Sydia Darker isn't the hardest worker on the Ritenour High girls track and field team according to Huskies coach Mike Wheeler.
The junior is the squad's fiercest competitor, however.
"When she lines up at a track meet and the gun goes off, she's very focused and wants to beat anyone she's running against and she usually does," said Wheeler.
Darker certainly showed some mettle at the Class 4 sectional meet Saturday at Troy Buchanan High School. She finished first in the 300 hurdles (45.78 seconds), took second in the 100 hurdles (15.41) and was second in the triple jump (17 feet, 10 inches).
That performance was the most impressive by a female track and field athlete at Ritenour that anybody at the area school can remember.
"All three events she competes in she's (now ranked) in the top eight (in the state)," said Wheeler. "She has the potential to bring home three medals if she performs the way she did at sectional, which I think she will."
Darker left school Friday as just another student and returned Monday as a celebrity of sorts which brought a smile to her face.
"When I got to school people were saying, ‘I heard about what you did,' " she said. "I wasn't expecting it. I just tried to do by best."
She actually did do her best in all three events, setting personal records in each. It wasn't that long ago that Darker, who has been steadily improving as a hurdler and a jumper all season, was running a 50 in the 300 hurdles, 16.7 in the 100 hurdles and long jumping 16-10.
Darker said the excitement of being at sectionals moved her. She failed to advance to state last year in the 300 hurdles, the only event she competed in at the meet. Having that experience helped her this year among other things.
"I think I run on excitement," she said. "I felt an adrenaline rush. It makes me better."
Darker usually takes her cue from teammate Charniece Shaw in the 100 hurdles. However, Shaw false started at district in that event and was disqualified. With Shaw, who was the conference champ in that event, done, Darker emerged from her shadow Saturday. She barely lost to Normandy's Lynn Ford, who posted a 15.36 time.
"I thought I might as well (qualify) for her because it's her race technically," Darker said of Shaw. "I like the 300 better because I have more room to run."
"She exploded out of the blocks and carried her speed throughout and almost ended up winning," said Wheeler of the 100 hurdles.
The Ritenour mentor likes Darker's chances at state in all three events but particularly the longer hurdles event.
"She had a misstep at sectionals," he said. "If she has a perfect race, she can run in the 44s. If she does that she's got a chance to win that race."
Darker credits Wheeler and her hurdles coach Rick Shelton with her dramatic improvement as well as the school's standout boys hurdlers - Rodgerick Woods and Xavier Kenney.
"They're really good," she said of Woods and Kenney. "I try to do my best to keep up with them."
She's keeping up with the best girls in the state now. She's peaking at the right time.
"She definitely has," said Wheeler. "I've had her since her freshman year. She was a good athlete back then. But all the pieces didn't come together until this year. She saw the potential she had last year. But the pressure of the big meets seemed to get to her. This year's experience has helped show her the athlete she is.
"She's just got a really, really competitive spirit," added Wheeler. "She'll compete no matter what I put her in. She has natural speed so I can put her in almost any event. There's like eight events she could compete in."
She will head to Jefferson City later this week for the state meet with a lot of confidence.
"I'm just trying to stay positive," she said. "I just want to do my best."
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Although Darker is the only Ritenour girl going to state, a number of competitors on the boys team will be going. In fact, it's the biggest group that has gone in a number of years.
Leading the way will be sophomore Lamar Welch, who amazingly improved his personal best in the pole vault by two feet at sectionals and won the event with an effort of 13 feet, six inches.
"I'm very shocked," said Ritenour boys coach Hoyt Gregory of Welch's performance. "He was the eighth seed going into sectionals. So he went from worst to first. He always had the ability to do that. We just had to get him a new pole and coach him up."
Two Ritenour relay teams are also headed to Jefferson City. The 800 relay, which consists of Terrance Hollins-White, Anthony Harris, Rodgerick Woods and Xavier Kenney, qualified for state as did the 1,600 relay, which features Harris, Rashad Harris, Kenney and Zachari Snow. Both teams finished third in their respective events.
Rashad Harris also qualified in the 800. He finished fourth although he probably should have taken second.
"He thought he could catch the kid from Holt (Kenny Cushing)," said Gregory. "When he didn't, he shut down. It's a good thing it didn't keep him from qualifying."
