Smyrna's Aaliyah Turpin prepares for DIAA Indoor Track and Field Championships The senior is the state's leader in the 55-meter hurdles, 55 dash and 200. As Aaliyah Turpin finds the right grooves in which to set her blocks for one of the final hurdles runs in a recent workout, coach Montez Collins shouts out a reminder. "Treat the first hurdle like it's not even there," he says. Getting over the first hurdle – set 13 meters from the starting line – has been a mental challenge for Turpin since she started hurdling four years ago as a freshman at Smyrna. But it's something she has been able to increasingly overcome. Turpin on Dec. 29 broke the state record in the 55-meter hurdles, winning the...
