For Lakewood High School senior Tilyn Monk, the tears that fell one year ago at the NCHSAA state championships have now transformed into triumph.
Inside the track and field complex at North Carolina A&T State University Wednesday, Monk stood atop the podium as the 2A state champion in the high jump, while also earning a runner-up finish in the long jump. The accomplishment marked a defining moment for one of Sampson County’s most electrifying young athletes — a competitor who refused to allow setbacks, injuries or disappointment to define him.
Instead, they fueled him.
“It felt oh so great,” Monk reflected while discussing finally reaching the mountaintop Friday morning. “Last year, I was crying. I was in my feelings. I think I placed like sixth in high jump and even worse in long jump. It was bad. But I told myself I would be back, and I remembered that.”
That promise became the foundation of his season.
Monk explained that after battling injuries and frustration earlier in his career, he entered the spring season with a different mindset and a renewed confidence in his abilities.
“I just knew once I got healthy and got over all the battles and stuff, that it was up,” Monk said. “Once the warm weather came, I knew I was ready.”
One of the pivotal moments in his growth came far away from Sampson County, on the national stage at Adidas Nationals back in April. Competing against elite athletes from across the country, Monk placed fifth nationally, an experience he believes completely changed his confidence level entering the state championship meet.
“When you go to bigger meets like that, coming into states, it kind of feels the same,” Monk explained. “You’ve already been there before multiple times. Your confidence is up. You’re not really too worried about the crowd anymore. You’re just there to compete like you would back home at Lakewood.”
That composure became critical during the chaotic rhythm of the state championships, where Monk constantly rotated between the high jump and long jump events.
The balancing act tested both his conditioning and his focus.
“It was definitely challenging,” Monk admitted. “As soon as I cleared 6 foot 4 inches, I was trying to put my head down and catch my breath, and they were calling me back to long jump. I had to sprint all the way across the field, go down the runway and jump. I only had like 45 seconds left at one point.”
Despite the physical toll, Monk thrived under pressure.
After posting a 21-foot, 3-inch jump in the long jump to secure state runner-up honors, he turned his full attention toward the high jump competition. There, Monk began settling into the calm, locked-in mental state that has become part of his identity as an athlete.
“I didn’t really do nothing spectacular warming up,” he recalled. “I was just focused on getting over the bar.”
As the competition progressed, Monk noticed several competitors failing to clear heights he once believed separated them from him. Instead of intimidation, it gave him confidence.
“When I seen a couple people that I knew were better than me before start failing on lower heights, it was a confidence booster,” Monk said. “When I cleared 6 foot 4 inches, nobody else was over there with me. Everybody else was around 6 foot.”
Then came the realization — the state title belonged to him.
For Monk, one of the most remarkable parts of his evolution as an athlete has been learning how to silence everything around him when competition begins.
Thousands of fans may be clapping and cheering, but once he starts down the runway, the noise disappears.
“When I’m running down the runway, I don’t hear all the noise for real,” Monk explained. “Now, I just like to look at the bar, go in with a nice, speedy approach and just jump.”
That tunnel vision has helped Monk emerge as one of the state’s premier jumpers, but he believes he is only scratching the surface of his potential.
Even while celebrating a state championship, Monk remained focused on what comes next.
The Lakewood standout revealed that he is considering eventually competing as a decathlete while also weighing whether he wants to specialize in two jumping events at the collegiate level.
College interest has already started building rapidly.
Monk noted that representatives of Louisburg College attended the state championships to watch him compete, while schools such as Fayetteville State University and Livingstone College have also shown interest following his championship performance.
His long-term aspirations stretch even further.
“If I can get up to like 24 feet in long jump and get stronger in triple jump, I could go somewhere like UNC-Wilmington or ECU,” Monk said. “I just got to maintain a solid GPA.”
That balance between athletics and academics has become increasingly important to Monk as recruiting attention grows.
Coming into his senior year, Monk acknowledged his need to elevate his classroom performance to match his athletic ambitions. After earning all A’s except for a 75 in English during one grading period, Monk responded by raising the grade to a 93 while eventually earning Principal’s List honors.
“I said ‘We can’t do that again’,” Monk recalled telling himself. “It definitely motivates me more because student comes first in student-athlete.”
While Monk’s accomplishments on the track continue to gain statewide recognition, he made it clear that his journey has never been an individual effort.
He credited his parents, teammates, friends and coaches for helping him navigate the highs and lows throughout his career.
“My mom, she’s like my coach, too,” Monk said. “My dad’s been really proud of me recently. My friends always tell me to make it out and go to the Olympics. Coach Hulen has helped keep me on the right path too.”
Monk also shared how meaningful it has been receiving encouragement from coaches and athletes across North Carolina, many of whom he had never met before this season.
“It’s stuff that I used to dream about in class,” Monk said. “I would just put my head down and daydream about it. It feels like this is the start of something big.”
And perhaps the biggest dream of all still burns brightly within him.
Months ago, Monk openly discussed his goal of becoming an Olympian. Now, after climbing to the top of North Carolina’s 2A classification, that dream no longer feels distant.
It feels possible.
“One day, I do picture myself being a famous Olympian,” Monk said. “I can’t lie.” With this milestone under his belt, who knows how far or high the Lakewood Leopard can leap.