Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer
A high school student from Virginia is in recovery from a concussion after she was struck in the head with a baton while running a leg of her relay at a track meet. The Virginia High School League indoor championships were held at Liberty University. Kaelen Tucker, 16, was treated for a concussion following her leg in the 4×200-meter relay race where she was hit in the head by a competitor while running her leg of the relay.
A week after the race, Tucker returned to her classes at Brockville High School on Monday. The runner who struck Tucker in the head was Alaila Everett who attends I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth Virginia. Everett has said that the incident was accidental. In an interview with a local news station, she said, “After a couple times of hitting her, my baton got stuck behind her back like this,” Everett told WAVY. “It rolled up her back. I lost my balance when I pumped my arms again. She got hit. I know my intentions, and I would never hit someone on purpose.” VHSL said that they will do a thorough review of the video footage.
