Smyrna's Aaliyah Turpin has come into her own in time for sublime senior year

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...