DILLON — Dillon’s Tylia DeJohn has been tearing it up on the track this season, owning the best times in Class A in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes.
“When she was an eighth grader, some of our teachers were asking me, ‘Hey, have you heard about this little phenomenon sprinter that’s in the eighth grade?'” said Dillon head track and field coach Tammi Myers. “And I said, ‘No, I haven’t,’ and they said, ‘Boy, she’s the real deal.'”
A phenomenon is truly the best way to describe DeJohn. What’s carried her all the way from her days as an undiscovered eighth grader to one of the best in the state is her unwavering competitiveness.
“I’m just naturally competitive, I think, is what makes me push it even harder and always do my best. Like most people say once it’s done it’s done, so you might as well give it your all when it’s happening,” DeJohn said.
“They’re my team, so I can’t let my team down. They worked their hardest they could out there, and then it’s my turn to give it my all. The best I can do to win it for us,” DeJohn added.
DeJohn also excels on the volleyball and basketball courts, making it easy to see why her teammates and coaches are so excited to have her back one more year.
“Like I said, we’re really thankful that we have such a great young lady that is as talented as she is and very humble,” added Myers.
With another year to stamp her place all over the Dillon record books, DeJohn wants to walk across the stage in 2020 with more than records, trophies, and accolades. She wants to leave behind a legacy that will inspire the next generation of athletes.
“Honestly, that she was a hard worker, she was always there when you needed her, she worked her hardest whenever she needed, no matter what,” added DeJohn. “Even if it wasn’t her best, she always worked hard, and that she was a good person, overall, pretty much.”
