Sports have a way of producing incidents and moments that aren’t only wacky and wild but downright sad and controversial. Such is the case of a high school athlete who is going viral for all of the wrong reasons.
The Virginia High School League (VHSL) is looking into an incident that happened from last week’s track and field state championships at Lynchburg, Virginia that is causing a firestorm of opinion about the perpetrator.
High School Track Runner Alaila Everett Hits Opponent In Head With Baton: Fit Of Rage? Or Accident?
I.C. Norcom High School senior Alaila Everett gave opponent Brookville High School (Virginia) junior Kaelen Tucker a concussion and possible skull fracture. Tucker was running in the second leg of the 4×200 relay when she was struck in in the back of the head by Everett on Tuesday.
SEE VIDEO: Track Runner Hits Opponent In Head With Baton
“When we get onto the other side of the track we have to cross to lane one, you have to merge in, and as I was coming up on her she kind of made me get cut off a little bit so I backed away,” Tucker said in a report to WSLS.
“When we got to the curve she kept bumping me in my arm and when we got off the curve, I finally passed her and that was when she hit me with the baton.”
The Viral Video Is Damning
The damning video shows Tucker running side-by-side with the runner from I.C Norcom before she is struck in the back of the head with the baton, thus dropping her own baton and immediately reaching for her head.
According to a 6 ABC News report, the runner’s father and school’s athletic director reached out to Tucker to apologize for the incident.
“I definitely want the coaches and a personal apology from the actual athlete as well, because it’s only you know, it’s only right,” Keith Tucker, father of Kaelen, said via the 6 ABC News report.
However, the accused decided to defend her actions on social media. Everett claims the attack occurred because she lost her balance, and her baton got “stuck” behind her opponent’s back.
“After a couple times of hitting her, my baton got stuck behind her back like this, and it rolled up her back. I lost my balance when I pumped my arms again. She got hit,” Everett said in an interview with WAVY. “I know my intentions and I would never hit someone on purpose.”
Social Media Doesn’t Believe Alaila Everett Struck Kaelen Tucker In Head With Baton By Accident During Track Meet
Problem is, nobody is buying it.
Said One x user: “Ummmmm soooo after watching the video literally 100 times and hearing the young lady talk I really don’t feel like she bopped that girl with that baton on purpose u can literally see it was a slip idk. I think this is just one of those unfortunate circumstances.”
“Chick literally smacked a girl with the baton and proceeds to play victim… this is the day we live in. No one takes accountability for the stupid sh** they do. Talking about my mental??? Yeah.. ok, said another fan on X.
“I saw the whole clip of her on the news and she had the audacity to say “You’re physically hurt, but you’re not thinking about my mentality?!” Like girl you hit somebody with a track baton that caused a concussion and a fractured skull because you lost a your temper,” scolded another track fan.
