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Indianapolis Star
3 days ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Running and go-karts: Marion County Female Athlete of Year races on two types of tracks
Kaelina Matthews had a plenty of experience in racing, though it took her a little while to warm up to the idea of running in front of people. When she was 3 or 4 years old, she lined up for the kids' race at the Drumstick Dash. 'She didn't realize everyone was going to watch her,' said her father, Brian Matthews. 'She was like, 'I want no part of this.'' Fast forward a few years later. Kaelina was a third grader, running her first cross country race with a fourth-grade friend. She started off slowly, chatting with her friend near the back of the pack. 'I said, 'You gotta run, Kaelina,' and she was like, 'OK,' and just took off,' Brian said. 'She ran everybody down and went from being like 12th to second by the by the time she finished. From that point on, she was like, 'I like racing, and I like winning. Let's do it.'' Matthews, now closing out her senior year of high school at North Central, has kept up the pace ever since, running cross-country and track for the Panthers. Matthews won the sectional and regional championships in the 800 meters (running a 2:14.82 in the latter) and will compete in the state track meet on her home track Saturday in that event and with North Central's 4x800 meter relay team. She will go into that final high school meet with a new title: Marion County Female Athlete of the Year for 2024-25. Matthews was selected as the winner by a vote of athletic directors in Marion County. The honor dates to 1950 (it grew to include female athletes in 1979) and is regarded as one of the top recognition awards for Indianapolis-area senior high school athletes. Other finalists for the award were Lawrence Central basketball star Jaylah Lampley and Lawrence North basketball and track and field standout Jamaya Thomas. Matthews took to the long-distance races when she started running. But when she got to North Central, she found her favorite — and best — distance. 'For the longest time I tried to convince myself I was a cross-country kid,' Matthews said. 'Then I made it to high school and did my first season of track there, did the 800 for the first time and said, 'This is going to be my race.' I just love the 800 so much.' The 800 is arguably the toughest race in track and field, requiring a blend of speed, endurance and mental toughness. 'Embrace the suck,' is what her father used to tell her. That mantra is repeated in her head 'every single race.' 'It's helped me in other aspects of my life and developing mental toughness to compete well in the 800,' she said. 'I feel like I've always embraced it, knowing it's always going to make me better in the end.' Matthews has thrived in both cross-country and track and field. She was a three-time all-Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference performer in cross-country, winning the MIC meet as a senior. In track, she won the 800 and 1,600 meters in the MIC as a senior and was part of school records in the 4x800 and distance medley relay. 'I would say a lot of my confidence comes from running,' she said. 'Being able to support younger girls and see how fast everyone has gotten around me has been fun. To grow up around my parents who have been running their whole lives and see they are still doing it — this is a lifelong sport you can do. I'd definitely say running is what made me the person I am today.' Kaelina's parents, Brian and Amy, knew plenty about running. Both have competed in multiple marathons. But a different type of racing piqued their daughter's interest one day when she watched a Formula 1 race. Kaelina, the National Honors Society student that she is, did her research. She did not want to just learn about racing — she wanted to do it herself. 'She has a love for adrenaline,' Amy said. Kaelina found out she needed to get into go-kart racing as an entry point. She had a friend who raced at New Castle Motorsports Park and went out one weekend to check it out. While there, one of her friend's acquaintances told her they were selling a kart and told to her to come test it the next weekend. 'I went out and tested it and loved it,' she said. 'We ended up getting the kart.' Kaelina was 16 at the time, a relatively late start in a sport where kids often start racing at age 6 or 7. 'I was all for it,' Brian said. 'I was happy to support her. I said, 'Here's an opportunity for you. If you are interested in it, you might as well pursue it.'' There are some similarities from running and racing, Kaelina said. There is the race strategy of 'when do I make my move?' and the supportive community within the sport. 'I wasn't expecting that,' she said. 'Especially knowing how cutthroat racing can be at the top levels.' But the actual racing was only part of Kaelina's interest in getting involved at New Castle, where IndyCar drivers like Conor Daly and Josef Newgarden began their racing careers. She also saw it as an entry point into her goal of working as a mechanic for a top IndyCar team. Kaelina plans to continue racing karts even as she gets into college at Marian University, where she plans to run cross-country and track and major in mechanical engineering. She has made some connections already and hopes to get an internship next year with Andretti Autosport or Chip Ganassi Racing. 