A Virginia high school track and field star's attempt to get into first place during a race last Tuesday led an opponent to hit her with a baton, causing head injuries. 

According to Brookville High School junior Kaelen Tucker, she's still waiting on the opponent from I.C. Norcom High School to apologize. 

Tucker had just set a new Virginia High School League (VHSL) Class 3 State Indoor Championships record in the 55-meter race on Monday, and she was hoping to help her school win the 4x200M relay final on Tuesday as well. 

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However, the heat of competition got carried too far by one opponent, as clear video evidence of the race shows Tucker getting struck in the head by a baton-wielding runner from Norcom, who also threw it in Tucker's direction after being passed. 

Tucker immediately ran off the track and fell down, holding her head. 

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"So, on the back curve, I kind of got cut off, and I tried to pass her the first time, so I let her go ahead," Tucker said to WSET ABC 13 in an interview posted on Friday. "I knew when I got fully on the curve that I was just going to have to push through past her. So, as we were coming up in the middle of the curve, we were bumping arms a lot. So, I got a little more on the outside of the curve to go around her."

"When I finally pushed through to get in front of her, that’s when she hit me in the head with the baton."

Bumping during races is very normal on the track, but not how Tucker's opponent reacted at that moment during the second leg of the race. 

"The whole section just gasped," Tucker's mother, Tamarrow, said about those around her in the bleachers. "We had family come from out of town, her godparents were here from Myrtle Beach. Everybody just gasped. When I saw her go down, all I could do is run out of the bleachers. I just knew I had to get to her."

"She was kind of hysterical because she just couldn’t believe that’s what had happened."

Race judges immediately disqualified the Norcom team for "contact interference," according to WSET ABC 13. 

Tamarrow said a medic was already with her daughter when she got down on the track, though what baffled the entire family was the lack of accountability for what occurred.

As of Friday, they still haven't heard from the runner or her coaches, she said.

"My whole thing was no apology," Tamarrow said. "No coaches, no athlete, no anything. Even if it was an accident, which I don’t believe it’s an accident, but nothing. It’s been more than 24 hours now, so I guess that was the major thing. My child was hurt and nobody came to check on her."

WSET ABC 13 asked the Tuckers if criminal charges would be pressed, and without giving a definitive yes-or-no answer, Tamarrow explained their point of view.

"Of course, everybody gives their opinion on what they think you should do, but that’s also somebody else’s child," she said, referencing the assailant. "I want to take that into account as well. Yes, she definitely struck my daughter more than once, but she is somebody else’s child as well."

The family said a doctor's visit on Friday revealed concussion symptoms as Kaelen continues to deal with headaches. There was also swelling around the area where she was struck and a possible skull fracture.

Kaelen isn't allowed on the track until she recovers from her injuries, her mother said.

The Tucker family reached out to the VHSL and said they received a call-back explaining that an investigation was underway and both high schools were cooperating. No discipline has been announced for the incident, according to the Tuckers. 

The VHSL did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Kaelen was asked at the end of the interview from their home what she wished to say to the opponent who struck her, if anything. 

"Why did you do it? And why haven’t you apologized yet?" she said. 

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Rio Takeda shot a blistering 8-under 64 to win the LPGA's Blue Bay tournament by six shots ahead of Minjee Lee.

The Chiefs have secured a key component of their defense by re-signing linebacker Nick Bolton to a three-year, $45 million contract.

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Running back Aaron Jones is re-signing with the Vikings on a two-year, $20 million deal that includes $13 million guaranteed, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

While the best in England sputtered all weekend, a trio of German giants also slipped up. That and more from around Europe in ESPN's Weekend Review.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics both entered Saturday's highly anticipated matchup in second place in their respective conferences.

The Lakers have surged in the weeks since the team acquired Luka Doncic. But Boston outlasted Los Angeles on Saturday and ultimately celebrated a 111-101 victory. An injury forced LeBron James to exit the game in the fourth quarter.

While James did not provide a timetable for his return to the court, he did attempt to ease concerns about the severity of the injury. 

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"Not much concern," James said. "Obviously, I’m day-to-day. I’ll look at it each day and see if it gets better, and take the proper measures to see what I need to do moving forward."

ESPN reported that a strained groin could sideline James for up to two weeks.

