This series is all about recognizing the people who are working very hard to rise up the ladder in the track world. It's about showing these athletes that we know they exist and that it's not always about the athletes who are breaking records and winning state titles. We, in the track and field community should applaud all track athletes for their hard work and dedication as this is not an EASY sport. So, before I go into my first 'Under the Radar' sprinter, I would like to give out an honorable mention recognition to the following sprinters, Krysten Golden of St. Thomas Aquinas and Darwin Colebrook of Northeast High School.
I thought this honorable mention was necessary because there are so many sprinters to choose from in South Florida as well as through the state. The reason I choose these two athletes is because they've gone through similar issues and they still remain to push to meet their goals.
Krysten Golden is going into her senior year at St. Thomas and it's been a very bumpy road through her high school career thus far. She began high school at Nova (Davie, Florida) and after having an average freshman season, she strained her hamstring during some summer training. Not feeling as athletically Nova could take her to her track aspirations, Krysten and family made a drastic change and transferred to St. Thomas. Here instantly you were able to see her progression and promise even withfFreshman phenom Krystal Sparling and junior transfer Lauren Perrodin paving the way for the St. Thomas short sprinter rise. Krysten, even with a slightly strained hamstring was able to be a part of the 4x100m relay team that qualified for states.
Taking last summer off to fully rehab her hamstring to 100 percent, Krysten came back as a new and improved athlete. She had a tremendous personal best of :12.14 in the 100m and a season best of :25.47 in the 200m. She even extended her track resume to include some 4x400m relay performaces in certain dual meets. Her ultimate accomplishment this year was being a part of the 4x100m relay that placed second place in the 4A state meet. Not only is Krysten a vital part of that 4x100m relay, she is showing her determination and perseverance will position her to have a senior season not expected by many on the track , but for her it will be not be a surprise.
Darwin is also going into his senior year at Northeast High school and is better known to his teammates as DJ. As an athlete he has always been the first man out when it comes to making finals or moving to the next round of competition, which at times can be frustrating. However, he's came a long way since his freshman year where he wasn't even in the picture with the top athletes, closing out that year with impressive marks in the 100m (10.97) and 200m (:22.7).
As his high school career has continued he has played it safe and been consistant in both the 200m and 100m dash. His sophomore year he made all the way to regionals and placed 10th in the 200m prelims with a time of :22.66 (PR for that season), just missing the finals by two places. This past [junior] season, I would have to say has been DJs' best and a bit of a break out one in the 200m, no one really was thinking that this junior from Northeast High School would make it pass the regional meet with the likes of Khalil Henderson of South Broward and Andre Ewars, John Franklin of South Plantation. During this season he proved his worth making it to almost all finals inboth the 100m and 200m. It seemed as if he began to focus on the 200m as his race and squeaked into the state meet with the last slot.
As we all the know the FHSAA 4A state meet was a complete rainy catastrophe and they had to run the meet as a timed final. DJ was in the slow heat of the 200m and to make matters worse he drew lane 9. Putting all he had into this race, he placed second in the heat beating out Andre Ewars of Piper High School (Region 3 Runner Up) by .01 and ran a personal best of :21.92, which in the end alsogave him a spot on the podium placing 8th with his personal best. Look for DJ to have an awesome upcoming senior season in both the 100m and 200m.