By Travis Whitton
For The Herald Bulletin
ANDERSON, Ind. —
Sometimes whether an athlete likes it or not, lofty goals are placed upon them. That might very well be the case for incoming Pendleton Heights speedster, Kiawna Cottrell. Off the track she is shy and quiet by nature, but on the track she has big goals that she wants to attain before she closes out her high school career.
Although Cottrell has only been running for about five years her accomplishments could fill a ream of printer paper. As an eighth grader she was undefeated in every event in which she competed. With times that would’ve placed her in the top-nine finishers at this past years state high school track meet.
Her achievements aren’t limited to athletics, either. She was a straight A student in honors classes last school year while attending East Side Middle School in Anderson.
Coming over from the Anderson school system to the Pendleton Heights school system was great news for Arabians girls track coach, Ron Hinton.
“First off, to get an athlete the caliber of Kiawna to come into our program is a great boost for our team,” Hinton said. “I always look forward to the new athletes coming in as freshmen and how they will meld with the team, and the different things I can do to help the process, and how they can improve different aspects of our team.
“I think Kiawna will fit in well, and, obviously, will strengthen the already strong group of freshmen girls that we have coming in. Yes, I am very excited about the upcoming track season.”
Cottrell broke the school records in the 100 and 200-meter dash while at East Side. Her 100-meter time of 12.5 would’ve put her in ninth-place in this past year’s high school state finals. Shanice Gholson, Jeffersonville, won the event with a time of 12.02 – less than half a second faster than Cottrell.
She also set the 200-meter record with a time of 25.85. Again, this time would’ve placed her ninth in the state finals this past year. Her 100-meter time would’ve broken the Madison County record and crushed the Pendleton Heights Invitational record. Her 200-meter time is .02 seconds behind the county record and again smashed the PH Invite record.
Cottrell has set her sights even higher than the county and PH Invitational. She would like to make it to state in the 100 and 200-meter dash all four of her high school years and snag the state title by her junior year.
“The goals I have set for myself in high school are to qualify for the state track meet all four years in the 100 and 200,” Cottrell said. “I hope to have a state championship in the 100 and 200 by my junior year.”
Cottrell acknowledges her mother, Karry Zachary and cousin Mason Berryman as the biggest influences in her life. She said her mother pushed her to get involved in both track and basketball.
Her cousin, Berryman, who she has always looked up to, was the 2010 runner-up in the 135-pound state wrestling finals. She said that his climb to the state finals inspired her to set her goals higher.
Zachary said that keeping her daughter humble won’t be a problem. She said playing basketball or running track with a bit of a chip on her shoulder will be the biggest hurdle.
“With Kiawna, being humble comes naturally,” Zachary said. “We have always tried to light a fire under her and get her more confident and play with a little more attitude.”
Zachary’s fiancé, Bryan Jackson is well aware of Cottrell’s athletic gifts, but he knows that she will need to continue to work to achieve her dreams of a state championship.
“If she works hard and is determined, she will be successful,” Jackson said. “Kiawna is very talented athletically, but to be successful at the next level she is going to have to put the time in.”