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James did not return to the court after a timeout with 6:44 minutes remaining after he contested a layup by Jaylen Brown. The 21-time NBA All-Star was seen walking gingerly to the huddle and then barely moved before making his way to the locker room with trainers.

James finished the game with 22 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists.

He said his initial thoughts went to his first season in Los Angeles in 2018, when he suffered a groin injury during a Christmas Day game against the Golden State Warriors. He missed the next 17 games and the injury bothered him for most of the remainder of the season.

"I've been there before and I know what type of injury we're dealing with," James noted. He appears to be confident that his latest injury is not as serious as the 2018 one.

He also said he thought about former teammate Anthony Davis, who incurred his current groin injury in his first game with the Dallas Mavericks following his trade for Doncic.

"That's crazy. But I thought about AD," James said.

Doncic just wants James to give the injury the rest it needs. "Obviously, he's got to take his time," Doncic said. "Those injuries, I won't say are the worse, but they're tough to deal with."

The Lakers' loss to the Celtics ended Los Angeles' eight-game win streak. The defeat also briefly dropped them to third place in the Western Conference standings. But, L.A. moved back into second place after the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Denver Nuggets on Sunday afternoon.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Ruben Amorim said Manchester United "need more Brunos" after captain Bruno Fernandes scored a first-half free kick and almost netted a late winner in a 1-1 Premier League draw against Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Declan Rice’s goal was only enough for a draw with Manchester United, leaving the Gunners 15 points behind Liverpool.

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Michigan guard Phat Phat Brooks shoved Michigan State guard Tre Holloman late in Sunday's game, causing a brief scrum as coaches separated the players.

No. 11 Duke rallied from a 14-point deficit to beat No. 7 N.C. State 76-62 on Sunday for their first ACC title since 2013.

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The Gunners slumped to a disappointing 1-1 draw with United and now trail Liverpool by 15 points

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The New York Yankees organization feels the exact same about Gerrit Cole as the fan base does. 

"[I’m] prepared for the worst," general manager Brian Cashman told the New York Post and Newsday on Sunday.

Cole experienced discomfort in his throwing elbow after his second spring training start, a brutal outing against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, and serious concern has swirled around the team’s ace since then. 

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Cole underwent tests and imaging on that right elbow on Friday, and he is currently seeking second opinions on it, which is never a good sign. 

Manager Aaron Boone noted an update could come as early as Monday, but Cashman seems pessimistic about the situation. 

"We will see how it plays out," he added. "I’m always wired to think the worst and hope for the best. 

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"Obviously not what you want, but it’s ultimately part of our journey here in 2025."

Another key piece of the roster, Giancarlo Stanton, is also dealing with elbow injuries, as he’s trying to avoid season-ending surgery on his "severe" tennis elbow in both arms. 

There’s currently no timeline for the 2024 postseason star, who noted that adjustments he made to his bat last season could be the cause of the tendinitis in both elbows.

As for Cole, the obvious worst-case scenario when it involves a throwing elbow for a pitcher is a UCL injury, which usually leads to Tommy John surgery – a procedure that renders a player out for the year. 

That would be a crushing blow to the Yankees considering what Cole means to the team in terms of their hopeful World Series revenge tour in 2025. 

Cole also dealt with an elbow injury in 2024 that shut him down for a bit in the spring before he returned to the bump in the regular season. Cashman added that Cole’s concern, which he acknowledged on Saturday, isn’t something new because of how it was handled last season. 

"I was with him in Tampa. I think last year, [it was] very emotional [for Cole] because it was a whole new experience," Cashman explained. "This year now, not as emotional because he’s walked this line already. And so, I think he is mentally more prepared to deal with it because he’s already dealt with that once before. So, and that’s even the worst-case scenario. Just generally, we are all in a better position to handle something if we’ve had some experience handling it in the past. 

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"He’s already had a lot of conversations. A lot of engagement with the doctors and lived through this last year."

Cole, though, wasn’t shut down for the entire season. So, while Cashman says the worst-case scenario is prepared for, who knows what happens if and when that becomes reality. 

Cashman added it would be "difficult" to make possible moves at this point in the year to counteract these big injuries, which includes 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil suffering a high-grade lat strain that has him shut down until at least June. 

