Port St. Joe's Parker gains Gatorade track recognition

PORT ST. JOE — Kayla Parker received, at least in spirit, her Gatorade shower last week.

The former Port St. Joe High School multi-sport standout was named Gatorade’s Florida Girl Track Athlete for 2010, the prestigious culmination to a dazzling high school career.

“It feels really good that all my hard work over the years is paying off and being recognized this way,” Parker said. “I was very surprised when I learned I had won the award. It is an important award.”

And bestowed to one of the finest track and field athletes in the history of the state, at least if the record books are any measure.

Parker won 12 individual gold medals at the state Class 1A track and field meet during four years of high school competition, one shy of the state record for boys or girls.

She was unbeaten in the 100 meters in her scholastic career and won the 100 meter hurdles and 200 meters at state in each of the past three years.

Parker twice won the long jump, including this past year. She also finished third and second in that event.

If not for an illness between the Region 1 meet and the state meet during her freshman year, which impacted her performance in the long jump and 200 meters — Parker may have left Port St. Joe High School as the most decorated track and field athlete in state history.

“I look back and there are times you might say could’ve, would’ve and should’ve, but coming from a small town I showed you can do what you want to do if you work hard enough and constantly push yourself to improve,” Parker said. “To come out and be constantly improving my times and my performance, that is the important thing.”

The Gatorade award, which made Parker eligible for the national award that will be handed out later this summer, is one of many honors Parker has received in recent weeks.

Last week she also picked up her third straight Florida Dairy Farmers Class 1A girls track and field athlete of the year award, finishing second in the competition among winners in all classifications for the state award.

“Gatorade is the bigger award so I’ll take it,” Parker chuckled when it was noted that the state all-classification Florida Dairy Farmers award was about the only accolade she had not received in high school.

“With all the things I’ve accomplished, it is just very fortunate to be recognized right now. My high school career has ended; my high school business has been completed. I’m very happy to receive this kind of recognition.”

That recognition extended into the pages of Sports Illustrated magazine last month, when Parker was featured as one of the Faces in the Crowd, a section that recognizes the accomplishments of athletes of all ages from across the country.

The magazine noted her gold medals, her winning the 100 meters four consecutive years and other achievements.

Parker was a star among a team of equals with the Lady Tiger Sharks, the unquestioned leader of a track and field team that over the past four years finished third, first, second and first at the state Class 1A meet.

All three seniors from this year’s squad signed college scholarships, including Parker inking a full ride to run track at the University of Kentucky.

The competition has continued this summer as Parker won the 100 meters and long jump at a recent AAU Junior Olympic regional qualifying meet — she will not compete at the national meet — and won the long jump at the Florida High School Athletic Association State Games this past weekend.

The FHSAA State Games is an invitational meet for state champions from all classifications.

“Yes, you always want to win, but I don’t look at it as wins,” Parker said. “I want to continue to improve every time out. So, yes, I compete against the other athletes at any meet but I am really ultimately competing against myself.”

The Gatorade Track Athlete Award is, symbolically, the exclamation mark for Parker’s high school career.

She said she is taking a week off before beginning workouts in preparation for Kentucky and the Southeastern Conference.