Olympic gold medalist Kaylyn Brown, a Mallard Creek alum, cheered by hometown crowd

Ranlo Mayor Lynn Black said he used to worry about Kaylyn Brown when he saw her running on the streets of the Gaston County town last winter.

“I worried about her safety,” Black said. “What if a dog attacked her?”

Black said he isn’t worried about that any more.

“After seeing Kaylyn in the Olympics, I know there isn’t a dog that could catch her,” he said.

Ranlo’s most famous citizen was the guest of honor Wednesday night at Caromont Health Park in Gastonia, as the family members, neighbors and friends gathered to celebrate Kaylyn Brown’s gold and silver medal winning efforts in the recent Paris Summer Olympics.

NBC’s broadcast crews identified Brown as a Charlottean during the Olympics, but she is really a hero of Charlotte and the eastern Gaston County town of Ranlo, where she grew up.

Brown will be honored Friday night at Mallard Creek High, where she ran track for three years. Wednesday night, Gaston County had its turn.

About 600 people waved small U.S. flags and cheered as Brown’s races — the 4x400 mixed-medley relay and the 4x400 women’s relay — were replayed on the center field scoreboard.

“This wasn’t the first time I’ve seen those races,” Brown said afterward. “I’ve watched them a few times. It was fun.”

A group of community leaders and people who coached Brown in youth track programs spoke during the event.

“At the ripe old age of 4, this jewel was on my team,” Sandra Nichols said, pointing at Brown.

Nichols was Brown’s first track coach, with the Sugar Creek Jaguars in Charlotte. Brown later ran with the Gastonia Eagles before arriving at Mallard Creek.

“She told me in middle school that she was going to the Olympics,” said Amy Daniel, who taught Brown and was her volleyball coach at Holbrook Middle School in Gaston County. “And I believed her.”

When Lori Lanuza heard that a celebration was being planned, she made sure to be there. After all, she’s a neighbor of the Brown family and knew Kaylyn from when she was 5 years old.

“She was always a very sweet, quiet girl,” Lanuza recalled. “She was already running when she was 5. Kaylyn has always been very determined. She’s a wonderful young woman, who comes from a wonderful family.”

Lanuza said that when she heard Kaylyn had qualified for the Olympics, she told her parents, Gary and Nikki, “I never realized she was that good.”

Brown’s career at Mallard Creek was shortened by an injury that kept her sidelined her senior year. Brown recalled Wednesday that the injury made her worry about her athletic future.

“Yeah, that senior year of high school didn’t go as planned,” she said. “It was rough. I wondered if I’d go to college. I spent the year as more of a coach, because I couldn’t run.”

But Brown landed a scholarship to Arkansas and burst on the national scene, at age 19, as a freshman during last winter’s indoor season.

Then came a whirlwind of events, as she qualified for the Olympics, trained for the races, and then competed in Paris.

Brown acknowledged Wednesday night that she didn’t enjoy everything about the Paris Olympics.

“The food,” she said with a laugh. “I didn’t like the food. But getting to run for the USA was an amazing experience.”

Sabrina Messer of Gastonia decided to bring her 5-year-old granddaughter, Makenzie Phillips, with her to Wednesday’s celebration.

“I thought it would be cool for Makenzie to see this,” she said, adding that she wanted her granddaughter to see the paths that are available for female athletes.

Brown said she is aware of the role she plays with younger people.

“It’s amazing to be an inspiration to the younger kids,” she said.

Brown went home with more than the memories of being honored by her community. Officials of Gastonia Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram presented her with the keys to a new orange Jeep Wrangler at the end of the event.

Friday’s celebration

Kaylyn Clark will be honored at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Mallard Creek High School, 3825 Johnston Oehler Road, in north Charlotte. The event, which is open to the public, will be in the school auditorium.