Name: Nyla Cherry
School: McDonogh
What was your most memorable race/throw/jump/vault/moment? Why is that?
Freshman year IAAM Champs 300h finals. I came into the race as the top seed and originally it looked as if I would come out that way. Thennn, I fell... really bad. I remember being in the air one second and completely on my back the next. It HURT. Coach Tony always told me no matter how you do it just finish the race. So, I got up and that's what I did. I ended up finishing 6th place and still scoring for my team. This race still means a lot to me to this day because I proved to myself how resilient I can be.
Was there a certain moment or breakthrough race/meet when you realized you would be able to compete at a high level?
I Pr'd by 13 inches and jumped 18'10. I was ecstatic because it was one of those jumps where I knew it was PR before I even got up from the sand.
What are some bumps in the road that you've encountered when it comes to training for different events during the season?
I compete in several events so the most difficult thing I've had to learn is listening to my body. While I do want to be great, I have to remember I'm not going to get there unless I take the time to rehab. I learned this the hard way when overtraining led to my needing surgery to repair my laburnum Junior year.
If you are writing a letter to your younger freshman self, what advice might you give them?
Stay the course. It's going to be hard and not just physically but mentally as well. Trust in God and everything will work out how He intends it to. Most obviously, when your hip starts hurting stop trying to run unless you want to be hooked up to an IV!
If you had to pick: Track and Field or Cross Country, and why? (If you only run Track, then don't worry about explaining why).
Track, I tried cross country it was more of a calm stress reliever as opposed to a competitive sport. I just remember trotting and enjoying the scenery.
What are your post-high school or college plans? If Running in college, explain why you picked that school.
I'm going to the University of Maryland, College Park to study Journalism. I had a rough high school journey in terms of recruiting between Covid and injury. I began reaching out to coaches and not only was Coach Valmon one of the first to respond, but he was also one of the only ones who did originally. It meant something to me that he still got back to me even though at the time, my marks were not where they needed to be at all. Knowing somebody was there believing in my potential was a great motivator to improve and get me where I am today. Go Terps!
What is your favorite pre-race snack, tradition, etc.?
My mom makes me peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for every meet. She makes them perfectly! Her cut is always perfectly down the middle and the jelly to peanut butter ratio is exquisite. I also listen to Time by Lil Baby before every meet it's just a ritual at this point.
Name the top Maryland Cross Country or Track moment(s) you have witnessed. Could be by the level of greatness or just something that really stood out to you.
Watching Sydney McLaughlin break the World Record for 400mh at the Tokyo Olympics was the greatest thing I had ever seen. I love her so much that watching her achieve that level of greatness had me fan-girling to the max.
Who would you like to say "thank you" to?
Every coach who has helped or trained with me, everybody who has ever doubted me, Dr. Detterline and his amazing PT staff, the phenomenal McD training staff, my amazing parents and the remainder of my family, and lastly a Heavenly thank you to Coach Tony. He is the reason I fell so deeply in love with the sport and I could never have gotten where I am today without him.
Is there anything else you would like to mention that stands out over the past 4 years?
The media exposure definitely stood out to me. I've never been fond of public speaking so winning Fox45 Prep Player of the Week and having to do the interview knowing it would air on TV was particularly nerve-wracking. Additionally being blessed to have a feature article by Glenn Graham for the Baltimore Sun was one of the highlights of my high school career.