas Relays last weekend. Jones finished was was runner-up to teammate Ceirra Tate in that event in 2016.
No doubt about, the Tigers got it going on. And Sharif and sprint coach Brandon Jones said it comes down to two things: creating a culture of success.
"There's no secret to track, all that matters is what you do and when you do it," said Jones, a former standout high jumper at Middle Tennessee State. "Or maybe that is the secret.
"We don't do anything that any other school does but we have kids that take it seriously. It's like you see football players out here working all the time, it's the same with track. It (success) is going to come easy, we don't want it."
Sharif added that to a certain extent, his team is comprised of track geeks.
"It's a lifestyle," he said. "We've got kids that are track fans. They'll be trawling the internet, looking for (competitors') times or following the pros and college athletes. We've been sending three to four kids a year to college and they see that. It's a way for them to get to school and start creating a life for themselves."
One of those athletes is University of Tennessee sophomore Maia McCoy, whose name still comes up early and often in conversations around the program. She was one of the area's best-ever while at Whitehaven, winning the 100 and 200-meter state titles in 2014 and 2015.
And just as McCoy set a high standard for Rhodes, Rhodes does the same for Jones and Jones for the athletes at Havenview Middle School who hope to follow the path. The beat goes on and on.
"I look up to Kiara," said Jones. "She encourages me to not give up. When my legs are dying she's pushing me. 'One more, one more.' We're like family."
With Rhodes as the talented older sister. In addition to the events she won at state last year, Rhodes — who is also headed to Tennessee — took second in the pentathlon, third in the long jump and fourth in the 400. The pentathlon result was especially frustrating; she ended up one point behind now-graduated Amber Tanner of Ravenwood.
"I was happy (with her hurdles performance)," she said. "I have hip dysplasia and then I sprained my ankle coming off the indoor season. I just want to set new PRs, be better than last year ... just go for it."
Reach John Varlas at john.varlas@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @johnvarlas.