MCKENNA HOOD

TALHLEQUAH HIGH SCHOOL

“All In the Family” was a TV sitcom of the 1970’s. But it could also apply to the life of Tahlequah senior McKenna Hood. Her mom and brother were both standout runners at THS and she is one of eight cousins that run. She’s had her share of success in track and cross country as well by medaling six times at state during her time as a Tiger Including a first-place finish as part of the 4X800 relay team her freshman year. But her story is about more than success on the track. It’s about dedication, persistence and leadership.

McKenna has battled health issues off and on during her time at Tahlequah but that has not affected her dedication to track. In addition to her school track, McKenna is also a member of Thunder Road Running club out of Texas.

“We get together on zoom every week and talk track and delve into a lot of discussions about the mechanics and the science of the sport,” said McKenna. 

She is a member of many school clubs while maintaining a 4.54 GPA putting her in the top three percent of her class. But leadership might be her biggest contribution to Tahlequah’s track program.

“My first couple of years in high school we had a lot of talent on the track team but didn’t have great chemistry. My junior year me and fellow co-captain Tori Pham took over the leadership of the team. I did a youth mentoring program that year and got to help our coaches with the middle school runners, so I had a bond with those girls when they got to high school. I’m 19 years old and a lot of them are just 14 or15 so I get a lot of “grandma” jokes,” laughed Hood. “But these girls also trust and respect me and Tori because of our experience and have bought into the program. As a result, I feel like we’ve changed the dynamic of the team, and these girls are now dropping times that you don’t normally see from freshmen.”

McKenna will run track and cross-country next year at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and hopes that the new dynamic she has helped create will continue on.