TOLEDO, Ohio — At the age of four, Azurie Garrett entered the athletic world through competitive cheer, a sport she flourished in as an All-Star for a decade.
Unbecoming to her, she now stars on a new stage.
In junior high, she decided to join Whitmer's track and field program. Hurdles quickly became the calling card and on May 10, Garrett's presence led to a momentous victory.
"It was very exciting, we didn't think we won at first," she said.
By a very slim margin, the Panthers edged out Perrysburg to win the girls Northern Lakes League Championship held at Clay High School. Whitmer joined the NLL this school year and has now earned back-to-back titles after winning the Three Rivers Athletic Conference meet in 2023.
Garrett played a pivotal role, taking first place in the 100-meter hurdles (15.47 seconds) and 300-meter hurdles (44.88 seconds).
"She had a great day and we needed every single point," head coach Eric Browning said. "Perrysburg was just a point and a half behind, so it was a total team effort led by her."
Garrett's performance isn't a surprise to many. Last year at the OHSAA State Meet, she finished third in the 300-meter hurdles as a sophomore. Yet, she continues to be impressed by her path from cheerleader to All-Ohio speedster.
"It's been really shocking," Garrett said. "I came from a different sport straight to this and didn't know I was going to be this good, so it's really rewarding."
Athleticism and determination have paved a path toward greatness that the program has rarely seen.
"There has to be the first Azurie in order for everyone else to act like her," Browning said. "So, we had to have the first special one and it was her."
Her impact can be seen quite literally on the record board along the food stand at Whitmer Memorial Field. Garrett holds two school marks (100-meter: 14.75 seconds and 300-meter: 43.81 seconds) and sits on the verge of more with her relay teams.
In fact, she's stood up to the task of running the 300-meter hurdles quickly followed by the 4 by 400-meter relay during competitions. It's a difficult transition that helps with endurance.
"It's really tough. Mentally, I go into a mode of being focused about it because I've done it before," Garrett said. "I can do it this time and remind myself a lot that I can do it."
On top of personally excelling at a level most cannot, she has also proven to set the standard as a teammate.
"This is a team I'll tell stories about in the future saying 'you;ve got to practice like this team practiced,'" Browning said. "It was because Azurie was leading the practices."
With track and field now in the postseason, Garrett continues her quest of returning to the sport's mecca and positioning herself at another shot at gold. Her rising success has also allowed her to begin thinking about a future in collegiate athletics.
"Doing it in college for sure," Garrett said. "Finishing top two at states this year and just going for a higher status now."
Azurie Garrett is WTOL 11's Athlete of the Week.