'I'd love to work at being a mechanic and traveling around from race to race and doing whatever they need me to do,' Kaelina said. 'Once I get closer to graduating college, I'd like to get more specific with my internship and hopefully work more closely with the engineers.' Kaelina said her interested in engineering goes back about 10 years. She originally thought about going into the Air Force and working on planes but pivoted away from that idea when she got interested in cars. Kaelina has already connected with a few women involved in the motorsports world. 'When she sets her mind to something, whether it's running, karting or other things, too, she is very driven and very capable,' Amy Matthews said. Kaelina recently transitioned into shifter karts, which go about 80 to 100 miles per hour. After her first day with the shifter, she told her mom how much she loved it. 'She was over the moon about it,' Amy said. 'But I don't know that I had too many nerves because she's always liked adrenaline-related things. They do a good job at New Castle of catching the right things from a safety standpoint. That made me feel better that it was a good place to be racing, even as a new racer.' Kaelina is goal-oriented, keeping a whiteboard in her room with a list of things she hopes to accomplish. One of those goals was winning the Marion County Female Athlete of the Year. But many of her goals in the spring track were in jeopardy when she got COVID in December. It was a rough recovery for Kaelina, who even considered not doing track at all because she had to take three months off from running. 'It really hit me during finals of the first semester,' she said. 'I couldn't breathe (deeply), was having heart issues and short-term memory issues. I kept trying to run but it just wasn't happening. Usually when I get an illness, I handle it pretty well. But this one took me out.' She finally was able to return in March and eventually worked her way back in her conditioning. And now, she will be able to run a final race at the state meet at North Central. 'I'm so grateful for North Central,' she said. 'There was a time when I didn't know if it was going to be the right spot for me. But the lessons I've learned and the teams I've been on have just been incredible. I know everyone says not to take for granted the time that you have, but it's so true. I'd tell anyone to put in the work and don't sell yourself short.'
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Bad smell surround community, as number of deaths pass 200, like 500 dey miss for Niger state flood disaster
Di death toll for di flood disaster wey hit two communities for Mokwa town, Niger state north central Nigeria don increase to more dan 200 on Sunday. Search operation don continue as di residents help to locate around 500 wey still dey miss. Di flood happun on Wednesday night for Mokwa local goment area of di state sake of heavy rainfall wey destroy shops, houses, and farms. Musa Kimboku, di deputy chairman of Mokwa local government tell BBC say di search no longer be rescue effort, as dem believe say dem no fit find anybodi alive days afta di floods happun. E say dem tell nearby villages to bury any dead body wey dem find. Also, Mokwa district head, Muhammadu Aliyu say dem go soon start digging to bring out all di corpses wey dey buried underground to prevent di breakout of any disease. 'I lost 2.5 million and oda items for di flood' One eyewitness tok how di flood bin hit dem for early morning wen dem just pray finish. Saliu wey be 34 years say im mama bin come dey bang im door around 6:00am for morning wen di flood bin dey start. "My mama come dey bang my door. She dey bang am with force, she dey shout say water dey come out make we come outside. I wan pass di main gate but she tok say make I pass di back door. I come outside and flood dey." Saliu say e sell some goods one day bifor di flood bin start and lost about 2.5million becos im no fit go back go pick anytin for im house. "I remember my money becos I sell some goods of about 2.5 million naira but I bin wan go back inside di room but I dey tink di pressure of di water, maybe if I go back inside di room something fit happun I leave everything since di flood don become like dis." "I get 11 bags of groundnut and seven bags of beans. We no fit pick anything, na only me and my singlet comot. We no see anything pick everything don go. Di flood water dey high and e dey come wit high pressure, we dey see deadibodi inside di water wey we no fit count." Saliu say na im friends bin give am di cloth wey im dey wear becos evritin wey im get don go wit di flood. Anoda resident wey dey affected say na nine out of 15 members of im family don die oe dey miss and dem still dey find dia bodi. Di man say dem just wake up dat morning and water don full dia compound and dem no fit escape. E narrate say di water almost cover am as di water dey wash plenti tins away. "We just wake up in di morning around 7:30 to 8:00 am. We just see water for our compound, we no fit