Brookville junior Kaelen Tucker suffers concussion, possible skull fracture
A Virginia
high school track and field standout's bid to move into first place during a
race last Tuesday prompted an opponent to strike her with a baton, resulting in
head injuries.
It's still
awaiting, according to Brookville High School junior Kaelen Tucker, an apology
from the I.C. Norcom High School opponent.
Tucker had
recently broken the Virginia High School League (VHSL) Class 3 State Indoor
Championships record in the 55-meter event on Monday, and she was looking to
ensure that her school won the 4x200M relay final on Tuesday too.
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(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
But the competitive heat got taken too far by one of her competitors, as clear video footage of the race indicates Tucker being hit in the head by a Norcom runner who also hurled it at her after being overtaken.
Tucker ran off the track and collapsed immediately, clutching her head.
TRANS ATHLETE SADIE SCHREINER NOT COMPETING FOR RIT WOMEN'S TRACK TEAM AFTER TRUMP'S EXECUTIVE ORDER
"So, on the back curve, I kind of got cut off, and I tried to pass her the first time, so I let her go first," Tucker said in an interview published by WSET ABC 13 on Friday. "I knew when I was all the way on the curve that I was just going to have to push on through her. So, when we were coming towards each other in the middle of the curve, we were colliding arms a lot. So, I went a little farther to the outside of the curve to pass her."
"When I finally got past her to get in front of her, that's when she hit me on the head with the baton."
"The entire section just gasped," Tucker's mom, Tamarrow, said of the people sitting around her in the bleachers. "We had relatives visiting from out of town, her godparents visited from Myrtle Beach. Everyone just gasped. When I saw her fall, all I could do was run out of the bleachers. I just knew I needed to get to her."
"She was sort of hysterical because she just couldn't believe that's what had happened."
Race officials disqualified the Norcom team instantly for "contact interference," reported WSET ABC 13.
Tamarrow mentioned a medic was already with her daughter when she got down onto the track, although what was puzzling for the whole family was the fact that there wasn't any responsibility taken for what had happened.
As of Friday afternoon, they still had not heard from the runner or her coaches, she reported.
(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
"My thing was no apology," Tamarrow continued. "No athlete, no coaches, no nothing. Even if it were an accident, which I don't think it's an accident, but nothing. It's passed the 24 hours now, so I guess that was the big thing. My child got hurt and no one came to see about her."
WSET ABC 13 inquired of the Tuckers whether criminal charges would be filed, and without providing a yes-or-no response, Tamarrow outlined their perspective.
"Surely, everyone offers their advice about what they think you should do, but that's also someone else's kid," she added, referring to the attacker. "I do want to consider that too. Yes, certainly, she definitely hit my daughter more than once, but she is someone else's child too."
The family reported that a visit to a doctor on Friday uncovered concussion-like symptoms as Kaelen still struggles with headaches. There was also swelling around the spot where she was hit and a suspected skull fracture.
Kaelen is not cleared for the track until she has healed from her injuries, according to her mother.
(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
The Tucker family contacted the VHSL and informed them that they got a call-back stating that an investigation was being conducted and both high schools were in cooperation. No discipline has been reported for the incident, the Tuckers said.
The VHSL released a statement to Fox News Digital regarding the issue.
"The VHSL does not address individuals or disciplinary actions based on FERPA," the league's statement said. "The decisions of the meet director to disqualify the runner were proper and correct. We review each incident like this that involves player safety with the involved schools in great detail. The VHSL membership has always taken it upon themselves to ensure that student-athletes have a safe place to compete."
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Kaelen was asked at the end of the interview from their home what she wished to say to the opponent who struck her, if anything.
"Why did you do it? And why haven’t you apologized yet?" she said.