Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas
When the subject of MAIS sports comes up, particularly in class AA, there are schools that dominate the discussion in each of the big three. In football it would be hard not to mention Centreville, in baseball Central Private and basketball there’s Brookhaven. While all three schools have supplemented their respective trophy cases with tons of hardware over the past decade or so none have matched what the girls’ track program at Silliman has accomplished. This past Saturday the Lady Wildcats, under the direction of Coach Sharon Kline, won their 8th consecutive state crown and 10th championship in the past 12 years. 
On the Silliman campus in Clinton, Louisiana one would only need to walk inside the Wildcat gymnasium and observe the many banners hanging on the walls. Most of them are a result of the success of the girls’ track program. Every January track season begins for those girls not participating in basketball. Coach Kline will have the girls in the weight room working out while doing multiple screening tests to decide who her throwers, jumpers and sprinters will be. An effort is made to get as many 7th graders as possible into the program and even 6th graders for cross country. “Cross country teaches much more than running,” said Kline. “It builds character and discipline and if taught at an early age it is carried with them throughout life.”
Kline’s girls work extremely hard and it has puzzled many track coaches as to how the Silliman coach can get so much work out of her girls. “A track program benefits all programs,” said Kline. “It not only keeps you in shape but it helps with quickness, endurance and helps increase work ethic.”
Over the past twelve years there have been many great accomplishments for Kline and the Silliman program but one group stands out for the track coach. A group of 7th graders that began participating in track in 2003 would eventually be known as “The Dream Team” on campus. “In 2003 I was blessed with a group of 7th graders that made coaching track a pure delight. Most of them continued until their senior year and they would win six state titles.” The influence of the “Dream Team” was such an impression on the younger students that there was a huge response in participation for several years. Kline’s current freshman class reminds her of the “Dream Team” as was evident this past Saturday at the state meet. Of the ten girls that participated half were freshmen.
Several of Kline’s girls have had opportunities to compete at the college level. Most notably Camille Bryan, who set the overall state record in the shot-put, competes for LSU and Katelin Palermo who recently was a heptathlete for LSU. Kameryn Kline and Taylor Tynes received many offers but both decided to end their running careers and focus on school. “If you were to ask any girl that has ever run for Coach Kline they will tell you she is one of the toughest, but one of the most fun,” said former Lady Wildcat Taylor Tynes. “Each member of the team has an individual workout every practice and every practice is different. This year Coach Kline has done it all without even having a track for the team to practice on.”
So move over Centreville, Central Private and Brookhaven…….the girls from Silliman are at the head of the table.
The starting block with Silliman girls track coach Sharon Kline
*How does the future of the girl’s track and field program look at Silliman?
“The future for our track program still looks pretty good. We are only losing one senior.”
*What has been the highest and lowest point in your coaching career at Silliman with regards to track and field competition?
“The highest was when “The Dream Team” broke the 4 x 100 relay record that was originally set in 1977. They did it as seniors and finally had good weather conditions to do it at the state meet.”
“The lowest was back in 2002 when we got 2nd in the state meet only because our senior 300 m hurdler was DQ because she jumped the gun. I hated this for her because she went in seeded as number 1. I fought this rule for about 5 years and they finally changed it about 2 years ago. They even get a second chance in the Olympics and I think high school runners need this especially after working for an entire season.”
*What is critical in winning a state championship at the team level?
“Another reason I think we have some success is that I try my hardest to make them understand that a 6th place finish is extremely important at the state level. Some would not want to participate if they thought they were doing all of this work for a 4th or 5th place finish. We only had 2 first place finishes this year at the state track meet. But at this level it is more of a team sport then an individual sport. Our team finally sees how important it is to get as many points as possible and to get as many as we can to that level.”
*What one thing would you like for people to know about MAIS track and field?
“I truly love this sport – from January to May it consumes my life. My children are all grown now and each year that I think I’m going to retire I get attached to another group. I don’t know how many more years I can keep going but it has definitely been a pleasure.”
On the Silliman campus in Clinton, Louisiana one would only need to walk inside the Wildcat gymnasium and observe the many banners hanging on the walls. Most of them are a result of the success of the girls’ track program. Every January track season begins for those girls not participating in basketball. Coach Kline will have the girls in the weight room working out while doing multiple screening tests to decide who her throwers, jumpers and sprinters will be. An effort is made to get as many 7th graders as possible into the program and even 6th graders for cross country. “Cross country teaches much more than running,” said Kline. “It builds character and discipline and if taught at an early age it is carried with them throughout life.”Kline’s girls work extremely hard and it has puzzled many track coaches as to how the Silliman coach can get so much work out of her girls. “A track program benefits all programs,” said Kline. “It not only keeps you in shape but it helps with quickness, endurance and helps increase work ethic.”
Over the past twelve years there have been many great accomplishments for Kline and the Silliman program but one group stands out for the track coach. A group of 7th graders that began participating in track in 2003 would eventually be known as “The Dream Team” on campus. “In 2003 I was blessed with a group of 7th graders that made coaching track a pure delight. Most of them continued until their senior year and they would win six state titles.” The influence of the “Dream Team” was such an impression on the younger students that there was a huge response in participation for several years. Kline’s current freshman class reminds her of the “Dream Team” as was evident this past Saturday at the state meet. Of the ten girls that participated half were freshmen.
Several of Kline’s girls have had opportunities to compete at the college level. Most notably Camille Bryan, who set the overall state record in the shot-put, competes for LSU and Katelin Palermo who recently was a heptathlete for LSU. Kameryn Kline and Taylor Tynes received many offers but both decided to end their running careers and focus on school. “If you were to ask any girl that has ever run for Coach Kline they will tell you she is one of the toughest, but one of the most fun,” said former Lady Wildcat Taylor Tynes. “Each member of the team has an individual workout every practice and every practice is different. This year Coach Kline has done it all without even having a track for the team to practice on.”
So move over Centreville, Central Private and Brookhaven…….the girls from Silliman are at the head of the table.
The starting block with Silliman girls track coach Sharon Kline
*How does the future of the girl’s track and field program look at Silliman?
“The future for our track program still looks pretty good. We are only losing one senior.”
*What has been the highest and lowest point in your coaching career at Silliman with regards to track and field competition?
“The highest was when “The Dream Team” broke the 4 x 100 relay record that was originally set in 1977. They did it as seniors and finally had good weather conditions to do it at the state meet.”
“The lowest was back in 2002 when we got 2nd in the state meet only because our senior 300 m hurdler was DQ because she jumped the gun. I hated this for her because she went in seeded as number 1. I fought this rule for about 5 years and they finally changed it about 2 years ago. They even get a second chance in the Olympics and I think high school runners need this especially after working for an entire season.”
*What is critical in winning a state championship at the team level?
“Another reason I think we have some success is that I try my hardest to make them understand that a 6th place finish is extremely important at the state level. Some would not want to participate if they thought they were doing all of this work for a 4th or 5th place finish. We only had 2 first place finishes this year at the state track meet. But at this level it is more of a team sport then an individual sport. Our team finally sees how important it is to get as many points as possible and to get as many as we can to that level.”
*What one thing would you like for people to know about MAIS track and field?
“I truly love this sport – from January to May it consumes my life. My children are all grown now and each year that I think I’m going to retire I get attached to another group. I don’t know how many more years I can keep going but it has definitely been a pleasure.”
