ATLANTIC'S OCEAN: Atlantic High track team ascending to new heights
PORT ORANGE — It was track athlete Kahdia Jones' last year at Atlantic and she had never competed at state.
She had only been as far as regionals, finishing eighth and 10th in the 200-meter and 100, respectively, at the 2A regionals her sophomore year.
But it was a new year, and she had new coaches — which changed everything.
“I told her, ‘You’re going to make it to states,'” said Jalilissa Marcus, who took over Atlantic girls’ program in 2020. “‘You’re going to medal, and you’re going to get a full ride to college.”
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Mission accomplished.
Jones earned a fifth-place medallion for the 200 at the 2021 state championships and received a full-paid scholarship to run at Holy Family University in Pennsylvania.
In just two years, Marcus and boys’ head coach Ed’Ricus Williams have already altered the trajectory of Atlantic's program. Through relentless support and love, they've instilled faith in their athletes that they can achieve their goals.
And they have.
Atlantic has seen anywhere from 4-6 coaches in the past five years, which has made it difficult to build a stable program.
When Marcus joined, her goal was to stop the instability and build trust with the athletes.
“When you establish that trust, kids buy into the program,” Marcus said.
She and Williams try to be more like big brothers and sisters to the athletes and show them as much support as possible.
"I love her for that," said senior Emanuel Preston.
Marcus checks in with her athletes daily to monitor their mental health and pays for what they need to perform their best and have opportunities to compete with the best.
Atlantic, like other schools, doesn’t always have the funding to support all of its athletic programs.
Additionally, Atlantic has to compete with Mainland and Spruce Creek for multi-sport athletes.
Marcus and the Sharks have been able to succeed in spite of those realities. The girls’ track team ballooned to 25 girls during her tenure — a remarkable feat considering the roster historically hovered around two or three girls.
The boys just finished as district runners-up. The 4x400 team is ranked fourth in Florida, 24th out of 100 schools in the country and is the top team in their district.
But this is no time to allow their egos to set in, said junior Kentwan Royal, a member of the 4x400 team. Marcus won’t allow it.
They have bigger goals on their minds. Thanks to the confidence Marcus and Williams instill, Royal and his teammates don't have even the slightest doubt they can reach those goals.
“She teaches us to strive for greatness and never give up,” Royal said. “She has got us doing things we never even thought we could do.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Atlantic High track one of the top teams in the country
