Durham Striders Youth Association
The Durham Striders Youth Association integrates multiple aspects of wellness, academic reinforcement, citizenship training and family fitness to improve the overall health and productivity of the youth in our community.
The Striders recently celebrated the end of the outdoor track season, and there was plenty of hardware on display that the team earned at the 2026 Blunt East Coast Invitational, including:
Age Group Champion Awards for boys 8, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16; girls 15-16; and both mens and womens 17-18. The Striders were the meet’s Overall Male Team Champion, the Overall Female Team Runner-up, and the Overall Team Champion. Congratulations!
Cotton Named NC Gatorade AOY
At this year’s N.C. High School Athletic Association 4A outdoor track and field state championships, D’Anna Cotton of Cummings won the girls long jump, triple jump, 100-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles. She led the Cavaliers to a team state championship and excelled in every event she participated in while winning MVP of the meet.
And now, she’s the first Gatorade North Carolina Girls Track and Field Player of the Year from Cummings since DeAnne Davis won in 1994.
Read more about Cotton’s award win.
Here’s more about D’Anna’s stellar high school career from a profile in the Alamance News.
Cotton, Hunter on Podium
Two athletes represented The Durham Striders on the podium at the 2026 Nike Outdoor Nationals and USATF U20 Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
D’Anna Cotton won the U20 Triple Jump and also placed 3rd in the Nike Outdoor Nationals
Chase Hunter placed 2nd at the Nike Outdoor Nationals with a PR of 2.20m.
D’Anna will return to Eugene to represent USA at the U20 World Championships, August 5-9.
NCHSAA Honors Davis, Cotton
We are incredibly proud to celebrate the outstanding educators and leaders who were recognized at this year’s NCHSAA Awards for their unmatched dedication to student-athletes.
Donald Davis of Cummings High School was honored with the prestigious Harvey Reid Male Coach of the Year Award, adding another milestone to one of the most accomplished coaching careers in North Carolina history. Coach Davis guided the Cavaliers’ women’s indoor and outdoor track and field programs to state championships during the 2025-26 school year, elevating his career total to 24 team state championships. His true legacy is defined by his deep commitment to education, leadership, and the personal growth of generations of student-athletes.
Adding to the celebration for Cummings High School, D’Anna Cotton was also recognized at the awards for her phenomenal achievement as a twenty four-time Track and Field State Champion.
College Commitments
Congratulations to D’Anna Cotton, Chase Hunter, Diamond Moore, Dylan Watkins, and Aleah Weight for the commitments to the University of South Carolina, Duke, Jacksonville State, and Belmont Abbey. The Striders will be cheering for you!
