2026-07-15 22:10:28 Virginia high school track athlete hit in head with baton during race – NEW WTOP Skip to main content

Virginia high school track athlete hit in head with baton during race

A Virginia student is recovering from a head injury after being struck by another athlete with a baton while running in a track relay last week at Liberty University.

Kaelen Tucker, 16, said she’s being treated for a concussion after the 4×200-meter relay race at the Virginia High School League indoor championships.

A week after the race, Tucker said she hoped to return to classes at Brookville High School in Lynchburg on Monday.

Watch video below of the incident, from ABC News.

The runner whose seen striking Tucker on video, Alaila Everett, attends at I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth, Virginia. Everett told WAVY, a local news station, it was accidental.

“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 is looking into what happened.

“We thoroughly review every instance like this that involves player safety with the participating schools. The VHSL membership has always made it a priority to provide student-athletes with a safe environment for competition,” VHSL said in a statement.

WTOP’s Jessica Kronzer contributed to this report.

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