Kent State of Mind: Tianna McCormick - Pushing Forward
4/19/2023 12:36:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
The sport of track and field hasn't always been at the center of my world.
In fact, I didn’t join my first team until I was about 11 years old.
Truth be told, the only reason that I joined that particular team was in an attempt to make some friends at a new school. I had no intentions of being super competitive in a specific event but rather was just grateful for a chance to be a part of the team and have some fun.
One day at practice, as I was finishing up with hurdles, a coach approached me from across the field and had a question to ask.
He wondered if I would give high jump a try.
With little knowledge of the event and nothing to lose, I decided to do just that.
I didn't know it back then, but this split-second decision would prove to be one of the most impactful choices I ever made.
New heights
As high school approached, my family and I moved back to my hometown of Wadsworth, Ohio. I was so excited to be back amongst my old friends and return to the life that we had left behind a few years prior.
One thing was different, though.
I was a high jumper now.
When my sophomore season arrived, however, injury struck. A stress fracture in my lower leg sidelined me for the majority of that season.
I was devastated.
In the off-season, I had really hit my stride in the event. I gained strength and explosiveness and was working on perfecting my timing and body control.
Having to halt all of that progress was an emotionally challenging time for me.
Nevertheless, I chose to push forward.
After returning to competition, scholarship offers began to pour in from Division II and III schools. The hard work and perseverance were, undoubtedly, paying off.
Prior to that moment, college was never really on my radar. No one in my family had attended a four-year university, so to be honest, I had just not given it much thought.
With those offers on the table, however, my mindset began to shift.
I really wanted to see this through.
Soon after, I had the pleasure of speaking with one of the first Division I schools during my recruitment process — Kent State.
Before even getting on the line, I knew, in my heart of hearts, that this was the perfect school for me. The proximity to my hometown was a wonderful perk, and the track and field program tradition was incredibly rich.
I felt as though it was a place that I could call home.
As fate would have it, in one of the last meets of my senior year, I broke the high school record and sealed the deal with Kent State with a height of 5’6½”.
It felt like the perfect transition to launch my next chapter.
Another setback
I would love to say that my time here at Kent State has been filled with personal records and limited setbacks, but the truth of the matter is my athletic career has been plagued with injuries.
After all of those years of hard work and finally earning a college scholarship, I was unable to compete for the entirety of my freshman season.
I was, once again, recovering from a lower leg stress fracture.
While the devastation during my high school years was incredibly hard to endure, it did not even compare to the emotions that came with being sidelined at the collegiate level.
In all honesty, I wanted to quit.
But despite the hard times and moments of uncertainty, I found a way. I spent my sophomore season gaining strength and rediscovering my rhythm and precision.
When junior season rolled around, everything began to fall in place.
I reached a college best of 5'6" and even secured crucial points for our team that helped capture us a 2021 MAC Outdoor Championship title.
At that moment, I was overcome with emotion.
After all the setbacks and hardships I endured in my career up to that point, it was finally worth it.
It's something I'm very proud of, actually.
A discovered passion
While I will always continue to push myself to be the best high jumper I can be, I have also discovered a new passion here at Kent State.
I sit on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as a women’s track and field representative and, quite honestly, have fallen in love with the organization, the mission, and the overall process.
The committee focuses on student-athlete mental health, inclusivity, diversity, and does everything in its power to ensure a positive experience for all of our student-athletes here at Kent.
This incredible opportunity allows me the chance to be a resource and an advocate for athletes within our community who might be experiencing similar hardships as the ones I have endured in my career.
The road has been far from easy, but looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing. All of these challenges have made me the person I am today and no matter what track and field or life throws my way, one thing is for certain.
I will always keep pushing forward.
For more Kent State of Mind narratives, click here.
