The indoor track and field season for Virginia Class 3 high school athletes ended with a literal bang on Tuesday at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. In one of the wildest track and field videos ever captured, an athlete used her baton for more than just a smooth handoff during the second leg of the girls 4x200m relay final.
Junior Kaelen Tucker of Brookville High School was poised to help her school secure the state 4x200m title when she suffered a blow to the back of her head from another competitor. This wasn’t just an accidental tap but a full-on smack with a metal relay baton, knocking her team out of the race.
The incident occurred as Tucker passed a competitor from I.C. Norcom High School to move into second place on the bend. Race officials quickly disqualified the I.C. Norcom team for runner interference and unsportsmanlike conduct.
In an interview with local ABC 13 News, Tucker expressed shock and confusion over the incident. “I’m still trying to take it all in; I can’t believe it happened,” she said.
Tucker’s mother, Tamarrow Tucker, was in the stands cheering for her daughter, thinking Kaelen was about to pull off another incredible race as she moved her relay team into second place with two laps to go. Instead, she watched in horror as Kaelen was knocked down. Tamarrow told ABC13 News there were no apologies or explanations from the other team.
This is insane 😭😭😭
She smacked her on the back of the head with the baton because she went past. pic.twitter.com/UUlbDsxS5t
— World Athletics Hub (@wldathleticshub) March 6, 2025
According to ABC13, the Virginia High School League (VHSL) is investigating the incident, while the intentions of the I.C. Norcom athlete remain a mystery.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen physical altercations in high school track races. In 2023, a high school runner at a track meet in Kissimmee, Fla., was sucker punched and knocked to the ground by another athlete during a 1,600m race.
While track can sometimes be a contact sport when jostling for position, striking someone over the head with a baton is taking it too far.
