Honor Kevon: Support the Kevon Carter Memorial Scholarship

Kevon Carter, Valley Stream Central High School class of 2008, tragically passed away on June 2nd, 2024 at the age of 33.

As per his family’s wishes, The Kevon Carter Memorial Scholarship will be presented annually to a dedicated Valley Stream Central HS Cross Country/Track athlete who best exemplifies the grit and determination shown by Kevon while training, day in and day out, in a sport that demands commitment. The recipient will have proven to be a positive presence, a leader, and demonstrated the ideals of sportsmanship that Kevon held so dear.

Kevon and I were as close as a coach and athlete could be. I was Kevon’s Cross Country and Track Coach, throughout his years at Valley Stream Central High School. Personally, I had known Kevon since he was a tiny, basketball loving 7th grader in my Physical Education class at Memorial Junior High School. He was always full of energy and even at a young age had a smile that was infectious. He had a positive personality that just radiated through anyone around him. He raised people’s spirits. He was good looking and popular, yet always remained inclusive of all his peers.

As an athlete, Kevon was a natural. We spent a lot of time together, quality time. 4 years - 3 seasons per year, he was the easiest kid I’ve ever coached. He could run like a gazelle. He had a stride in which coaches dream and a competitive nature to match. Don’t get me wrong, Kevon was the sweetest, most fun-loving kid, but when it was time to train and compete…he was a lion. You did not want to get in his way on the Cross Country course nor on the Track. He’d run you over in order to achieve his goals.

His ultimate goal? To win….and he did it a lot. Kevon was the most decorated distance runner in the history of Valley Stream Central. Some of his accomplishments, besides the barrage of Central MVP Awards and Captainships he received were:

In Winter Track: He was All-Conference in 2007 and 2008. He was also All-County in 2007 and 2008.

In Spring Track: He was All-Division in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. He was All-Conference in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. He was All-County in 2006, 2007, and 2008.

In Cross Country: He was All-Division in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007. He was All-Conference in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007. He was All-County in 2005, 2006, and 2007…..AND he was ALL-STATE in 2006 and 2007.

In 2006 he earned the Section VIII “Most Improved Runner Award” and in 2007 he was honored with the prestigious “New York State Sportsmanship Award”.

Valley Stream Central was an absolute juggernaut in the mid 2000’s. We won back-to-back Nassau County Championships and a Long Island Championship. Central still holds the record for points scored in a Nassau County Championship. Many coaches feel, the 2007-2008 Spring Track Team was the greatest team in the history of Nassau County Track. We were balanced. We had plenty of throwers, sprinters, and jumpers….and Kevon held down the distance squad.

Kevon made distance running cool. His peers looked up to him and many followed in his footsteps and decided to tackle the mid-distance and distance events. He would routinely triple, running the 2-mile, the mile and the 4 X 800 relay. It’s a very tough triple, but Kevon never shied from a challenge. Kevon was a paradox as an athlete. He suffered from debilitating asthma but refused to ever use it as an excuse. We would often sit at the finish line together after a race and regulate his breathing. I can recall one time seeing Kevon suffering so badly on the track at a Saturday Invitational. Thinking in his best interest, I stepped on the Track and forced him off. He never forgave me, although I still think it was the right thing to do.

That was his competitive nature. I recall the NY State Championships when I couldn’t attend due to my pregnant wife’s due date. I felt terrible sending him to the University of Buffalo with Section VIII’s qualifying athletes and selected coaches, but obviously we all have priorities. I can recall Kevon’s parting shot to me, “No worries, Coach. I got this.” Got this he did, as he came within a second of the school record while posting a mile time of 4:18.7 and finishing in 7th place of all of NY State. He called me minutes after crossing the finish line, while I was in the hospital with my wife and newborn son.

Kevon went on to run at Morgan State University, a school he loved. We stayed close later in life as Kevon would routinely send me screenshots of his workouts and even selfie videos of him running in snow, rain, and extreme heat. Whether dripping in sweat or covered in snow, he’d always give me an exuberant “Let’s Gooo!”

The kid loved life. He loved his family. He loved his friends, his teammates, his fraternity brothers, and his co-workers….and we all loved him back. To quote my own speech while handing him the Valley Stream Central Cross Country MVP Award his senior year, “The highest compliment I can give someone is that I’d be lucky and honored for my own sons to become as well-rounded and goal driven as Kevon.”

Rest peacefully, my friend.