Carita Cole, Brett Barry, Kayla Beaver, Davon DeMoss and Tarius Johnson are scheduled for induction into the Jackson-Madison County Sports Hall of Fame, when the 40th annual event is held at 6 p.m., Thursday, April 16, 2026 at the Carl Perkins Civic Center.
Terry Smith will be the recipient of the 2026 Billy Schrivner Distinguished Service Award.
Golden Media Group visited with Carita Cole for a Question & Answer session about her induction.
Question: First, a little background information – family, education, career?
Answer: I am the only child to my mother Janice Roberts and father Bobby Cole Jr., and I graduated from North Side High School.
I graduated from Western Kentucky University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Broadcast Advertising, and I have been working at West Tennessee Legal Services for the past 10 years. I am the Housing Outreach and Communications Specialist.
Question: What were your thoughts when you first learned you had been selected for induction into the 2026 Jackson-Madison County Sports Hall of Fame?
Answer: I was completely overwhelmed with gratitude. It was a proud and emotional moment that celebrated years of hard work and dedication.
Question: You enjoyed a career in track and field. When did you realize running was your calling?
Answer: When I was just five-years-old, I discovered my love for running. I would race everyone on the playground so much that my kindergarten teacher told my mom “Do you know how fast your daughter can run?” I even outran the third-grade boys. Looking back, that’s when I realized I had found my purpose.
Question: You were recruited by a number of Division I schools including Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and the University of Iowa, but decided to sign with the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. What was the recruiting experience like and why did you select Chattanooga?
Answer: The recruiting journey was both exciting and challenging. No one in my family had any experience with this process, so I leaned a lot on my Coach. I was recruited by a lot of Division 1 schools after my performances at the Junior Olympics, but a lot of them were too far from home.
My family didn’t have the money to send me to college, so I needed a full scholarship, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga was the closest and I liked the program with Coach Gautier.
Question: You continued your career at Western Kentucky University. What attracted you to WKU?
Answer: I wanted to challenge myself and compete in a larger conference. When I decided to transfer, I visited and received offers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, MTSU, Vanderbilt, and Western Kentucky. I decided on Western Kentucky because it felt like home.
They were in a larger conference and had a strong competition schedule. I felt like they would give me the opportunities to achieve my athletic and academic goals.
Question: Your accomplishments overall are numerous. Can you think of a few that standout?
Answer: Yes, my most memorable would be qualifying for the State Championship. Back then, only two runners from each region across the State of Tennessee could qualify for the State Championship. North Side was Division 3A, so the competition was very elite.
My next most memorable moment would be when I won my first Indoor 55m dash Sunbelt Conference Championship. I went in as the underdog and nobody was expecting me to win.
Question: Would you give us an idea of what you will speak about when you are inducted into the Hall of Fame?
Answer: I will be reflecting on my love for the sport and how it has shaped my character as a person. Most importantly, I will be recognizing those who supported me along the way because I did not run this race alone.
