SPRING 2019 TRACK: Kyndia Matlock East

Kyndia Matlock had the East High School track team on the doorstep of a state title.

The Golden Bears’ senior sprinter finished as the runner-up in the 100-meter dash and in fourth place in the 200 at the OHSAA State Track and Field Championships. She anchored the 4x100 relay that was two-hundreths of a second short of reaching the finals. On June 1 when her high school career came to a close, she wasn’t satisfied with that outcome.

“I’m happier about it, but of course I wanted to be on top of the podium,” Matlock said. “I’m satisfied with my performance because in my freshman year, I didn’t even make it to state and now I finished as the second-best in the state.”

Matlock spent her first two years of high school at Niles before transferring to East. Over the course of four years, track went from a sport that she wasn’t so sure she could succeed in to a team leader and a Division I commit at Youngstown State.

“My mental game changed the most. At first I didn’t know much about the sport and I wasn’t really confident,” Matlock said. “I became more confident as the years went on and I started having more fun with it.”

Matlock had only a week to work with to settle down East’s girls track team after they lost senior Jahniya Bowers — a fellow YSU commit — in the regional round of the postseason to an injury.

“We went down to [Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium] early. I showed them where we would be running to calm their nerves,” Matlock said. “I didn’t want them to be nervous. I just wanted them to come out and have fun. I wanted to show everyone why we’re here.”

Matlock helped turn East into a powerhouse for track. Last year was the Golden Bears’ breakout year as part of 4x200 and 4x100 relays that each finished in second place at state.

“Coming to East, all of my coaches were saying that we were going to change the culture,” Matlock said. “Just being apart of that and laying that foundation was such an honor. I’m ready to see everyone build on top of that.”

Matlock is excited to move on to YSU, where current sprinting star Jaliyah Elliott has provided support to East’s two incoming sprinters from afar.

Moving from a new contender to a perennial one, Matlock still has more goals to chase.

“I want to see how far I can go,” Matlock said. “I know I haven’t reached my peak yet. I just want to see how fast I can run.”

— Brian Dzenis, The Vindicator