When you think about the future of track field for the state of Florida, these young kids are on target to be faster than our fastest kids now. Middle schoolers like Daishon Spann and Ulani Toussaint will become high school phenoms from the day they step on a high school campus.
This track season there will be a new freshman phenom. The summer track circuit knows her as Symone Mason.
In the last two to three years Symone has become a super star when it comes to sprinting. She started running in the second grade with Colonial Park Track Club; which is a part of Miami Dade Parks and Recreation. Now she runs for South Dade Express Track Club. This past year, more and more people began to learn her name. Whether they saw her in one of her meets with Ammons Middle, they’ve seen her at a qualifying meet, or they’ve ran against her. I’ve been watching her run since she was about 11 years old and I could tell then that she was going to be a star. When she ran, there was no sense of fear on her face. All you could see is confidence in her training and strength. For only being 11 at the time, that was one of the lovely traits she possessed and still carries with her.
This summer, Symone has been really busy as she ran AAU and USATF this year. Her summer highlights include running: 11.89 and :23.8 to win the 100m and 200m dash at the USATF Junior Olympic Qualifier. Just after the USATF Junior Olympics where Mason won the 200m and got 2nd in the 100m, she made her way to the AAU Junior Olympics. She racked up a ton of medals at this meet; winning the 100m, 200m, and the 4x100m and being a part of a national record setting 4x400m (3:47.28).
When talking about her upcoming first year of high school, we didn’t to talk about much. I did get one question in during those hectic weeks. 
When I asked her what her goals were for her first year of high school she told me, “To stay on top of my game and don’t let seniors intimidate me, as well as PR.” Coming into high school with such fast times, I would compare Symone Mason to sophomore, Kaylin Whitney of East Ridge High. She comes into high school with personal bests of 11.83, 23.78, and 55.43 in the 100m, 200m, and 400m. With times like that she is not far from where Whitney started as a freshman and at the rate she’s going she will probably be compared to some of the best sprinters from Florida such as Shayla Sanders, Kali Davis-White, Robin Reynold,s and more.
When I asked her what her goals were for her first year of high school she told me, “To stay on top of my game and don’t let seniors intimidate me, as well as PR.” Coming into high school with such fast times, I would compare Symone Mason to sophomore, Kaylin Whitney of East Ridge High. She comes into high school with personal bests of 11.83, 23.78, and 55.43 in the 100m, 200m, and 400m. With times like that she is not far from where Whitney started as a freshman and at the rate she’s going she will probably be compared to some of the best sprinters from Florida such as Shayla Sanders, Kali Davis-White, Robin Reynold,s and more.
As for what high school Symone is going to, she wouldn’t tell me. When speaking to some coaches from the Dade area, they all said that she would be attending Southridge High School. Southridge is known for a few track and field stars. Ladies such as:
• Monique Garcia (Clemson University – 100mh – Class of 2008)
• Ebony Eutesy (University of Florida- 400m, 200m - Class of 2010)
• Ebony Morrison (recently moved to Miami Killan- 100mh and 300mh)
• J’Nea Bellamy (University of Central Florida -100m and 200m- Class of 2013)
If it is true Symone will be going to a school, which has its experience when dealing with sprinters and she will become a part of a Southridge sprinting legacy. As Bellamy finishes out her senior season, she’ll have another sprinter to keep the Southridge sprinting name alive. As wherever Symone goes, she will be heard of and draw athletes attention as well. Will she follow the legacy, or start her own?