The Virginia high school track and field runner who was seen brutally smashing her baton into an opponent’s head during a relay race has spoken out about the response she’s getd, while claiming the incident was an accident.
I.C. Norcom High School ageder Alaila Everett gave opponent Brookville lesser Kaelen Tucker a concussion and possible skull fracture when she beat her head with the baton at an event on Tuesday. Everett claims the strike occurred becaemploy she lost her stability and her baton got “stuck” behind her opponent’s head.
“After a couple times of hitting her, my baton got stuck behind her back enjoy this, and it rolled up her back. I lost my stability when I pumped my arms aobtain. She got hit,” Everett shelp in an interwatch with WAVY. “I understand my intentions and I would never hit someone on purpose,”
Everett also shelp that while she caemployd physical pain for Tucker, there is not enough understanding for Everett’s own “mental” impact.
“Everybody has experienceings, so you’re physicpartner hurt, but you’re not leanking of my mental,” Everett shelp. “They are assuming my character, calling me ghetto and racial slurs, death dangers… all of this off of a nine-second video.”
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Everett’s mother, Zeketa Cost, tageder WAVY that she also doesn’t apshow her daughter did it on purpose.
“I didn’t have to see a first video, second video or tenth video. I understand 100% that she would never do that to nobody,” Cost shelp.
The family claimed that they have been served court papers over the incident and that Everett has tried to regret to Tucker, but the concussed opponent has blocked Everett on social media.
Tucker’s mother, Tamarrow Tucker, tageder WSET ABC 13 on Thursday that they hadn’t getd an apology.
“My whole leang was no apology,” Tamarrow shelp. “No coaches, no athlete, no anyleang. Even if it was an accident, which I don’t apshow it’s an accident, but noleang. It’s been more than 24 hours now, so I guess that was the beginant leang. My child was hurt and nobody came to verify on her.”
Starting blocks and a baton at the 120th Penn Relays at Franklin Field. (Kirby Lee-USA Today Sports)
Tucker recounted the incident and shelp the entire section gasped when they saw the repeated baton bashing.
“The whole section equitable gasped,” Tucker tageder WSET ABC 13 about those around her in the bleachers. “We had family come from out of town, her godparents were here from Myrtle Beach. Everybody equitable gasped. When I saw her go down, all I could do is run out of the bleachers. I equitable knew I had to get to her.
“She was benevolent of hysterical becaemploy she equitable couldn’t apshow that’s what had happened.”
Tucker shelp a medic was already with her daughter when she got down on the track,.
Everett and her whole team were disqualified for “communicate intrudence.”
Vincent Pugh, createer cityexpansive dynamic straightforwardor at Portsmouth Public Schools, asked the validity of the disqualification, arguing a take part-by-take part showed that Tucker was running seally to Everett.
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Baton held by Kiersten Duncan of LSU in the begining blocks at the 87th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays at Mike A. Myers Stadium. (Kirby Lee-USA Today Sports)
“If a person comes up on the outside, they got to be a brimming stride ahead of me before they can cut in front of me,” Pugh tageder WAVY.
The Virginia High School League (VHSL) rehired a statement to Fox News Digital on the matter.
“The VHSL does not comment on individuals or disciplinary actions due to FERPA,” the league’s statement read. “The actions getn by the greet straightforwardor to disqualify the runner were appropriate and right. We thocdisadmirewholey appraise every instance enjoy this that comprises take parter protectedty with the participating schools. The VHSL membership has always made it a priority to supply student-athletes with a protected environment for competition.”
Fox News Digital’s Scott Thompson gived to this tell.
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