Spring break doesn’t start for the University of Southern California students until next week, but for sophomore Madison Whyte, it has come early. Whyte, who starred at Heritage High in Newport News, is in Virginia Beach for the 2025 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships Friday and Saturday at the Virginia Beach Sports Center. Two other locals also will participate: LSU senior Michaela Rose of Suffolk and Norfolk State sprinter Kendrick Winfield. Whyte has had this meet circled on her calendar since the end of outdoor track. “It was just, honestly, pure excitement and disbelief because there was no way that Virginia was hosting the biggest meet of the indoor season,” she said. “It was on my mind the whole season. I had to make sure I punched my ticket so I could go home and have my family watch me run.” While most of her family hasn’t seen her run since high school, parents Wayne and Cynthia have. They’ve been to nearly every meet. This year, they’ve been to Texas, New Mexico, South Carolina, Washington state and Indianapolis. So when they learned the NCAA Indoor Championships were just going to be less than an hour ride from Newport News, they couldn’t wait. “We knew if Maddy did what she had to do, she would be able to run at home,” Cynthia said. “So we’re very excited. That was a target that we had for her, and she had for herself, to be able to compete at nationals at home.” “For indoor nationals,” she added, “we don’t need a hotel.” Whyte had a remarkable high school career in which she won 12 individual state titles and set four state meet records. She also was a two-time Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press Female Athlete of the Year. She is the only Virginia high school girl to rank in the state’s top 2 all-time in the 100-meter, 200 and 400, and she was a two-time Gatorade Virginia Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year. As a college freshman, she reached the NCAA semifinals in the 200, finishing 12th to earn second-team All-America honors. She also earned first-team All-America honors in the 4×400 relay as she anchored the Trojans to a runner-up finish in a time of 3:27.62 — the fourth-fastest indoor time in school history. This indoor season, she took third in the 200 (22.76 seconds) at the Big Ten Indoor Championships. She and teammates Yemi John, Christine M. Mallard and Jassani Carter, set a meet record in the 4×400 relay (3:29.97). Now she’s focused on more success this weekend. Whyte expected to need tickets for at least 25 people, but there could be more than 50 cheering her on. “My excitement is through the roof. I’m back home and back at the track that kind of jump-started my high school career,” she said. “Last year, I just missed the finals. I want to prove to myself that I should have been in the finals last year. So, I’m ready to do it bigger and better this year.”
CONTINUE READING