escape becos di water dey beyond our capacity. Wen di water flow into our compound we no get any oda alternatives di water dey above our capacity and di flood water reach my chest. "We be 15 pipo but nine pipo don die, we see one deadibodi, we neva see di bodi of di eight pipo. We believe say dem no dey alive again becos since we neva see anybody we leave everything to God," e tok. E say di water don wash away im house and im no see anytin becos di water don flush away im properties. "I dey feel sad becos no be di property but di lives wey I lose, e dey paniful. No be even me any pesin wey love me go feel sad. I wish my family rest in peace and oda pipo wey die. Bad smell for di community Di mood for Mokwa na grief for di dead, confusion for di missing and loss of dia properties. Clothes scata round, mattresses dey soaked wit water and different crushed metal roofing sheets show wia some of di dozens of houses bin dey bifor, for Tiffin Maza Community for Mokwa town, Niger state. BBC reporters find say some of di structures wey still dey stand, dia roofs don wash off and some parts don destroy. Di flood get harsh impact for di community. According to wetin BBC observe for di community, strong bad smell dey around di community and residents believe say dem fit no rescue anyone alive again. Di local govment dey fear say di bad smell, and contamination wey di deadi bodi dey cause for dia water fit lead to diseases wey dem no fit handle. Food trucks stranded, farmers association react Some truck drivers tok say di Mokwa bridge wey collapse don affect dem as dem no fit travel wit di food items wey dey dia vehicle. Mustapha Salaudeen wey follow BBC Pidgin tok explain say na traffic dem dey and e reach Dikko junction wia all di trailers dey stranded. E tell us say na one side of di bridge bin collapse and dem dey find alternative routes wey go help dem move and transport dia goods. "We dey inside traffic becos di flood cut a part of di bridge and we dey find alternative, but we dey move small small as di community pipo dey help us." "As di road cut, our truck just dey here and some get foods wey fit spoil if dem no offload am sharply." Meanwhile, di National Secretary for Tomato Farmers for Nigeria, Sani Danladi, tok say di collapse of Mokwa Bridge go affect foodstuff supply to southern part of Nigeria. E say dis na becos of festival season and di bridge dey among road wey dey link two parts of di kontri. Danladi tok say, "Dis Mokwa bridge for Niger state dey really important. Since na di only bridge wey dey link two parts of di country, e go affect southern part pass, as vegetable price fit go up becos supply no go dey." "Meanwhile, for northern part, price fit reduce sake say di vegetables and oda food stuff go plenty for market since dem no fit carry am go south again," e tok.
Al Jazeera
6 days ago
- Climate
- Al Jazeera
At least 88 killed in heavy Nigeria flooding, rescue efforts ongoing
At least 88 people have been killed after heavy flooding submerged the market town of Mokwa in Nigeria's north-central Niger State, in a country beset by deadly storms every year. Head of the operations office in Minna, capital of Niger State, Husseini Isah, said on Friday that many people were still in peril as rescue efforts continue. 'The number keeps rising,' Isah told The Associated Press news agency. 'But at the last count, 88 bodies have been recovered.' A Niger State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) spokesman, Ibrahim Audu Husseini, told the AFP news agency earlier that he 'expected the toll to rise considerably because there are different rescuers at different locations'. Torrential rains battered Mokwa late on Wednesday and lasted for several hours, washing away dozens of homes, with many residents still missing. A dam collapse in a nearby town caused the situation to rapidly deteriorate. Mokwa is a key meeting and transit point for traders from the south and food growers in the north of the country. In the town, Mohammed Tanko, 29, a civil servant, told reporters that he lost at least 15 people from the house he grew up in. 'The property [is] gone. We lost everything,' Tanko said. For fisherman Danjuma Shaba, 35, the floods destroyed his house, forcing him to sleep in a car park. 'I don't have a house to sleep in. My house has already collapsed,' Shaba told AFP. As Nigeria's rainy season begins, typically lasting for six months, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency has warned of possible flash floods in 15 of Nigeria's 36 states, including Niger State, between Wednesday and Friday. However, scientists have warned that the effects of climate change are already being felt, as extreme weather patterns are becoming more frequent. The heavy rainfall causes problems for Nigeria every year as it destroys infrastructure and is further exacerbated by inadequate drainage. In September 2024, torrential rains and a dam collapse in the northeastern Maiduguri city caused severe flooding, killing at least 30 people and displacing millions. Last year, more than 1,200 people were killed and 1.2 million displaced in at least 31 out of 36 states, in one of the country's worst floods in decades, according to the National Emergency Management Agency.
