Alaila Everett, a senior track star at I.C. Norcom High School, has spoken out about a controversial incident during the Class 3 State Indoor Championships. She has defended herself against accusations that she deliberately hit fellow competitor Kaelen Tucker with her baton during the 4×200m relay race.
Everett, who was running second in the relay, was caught in a moment of unfortunate contact with Tucker, a junior at Brookville High School, while attempting to overtake her. Many who watched the race were quick to assume that the contact was intentional, but Everett insists the situation was far more complex than it appeared.
Explaining her side of the story, Everett said that after receiving the baton, she was focused on merging into her lane. Everything seemed to be going smoothly until Tucker closed in beside her, getting so close that Everett’s swinging arm repeatedly made contact with her.
She clarified that it was never her intention to hit Tucker, but with their close proximity, avoiding contact became nearly impossible. Everett explained that she was caught between continuing to run and risking contact or trying to move aside and potentially falling into the metal railing.
“Then on the curve, I saw something yellow in my peripheral vision, which was her uniform. She was so close to me that my baton kept hitting her, and it was either I keep hitting her or fall into the metal railing,” Everett said.
According to her, the moment was chaotic. She lost balance momentarily, and as she tried to regain control and continue running, her arm movement once again resulted in contact with Tucker. She also noted that Tucker was cutting in at the time, and she believes Tucker should have waited a little longer before attempting to pass.
Despite Everett’s explanation, the video of the incident quickly went viral, with many people criticizing her. She expressed frustration at how quickly people judged her without taking the time to understand what really happened.
“They are going off of one angle, they don’t have enough information, and they just went on the news,” she stated. “I’m just a person by myself, and I know from the video it looks purposeful, but I know my intentions and I know that I would never hit somebody on purpose because of jealousy.”
Everett emphasized that she was raised to have good sportsmanship and would never intentionally harm a competitor, especially out of jealousy. She acknowledged that Tucker was a strong competitor and even applauded her performance during the race.
In an effort to clear the air, Everett tried to reach out to Tucker. However, when she followed her on Instagram, she was blocked, leaving her feeling confused about the response. She expressed disappointment that Tucker and her mother had publicly criticized her rather than having a private conversation to understand what happened.
She also shared that the backlash from the incident had taken a toll on her. The controversy forced her to miss school for a while, and she felt overwhelmed by the negativity from those who assumed the worst of her.
“It’s just a lot because it feels like the whole world is against me,” Everett said. “A lot of people just post without understanding what happened.”
Tucker and her mother have continued to demand an apology, believing that the contact was intentional. However, while some fans remain angry over the incident, others are beginning to consider Everett’s perspective.
