Northside junior track athlete Kha’Madri Goodwin displays versatility, willingness

If there’s something that Kha’Madri Goodwin enjoys about competing on the Northside track team, it would have to be her versatility.

“I have done a little of everything,” Goodwin said. “I’ve been a part of every relay you can think of, and I used to do both long jump and high jump. My freshman year, I did the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, 4×100 relay, 4×200 relay and then I was on the varsity 4×400 relay team.”

Goodwin, now a junior for the Lady Bears, added she is still basically competing in those same events. Goodwin, especially this season, also wanted to display her versatile skills by utilizing more of a team-first approach.

“I would say one of my strengths is how ‘for the team’ I am,” she said. “Need someone to run half a mile? I’ll do it as long as it will benefit my team. Need someone to join a relay? I’ll do that too, as long as it’s for my team.”

Goodwin’s 400 and 800-meter relay squads recently qualified for the Class 6A state meet with their showing at the 6A-West Conference meet at Springdale. She and her relay teammates will get the chance to compete at state, set for May 7 at Jonesboro.

“I think i did well,” Goodwin said. “I could’ve pushed a little harder, but we qualified so that’s all that matters. This current season has been going well. It can always be a little better, but I can’t complain.”

It might be fitting Goodwin qualified for state with her relay teammates. Going into her junior season, Goodwin made it a priority to be more team-oriented than doing things from an individual standpoint.

“I felt like I needed to be willing to do more things for not just myself but the benefit of my team,” she said. “The past seasons, I wasn’t really too focused on what the others had going on and I really didn’t care for anyone but myself. I would run my events then leave, which was slowly disconnecting my relationship with my teammates. I went through something and somewhere down the line, I needed my people and I promised myself I would become more active in my sport. Now, I am willing to do anything as long as it is beneficial towards my team. I definitely feel like I accomplished my goal.”

The guidance of her coach, Kelsey Edwards, also helped steer Goodwin in the right direction.

“During my sophomore season, I was nearly kicked off the team because I just wasn’t present in every aspect of my life and it showed in my performance,” Goodwin said. “I was convinced I was done with track, but Coach encouraged me to regain focus and continue with my sport. Coach Edwards is a really joyous person; he’s always smiling and even on my worst days, I can’t be too sad around him. I’ve never been forced to an event because he really understands sometimes I just can’t do it. He’s a really good person to go when you need advice or words of encouragement.”

By participating in track, Goodwin is continuing a family tradition in the sport.

“My mom started running track in the third grade and continued until high school,” Goodwin said. “She was on a travel team and had three (college) offers before she got pregnant with me. I had two older cousins who also influenced my curiosity about track as well. So the love has always been there.”

Goodwin, who also competes on the Northside volleyball squad, has at least a 3.3 grade-point average. She is in a certified nursing assistant program at the Peak Innovation Center.

She has achieved one major goal in her comeback junior track season at Northside by qualifying for state. Going into her senior season, Goodwin wants to continue that momentum.

“The only goals I have left for myself is to continue to show up and give it all I got at all times,” Goodwin said. “I understand that my efforts aren’t ignored.”