Lawrence Central senior Aniyah McKenzie made the 200 meters look like child’s play about an hour after her disqualification in the 100-meter dash.
Once the starting gun popped off, the 6-foot sprinter broke the race open at the end of the curve and bolted down the straightaway.
She looked like a woman possessed.
In lane four, she dusted the rest of the field with a state qualifying time of 24.42 seconds. A performance that clinched her a regional title at Greenfield-Central on Tuesday.
McKenzie, who entered the postseason ranked third in the state in the 100 meters, placed first in the 100 prelims before she was ruled out for the event. The initial call was a false start before it was determined by the officials that McKenzie did not get set. It was a shocker that cost one of the state’s top sprinters a spot at the state meet.
“Neither of those two things were true,” said Lawrence Central coach Chandler Ball. “We had a conversation with (the officials and IHSAA) and they said that there was no way to fix it and no way to appeal it.”
McKenzie rallied after her DQ. She ran second leg for the Lawrence Central 4×100-meter relay team that won gold. A few minutes later, she took home the 200-meter crown as an individual.
“It’s just mental toughness,” McKenzie said. “At the end of the day, it is what it is. It was kind of tough for me (after the 100), but I feel like me coming to the 200 gave me more strength back.”
McKenzie’s resilience at regionals is a testament to her ambition. Off the track, she is a hooper that helped the Bears win their first state title in program history back in the 2023-24 season when she was a sophomore. That year, Lawrence Central went 30-1 during its historic season with McKenzie in the lineup. During her senior season, the team captain surpassed 1,000 career points as a small forward.
That same aura has rolled over to track.
She entered the postseason ranked third in the state in the 100 meters (11.99) and second in the 200 meters (24.84). Both of those times were shattered at sectionals last week when she went 24.31 in the 200 and 11.84 in the 100 finals. At regionals, she clocked a 12.13 in the 100 prelims before she logged a 200 time of 24.42.
“She’s an incredibly competitive individual,” Ball said. “Her mindset is one of the best I’ve ever seen as a coach. I think after that 100-meter call, that frankly didn’t go our way and was frustrating, we just talked to her about the mindset of, ‘Hey, we still have two more things that we can go out there and be a champion in.’
“We’ve had that mindset all season long about her ability to bounce back. She got beat at some meets earlier by some of these people in this regional, and so having that resolve of, “Hey, they’re not going away, so we just have to continue to power through this mentally and physically.”
McKenzie stands at 6-foot even. She towered over most of her opponents on the track on Tuesday. An athlete that used her length and speed to smoke her challengers on the oval.
Aside from her physical attributes, McKenzie holds a mental game fit for a senior. She strives to be the best she can be even when things don’t go as planned. She’s a a high school veteran that’s full of life — an energy that boosts the morale at Lawrence Central.
“Aniyah is a good competitor and she’s fun,” said Lawrence Central sophomore Jariah Rayford. “Having practice with her everyday is like a blessing … Everyday, something is great and new with her. She’s very vocal and playful and a leader.”
McKenzie’s has morphed into a dominant presence on the track. The four-time state qualifier is more motivated than ever to climb the ladder of state meet relevance.
She was disappointed that she didn’t crack the top-eight in the 100-meter dash at state last season. She placed 12th in the prelims as a junior — a ranking that fueled her this season.
After her DQ at sectionals on Tuesday, McKenzie won’t run the 100 on the grand stage. But she is still motivated to make a splash in the 200-meter dash and 4×100 relay.
Tuesday’s mishap in the 100 meters, didn’t derail her postseason journey. It only added fuel to her internal fire. A flame that could continue to burn at the state track meet next week.
“Through my freshman, sophomore year and stuff, I just wanted to work on myself and getter better than what I already (was), which it’s proven and showing for my senior year,” McKenzie said.
Marc Ray is a high school sports reporter at the IndyStar. He can be reached at marc.ray@indystar.com , and on X, formerly Twitter, at @themarcszn.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Lawrence Central senior Aniyah McKenzie overcomes adversity, wins two regional titles
Reporting by Marc Ray, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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