In turn, Marcus Stroman is expected to fill in for Gil, while Will Warren and Carlos "Cookie" Carrasco figure to be potential replacements if Cole is unable to go in any capacity. 

The 34-year-old Cole is coming off a 2024 campaign that saw him pitch to a 3.41 ERA over 17 starts – one year after leading the league with a 2.63 ERA and 209 innings over 33 starts to win his first Cy Young Award. 

But when the MLB postseason began, Cole was crucial in helping the Yankees reach the World Series, tossing 29.0 innings over five starts with a 2.17 ERA, 22 strikeouts to 10 walks and only seven earned runs allowed. 

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A tough injury blow occurred in New York Mets spring training, as starting catcher Francisco Alvarez will not be with the team on Opening Day and then some. 

Manager Carlos Mendoza revealed to reporters on Sunday that the 23-year-old catcher will undergo surgery to repair a broken left hamate bone (hand), which will force him to miss six to eight weeks. 

Alvarez, once the team’s top prospect in the minors, is someone with high expectations heading into the 2025 season, but it isn’t starting the way he and the organization would like. 

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"It’s always tough when one of your guys goes down like that," Mendoza said about Alvarez. "But again, you’ve got to keep going. Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us. Everybody deals with injuries. We’ll get him back."

Mendoza added the surgery, which was required after injuring the hamate bone during live at-bats on Saturday, will occur on Monday.

The hamate bone is an interesting injury for baseball players because it can cause a dip in power at the plate, something that Alvarez is gifted with. The Mets wanted to see more than 11 homers from him in 2024 after mashing 25 in 2023, but he’s proven he can send it a long way when he barrels it up. 

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Whether this injury will diminish that power remains to be seen. 

Alvarez is also a very good defensive catcher, possessing a rocket for an arm and good framing skills. Obviously, the left hand being his catching hand, strong rehab will be needed to make sure he can sustain high velocities coming in with each pitch. 

In the meantime, Mendoza and the Mets will have to lean on Alvarez’s backup, Luis Torrens, a veteran considered a defense-first man behind the dish.

Torrens was with the Mets in 2024 after being traded from the Seattle Mariners to Queens. He hit .229/.292/.373 with a .665 OPS with just three homers and 15 RBI over 47 games. 

This isn’t the first big blow to the Mets’ roster before Opening Day, as starting pitching has taken a hit. 

Sean Manaea, whose solid 2024 campaign led to a three-year deal to re-sign with the Mets, strained an oblique and won’t be ready for the beginning of the regular season. 

Also, Frankie Montas, a free agent signee expected to provide good depth in the rotation, strained his right lat, and is out six to eight weeks as well. That injury occurred on Feb. 17. 

Finally, Nick Madrigal, the utilityman the Mets brought in to provide versatility for Mendoza’s lineups, will miss the entire 2025 season after dislocating and fracturing his left shoulder. 

This is certainly not the injury news the Mets wanted to see, but they can certainly weather the storm after doing so in 2024. Their battle in the second half led to a magical postseason berth and run that ended in the NLCS at the hands of the eventual World Series-champion Los Angeles Dodgers. 

But New York, of course, won the historic bidding war for Juan Soto’s services this offseason, inking him to a 15-year, $765 million deal, which is an MLB record. 

Soto was added to a lineup that consists of star shortstop Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, Mark Viento and Pete Alonso, who eventually re-signed with New York. 

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Arsenal already needed a miracle to catch Liverpool atop the Premier League table, and a draw at Man United on Sunday did little to improve their odds.

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice struck in the second half to cancel out Bruno Fernandes's free kick but Mikel Arteta's men could only muster a 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Sunday in a big blow to their Premier League title chances.

Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr scored in the first half to give Real Madrid an easy 2-1 win over neighbours Rayo Vallecano on Sunday that helped them draw level at the top of the table in the battle to retain their LaLiga crown.

The Premier League will again stage a four-team Summer Series across three cities in the United States from July 26 to Aug. 3, featuring AFC Bournemouth, Everton, Manchester United and West Ham.

Carlo Ancelotti defended Real Madrid's performance in their 2-1 LaLiga win over Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, pointing to the struggles of a number of teams balancing Champions League football with domestic duties.