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Malden High 9th grader hauls in GBL MVP & first-ever All-Scholastic honor for first-year runner
By Manny Perez
Blue & Gold
MHS Student Newspaper
What is speed? Lightning McQueen — Disney’s most famous stock car — would call himself the literal word “speed” for his infamous cartoon racing abilities. However, for Malden High, there’s a new sprinter who can claim the title, one with such eye-opening times — bringing the word from cartoons into real life. And she’s only a freshman.
Meet Khadijah Diagne, the #1-ranked indoor track 300-meter sprinter (38.25 seconds) in the state, placing her 16th nationally, as well as holding the school record for Malden High, in not just the 300, but the 55-meter dash as well (7.08 seconds). Just last month she reached even more remarkable heights, finishing in second place — NATIONALLY — with a 24.1 seconds finish in the 200-meter dash in the New Balance National held at The Track in Brighton on March 25. In addition to shattering school records in just her first year of competitive track, Diagne has also received some prestigious postseason honors, having recently been named Greater Boston League All-Star and Most Valuable Player (MVP).
Her biggest individual postseason honor has been another first. Malden High School Athletic Director Charlie Conefrey recently informed Diagne she has been selected a Boston Herald All-Scholastic. She is believed to be the first-ever Golden Tornado 9th grader to receive this honor.
Diagne has always known she was fast. It’s not just the simple, “get up and go” speed, but the true step-for-step speed where the opponent is simply left behind. At the Division 2 MIAA state championship, she ran a staggering 3.31 seconds faster than the second-place finisher, who was a senior.
Malden High Senior Captain Yunus Yousfi said Diagne has “the talent of a professional sprinter,” noting that since the start of the season, everyone could tell she was “different.”
Diagne is no stranger to athletics; she was a soccer player her whole life, and it was not until her mother — a former standout high school runner herself — encouraged her to try track, that she finally realized her full potential. “My mom heavily influenced me, as she ran herself,” Diagne claimed.
Her adaptability and leadership are what stand out the most. Her willingness to try something new and expand her array of talents is what makes her such a strong athlete. “She has a great work ethic, and she adapted quickly to the track team,” Yousfi added.
“I want people to always try out something new because you never really know how great you could be,” Diagne proclaimed.
Adaptation is what got her this far and is what will continue to take her further into the future, aiming to make her an even better athlete.
In anticipation of the upcoming outdoor track season — which will also be her first-ever — her training has only intensified. In addition to Malden High Track, Diagne also runs for the Metro-Cobras Track Club, which, Diagne said, “has allowed me to work on various aspects of racing that wouldn’t be possible by just working in Malden.”
Her goals for this outdoor season are to “claim the school record in the 100, 200, and 400 meters, to make States, and Nationals.”
As for the “years to come” future, it’s very bright. Being so highly ranked already, offers from colleges will eventually start to roll in. “I’m hoping to get a scholarship to college with track and in the future, eventually go professional,” Diagne shared.
“As a teammate, I am happy for her growth and am excited to see where she ends up,” Yousfi concluded.
The entirety of Malden is saluting this generational talent, hoping to see her go far. It seems only a matter of time until her name is a national headline.
