Laylah Jennings is making a name for herself. She placed first in the Miami Valley League Middle School Championship for Track and Field on May 6, 2026, in the Shot Put. The distance she threw was 39', 6.25", and she outhrew her closest competitor by 5', .25". Winning the Shot Put qualified her to go to the state meet that was held on May 16, 2026.
Before the state meet, she sustained a shoulder injury and was unable to practice for a week. "I didn't use my arm the whole week." She said the week off from throwing threw off her timing, and she didn't perform as well as she had hoped, but she still placed 13th at the state competition.
This is Laylah's first year participating in Track and Field, and she came into the season late. She said, "Coach Barnes got me into this." Laylah has also tried throwing the discus, but said, "It doesn't feel right." She credits Coach Barnes and all of the other coaches who have inspired her.
Layla also played basketball and was a member of the 8th-grade girls' team, which placed second in the Miami Valley League for the season. While disappointed to be second, she has been encouraged to continue striving in athletics. She said, "People don't push themselves," and she intends to continue to push herself to be better, whether she is on the basketball court or throwing shot put.