Freshman Kayla Davis Charting A Path To Success

By Todd Grasley for DyeStat

Kayla Davis may only be a high school freshman, but she is already a big deal in track and field.

She has the clout to confer with Olympic medalists such as Sanya Richards-Ross, Ato Boldon,and Bershawn “Batman” Jackson. She already owns numerous age-group national records and has acquired a few North Carolina state records this winter.

Davis started in track when she was 7 years old. She tried soccer first, then cheerleading and gymnastics, but none were the right fit. After racing the kids at the local skating rink, her parents asked if she wanted to give running a try.

That's when she joined the Quick Striders Track Club out of Greenville, S.C., the same program her mother, Katina, ran for before her track career took her to the University of Iowa. 

“My first race was in Spartansburg, S.C. and it went very well even though my form was all over the place,” Davis recalled. “I ended up winning the 100 and 200 meter and smiling at my older brother when I ran the 400. I just remember that all my hard work is going to pay off, and I don’t do all that training for nothing.”

Davis is the first admit to that the 400 meters wasn’t her race of choice at that age, but it has become her favorite over the years. Davis owns indoor personal bests of 7.85 seconds in the 60 meters, 23.62 in the 200, 37.92 in the 300, 52.96 in the 400, and 1:11.90 in the 500.

Davis is entered in the Toyota USATF Indoor Championships next week at Staten Island in the 300 meters. 

“As I transition into outdoor, I’m going to use the foundation from the 400 and 500 indoor to improve what I did last year,” she said. “I love the feeling of success and I want to keep feeling that way when I run.”

The Parent/Coach Dynamic

Davis’ success is driven by her parents, Katina and Jeremy, who also serve as her coaches. For Jeremy, the key message is to always have fun and work hard. He preaches staying humble, remaining hungry.

Jeremy said it was difficult at first to distinguish the lines between dad and coach, so he  prioritized the most important relationship.

“To me that was being dad/daughter, so I moved to the background as coach,” Jeremy said. "It has allowed us both to grow and trust each other again.”

Kayla’s father describes her as forward-driven, self-motivated, but with great balance. She runs because she loves it and the next race drives her to conquer the challenges that become new targets.

“The goal is always to get better in some aspect of her racing, training, preparation, and execution,” he added.

For Katina, the boundaries are clearly drawn. It’s coach at the track and mom as soon as the workout is over.

“I don’t talk track after we leave practice because it’s mommy time to find out what Kayla has going on in her life,” she said. “We have our girl days to enjoy each other’s company because she’s growing up very fast, and I want to enjoy every moment.”

Kayla enjoys workout sessions that focus on block starts and sprint mechanics. It’s an area she admits she could improve, and she has been guided by some of the best techicians in the sport, including an Olympian from Trinidad and Tobago.

“That has been a focus for this year,” Kayla Davis explained. “Working out with Ato (Boldon) has helped greatly. Lifting weights has been fun, as this is my first year (doing that).”

The indoor season isn’t over just yet. Davis has New Balance Nationals Indoor in March circled on her calendar.

“New Balance is definitely a highlight on my calendar for indoor as this is my first year being able to attend,” she said. “My main goal is to have fun and run against the clock.”

Sticking to the Plan

Davis attends Providence Day School in Charlotte, one of the top track and field programs in North Carolina's independent school classification, the NCISAA.

However, Davis will train and compete outside of the school program. 

Her mother said that Kayla will compete outdoors for her RunUXpress Club and not the school.

“Kayla’s training is specifically tailored to focus on every aspect of her races, which doesn’t align with the high school’s training regimen,” she said. “We, as her coaches and parents, have to ensure that she continues on the progression that she has been on for the last eight years and to continue to put her in the best environment to meet her future goals.”

Sticking to the plan does come with some challenges. Davis will have limited meets that she can compete in, which will require planning on the part of her parents to get her into select invitationals and open meets.

“We manage her races to ensure she’s race sharp by scheduling a certain number of races during the season to ensure there’s a healthy balance,” her mother explained. “Rest is just as important as competing, and running every weekend at a high level can cause major wear and tear to the body. The season is very long when you use indoor as a foundation starting in December and end with nationals in July.”

For Kayla, she just wants to run, have fun, and perform to the best of her ability in 2019.

“If I do that, the times will come as they should,” she said. "Sanya (Richards-Ross) provided the best advice  which was to not put pressure on myself by running for records, but to run to win which keeps the sport fun.”

By The Numbers

Age Group Records: 

10-year-old 400m - 57.07 AAU Nationals

13 and 14-year-old 400m - 52.54 

13-year-old 200m - 23.34

13-14 indoor 200m 24.33, 400m - 54.92. 

North Carolina state records: 

400m indoor - 52.96

500m indoor - 1:11.90, 

200m indoor and outdoor #2 All-time - 23.62

300m indoor #2 All-time - 37.92

Get To Know Kayla Davis

What makes you such a successful athlete?

I am very humble. People that meet me that don’t know about youth or high school track will never know my accomplishments there because I like to joke, have fun, and be a regular teenager. I am very happy that I set records and I’ve started accepting my accomplishments. I haven’t liked discussing what I’ve done after the race is over since I started competing at age seven.

It just doesn’t ever feel like it’s enough and I want to keep setting records as I go on with running and inspiring other youth athletes to work hard and have fun with the things they love doing, and more importantly don’t take it for granted.

You can run a wide array of events. Do you have a favorite?

My favorite event is the 400 even though it is a tough race. I prefer it over the 100, which a lot of my peers find mind-blowing.

Which athletes do you look up to in the sport and why?

Sanya Richards-Ross is someone I look up to because she’s told me how social media can be a blessing and curse at the same time and to learn to unplug. She also has some records I hope to break one day. Another athlete that I would look up to is Allyson Felix because even though she had a setback in the weight room, and she competed at the 2016 Olympics with the injury; I dropped a weight bench on my foot in Physical Education class and still competed. 

As a member of Bershawn Jackson’s team RunUXpress, what advice has he given you?

Some advice he has given me is that I need to run rounds and not go for a record in the first round. This allows me to compete at a higher level in the finals since the 400m isn’t an easy race and I normally run multiple events at meets. He’s always told me, “They don’t give out medals in the preliminary rounds.” 

How would you describe Kayla Davis in one word? 

Blessed.