Hosts make podium eight times at longest running track event in nation
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Walter Cross Field played host to one of the most storied traditions in American track and field on May 3, as the 101st Kokomo Relays took place. And hurdling phenom Jhazlyn McKay led the Kokomo Wildkats to the podium three times while setting a Relays record in the process.
There’s a special kind of energy surrounding Kokomo sophomore McKay; one that demands attention and earns admiration. As a track athlete, she’s not just participating in her events, she’s dominating them. She isn’t just breaking records. She’s rewriting the legacy of Kokomo High School track and field.
Just a few weeks ago, McKay etched her name into history by breaking Kokomo’s 20-year-old, 300-meter hurdle record, clocking in at an impressive 46.1 seconds; a mark previously held by Maggie Hulet (formerly Schieman). Then, she added the Kokomo Relays 100-meter hurdle record to her list of accomplishments, finishing with a blazing time of 15.07 seconds.
McKay said her journey into running started unexpectedly in the fourth grade. Mistaking cross-country for track, she gave it a shot and found something she loved. By seventh grade, her passion was undeniable, and her path began to take shape. Hurdling, however, came later and somewhat by chance.
“It all started last year, around conference,” she explained. “I didn’t want to run the 4x4, so I tried the 300 hurdles instead. From there, I wanted to perfect my craft, and I just stuck with it.”
That decision certainly paid off for McKay and the Kats. Kokomo finished in the top three in eight events at the Relays. McKay added a second-place finish in the 4x100 shuttle hurdle relay with teammates Giyanna Thorton, A'Shontia Williams, and Akiera Huntsman, and a third-place finish in the 4x100 relay with Thorton, Williams, and Eliana Stewart.
Thorton returned to the podium alongside McKay with a second-place finish in the 100 hurdles, and Williams landed a long jump of 16’ 3” to end up third in the field event.
McKay takes tremendous pride in wearing the Kokomo jersey and she relishes her role as a teammate on the relay squads. The camaraderie the girls share plays into their success.
“The support is amazing,” she said. “There’s just so much love and closeness among us. It really means a lot to me.”
The Wildkats enjoyed some success on the boys’ side of the ledger at the Relays as well. The boys 4x100 relay team of Dorian Barbour, Jeremiah Young, Malachi Harper, and Dayveon Williams finished second with a time of 43.98. Young added a blue-ribbon finish in the long jump with a 23’ 5.25” leap. Jedaiah Beard proved best in the shot put with a toss of 54’ 2”.
The only other Lantern coverage area school to compete in the Kokomo Relays was Tri-Central. Lillian Stewart represented her colors well with a second-place throw of 35’ 3.5” in the shot put.
But McKay isn’t satisfied with high school success on the track. She’s just a sophomore, but already she has her sights set on South Carolina State after graduation, dreaming of taking her talents to the next level. Influenced by professional hurdler Masai Russell and inspired by her own family — her mother a former sprinter, and her uncle a former hurdler — McKay carries a deep legacy of athleticism.
“My mom brags about me on Facebook all the time,” said McKay. “She says I carry out her dreams.”
With records already in hand and the future before her, the dreams are becoming a reality. McKay is proving she’s not just running races. She’s running toward greatness.
See additional photos from the Kokomo Relays, including snapshots of those in attendance to support the Kats, courtesy of Goad Sports Media, on the Lantern’s Facebook page or group.