Keeva Linton

The Extra Gear: Track Star Justin Ducote keeps his foot on the gas to secure the gold.

Coming off an impressive season that resulted in an unfortunate, yet impressive 2nd place finish at State, Coach Bryce Doe and the Dubs track squad look to rebound through capturing NAHS’ first State championship in our history. With some seniors leaving the program last season, the staff are looking for some standouts this season to continue our immense success. The head of the personnel change of the North Atlanta team is superstar athlete Justin Ducote, a junior who has turned heads with his track abilities since his freshman year. Justin’s talents have not gone unnoticed, and Doe and the rest of the roster look to Justin as one of the new leaders of the team for the next two years. 

Along with his sheer raw talent, Justin also has a gene of adversity that so many aspiring athletes lack which makes him such an attractive target for the next level. Despite two severe ankle injuries in both his Freshman and Sophomore years, as well as a couple of knocks that would lead some to the sidelines, Justin would work incredibly hard to come back into form. With months of rehab and hard work, including immense methods of recovery, he’d bounce back better than ever and soar to heights that one couldn’t even imagine coming off the gruesome injuries he faced. In fact, Justin’s game elevated following the hardships, showing his diligent character. His teammates have definitely taken notice, admiring Justin’s work rate from afar. “It seems like he’s on the track 24/7,” said junior teammate David Hughes, “The work he’s put in day in and day out is astonishing and he’s got a bright future ahead of him”. 

As a newfound leader, Justin expects nothing short of greatness within his next two years at North Atlanta. For one, he expects the team’s incredible success under the management of Coach Doe to continue, hoping to win two more regional titles in a row and extending the streak to a whopping ten. However, the expectations don’t end there with Justin, as he only expects the ultimate goal: State title. This would make history for the Dubs, as we would be collecting our first ever championship at the state level. Considering Justin would be an obvious main contributor to this feat, it means such a big deal for him if the squad can pull off what was once deemed the impossible. “If we can win the State, I’d go crazy,” said Ducote, “I don’t even know if I could contain my excitement and relief.” 

With his eyes set on a Power 5 college and the goals of the staff to get him there, the entire track program looks to fulfill the expectations Ducote has in place for the next two upcoming seasons. Conditioning has already begun, and we all are looking forward to historical performances the team can produce on the track. For Justin and the squad, the start of the season in February cannot be slow, and everyone, especially Justin, is aiming to impress and exceed standards.