Indianapolis Star
6 days ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
'High energy kid.' City Male Athlete of Year Kalen Sargent finds calling running track
Kalen Sargent will leave Bishop Chatard High School as a much different person than the one who entered. Sargent smiles when he thinks back to that kid. 'You think you know everything,' he said. 'I definitely changed.' For starters, that Kalen Sargent was not a track and field athlete. He was a football player. Sargent did not run track as a freshman. But Chatard track coach Sean McGinley remembers the first day Sargent came out for track practice as a sophomore. Long strider. Good potential. 'He helped the team,' McGinley said. 'He was more of a relay runner. He ran the 4x100 (relay) and the 200 (meters). Then, as a junior, he really developed the ability that he has now.' The big breakthrough came during the sectional meet in Sargent's junior year. His 48.17-second time in the 400 meters won the event in a duel with North Central's Dehnm Holt, who was right behind him at 48.32 seconds. 'In May of last year, he really started developing into a 200 and 400 runner,' McGinley said. "He went 21.7 in the City meet in the 200 and 48.1 (in the sectional 400). That was kind of his big breakout those two or three weeks in a row.' Sargent, the kid who would have never considered himself a track athlete, committed to Indiana University in February to run track. He is also the City Male Athlete of the Year for 2024-25 by a vote of the athletic directors in Marion County. The honor dates to 1950 (it grew to include female athletes in 1979) and is regarded as one of the top recognition awards for Indianapolis-area senior high school athletes. Other finalists for the award were Crispus Attucks basketball standout Dezmon Briscoe and Cathedral football/track star Devaughn Slaughter. The award is geared toward athletic achievement, but the winners also exhibit impressive credentials in academics and in their personal lives. Generally, multi-sport athletes are given consideration over single-sport athletes. 'He brings it in practice every day,' senior teammate Phoenix Boyer said of Sargent. 'He pushes his teammates. I'll be on the ground dead in a workout after doing a hard 400, an intense workout for runners, and he'll pick me up. He's a great teammate because he pushes you a bunch. Anyone would want him on your team.' Boyer would know. He and Sargent are part of Chatard's 4x400 relay team that set an indoor state record with a time of 3:15.92 at the state meet in late March. Sargent and Boyer, joined by Keaton Keuhr and Quinn O'Neil, are locked in a battle right behind North Central in the race for a state title. At the sectional meet, Sargent took first in the 100 (10.85), second in the 400 (48.15) and helped the 4x400 relay team to a second-place finish (3:18.32). 'He's definitely a high energy kid in a positive way,' McGinley said of Sargent. "He's willing to do different events for the team. He started off as more of a 100 runner but he developed into a 400 runner. He's really done the 100, 200 and 400 all season.' Sargent dropped the 200 for the run to the state meet, sticking with the 100, 400 and 4x400. He begged his coach last year to run the open 400, then set the school record in the sectional (Boyer later broke it). But Sargent found his passion, running a 46.3 split in the Dennis McNulty Invitational in late April. 'Coach called it a 'real man's race,'' Sargent said of the 400. 'I got out there and ran a fast time (in the sectional last year) and set a school record. That's when he was like, 'Oh yeah, I think we found your thing.' Before that it was more 100 and 200 and just went out there and ran. God blessed with this frame, but it's definitely a race where you have to have your mental side right. I definitely like a challenge.' Football did not necessarily turn out like Sargent hoped, though he did play on Class 3A state championship teams as a sophomore and junior as a receiver and defensive back. 'I kind of got in my own head and it just didn't work out,' Sargent said. 'But I came out here to track and just gave it a shot and kind of took off with it. I wasn't seeing the progress like I wanted during football season, so I wanted to find something else where I could get after it and just kind of feed that hunger.' He found the perfect outlet and the right teammates. Boyer, who has competed in track since fourth grade, said he appreciates track as a sport because he 'loves pushing to be the best version of myself.' 'I lot of it is mental,' Boyer said. 'The toughest part is finishing, staying strong. You have to get excited and have that mindset that you are going to win. If you doubt yourself, it kind of sends you down a bad hill. But if you can have that excitement and bring that energy, your teammates know what you can do, and the race is a lot easier.' Boyer said he saw that light go off for Sargent as a junior. 'He's one of the best athletes to train with because he's one of the top runners in the state,' Boyer said. 'He's the best person I can compete with.' Sargent is likely to run the 400 at IU. He plans on majoring in business and having a minor in meteorology, then joining the reserves and 'hopefully fly fighter jets while doing that' with the goal of becoming a commercial pilot. But for now, he is still taking flight by running around the track. 'I've enjoyed pushing my personal limits to a new level and the team's limits to a new level,' Sargent said. 'Just seeing what we can really do and having fun at the same time.'
CTV News
25-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Community honours longtime North Central volunteer Ivan Amichand
In memory of late Ivan Amichand, his family and people from North Central neighborhood honoured his legacy through a walk. (Sierra D'Souza Butts / CTV News)
