Only three street lights stood on Lilac Lane. Once the sky turned dark and lights flickered on, the neighborhood kids flocked to the street.

They started at the farthest light, waiting for someone to count them down. They would take their starting position and listen for someone to yell “go!”

As soon as the countdown ended, Devonte Tincher was already past the middle light on his way to the lilacs at the end of the street. A street-wide crack marked his first place finish every time.

And even though four years have passed since Tincher last ran his lilac sprint, he has continued to surpass his competitors, place first in races and break records along the way.

After years of racing down the street, his friend Eli Capers convinced him to join track.

“(Eli) graduated when I was in seventh grade,” Tincher said. “He was obviously older than me, so he always beat me in races. I always wanted to be faster than him, so I would train.”

Capers drilled Tincher in sprints and endurance until he finally felt ready to start track in the spring of his sixth grade year.

But Tincher quickly went from the fastest kid in his neighborhood to the slowest kid on the track. His teammates would pick on him, but nothing stopped him from running.

“It was an escape from home. It gave me joy and helped me clear my head,” he said. “I took all of (the teasing) and made myself train even harder. (Eventually), I became faster.”

Second place finishes in seventh and eighth grade followed his work ethic, but Tincher still wasn’t satisfied. The now-senior continued his track career into high school. Within the first few weeks of practice, head coach Chad Lakatos corrected his running form and assistant coach Carry Bailey taught him how to jump.

“There’s no solid point where I became good,” Tincher said. “It was a slow and long process. But my work ethic, combined with (the high school) training really brought me to the next level.”

Tincher plans every practice meticulously throughout his day. Once a week he participates in a lactic acid workout, running 23 second drills or 200-300-400 meter circuits to challenge his speed and endurance. During the other four practices he works on his specific events, like the triple jump. On those days he and his teammates also do core workouts and lift weights to build muscle.

Despite constant training his freshman year, Tincher still struggled with confidence.

“I wasn’t really confident to start off,” he said. “I was worried about marks and time splits and trying to impress the coaches. Track wasn’t as fun as it usually was for me.”

With the help of his coaches and teammates, he started to see improvements during his sophomore year.

“Not only have I seen a change in his physical abilities, but also to his positive and competitive attitude while competing,” senior short distance runner Darryl Harlan said of his teammate of four years. “Many athletes might shy away (from competition), but Devonte overcomes doubt and fear.”

Tincher faced one of his biggest fears on a chilly April morning in O’Fallon two years ago as he prepared himself for the triple jump–one of only a few varsity events he competed in his freshman year. Coach Bailey had spent weeks training him to break the freshman record and jump more than 40 feet.

“I wasn’t confident I could do it,” he said, “but this meet was different. I was excited and ready to go.”

His excitement pushed him over the edge that day; he jumped 41’7”, breaking the school record. He then broke his own record twice more, ending his freshman year with a 45’ 1” jump and kick starting the rest of his high school career as a track phenom.

Tincher has since broken 17 additional records, nine of which he still holds today. His success continued into his senior year after finishing his first 2017 track meet with two more record-breaking events—the long jump and 60-meter dash.

“It was amazing, honestly,” he said about the start of his senior season. “I feel like everything is clicking, and I’m performing very well. It was great to see all of the training start to pay off.”

Though high school isn’t over yet, Tincher committed to SIUE’s track team last November. While he plans on studying kinesiology or pre-med, he is also looking forward to joining former EHS track member Julian Harvey in practice.

“The great teammates and coach Pacione are really what sold me (on SIUE),” he said. “When I talked to coaches from other schools, all they really cared about were my marks and how good I could be. But head coach Block talked to me with respect. And (Harvey) is now second in the world, so the things the coach is doing obviously works.”

Despite his impending graduation, Tincher will leave as a role model for underclassmen and legacy for future track stars.

“Tincher has impacted me a ton,” sophomore Kenny Bond said. “He’s a really good leader with good knowledge on the sport. He’s always giving me tips on how to be the best I can be. I feel like he’s a great example to look up to.”

Meanwhile, the end of the year also means long-time teammates will have to part ways. But Tincher’s athletic impact will travel with them through college.

“Being a teammate and friend with Devonte has played a major role in the athlete I am today,” Harlan said. “We are able to push each other every day in practice, and that is what makes us better athletes. When I am on the track, I know I have a brother who is willing to put forth every ounce of effort he has.”