Nashville Local Continues to Honor Late Brother’s Legacy

Nashville, March 2023 – Family ties are a bond that can never be broken. For Quincy Wyke, losing his hero and older brother suddenly at such a young age changed his life forever and ensured his commitment to honoring his legacy.Frederick Wyke was the ultimate champion. The high school track star participated in many events, but his specialty was the hurdles. In 1987, he set the gold standard at McNairy Central High School in becoming the first and only student/athlete to win a state championship, completing the 300-meter low hurdles state finals with a time of 39.8 seconds. His old track coach Kirk Stewart described Frederick as “one of the greatest athletes that I ever coached.” Unfortunately, his life came on to an early end shortly after. Frederick passed in the night due to a heart arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat). Quincy was just seven years old when this happened. “Growing up with a champion, and seeing my brother’s name on the television and in newspapers, allowed me to be an optimist. Granted, his sudden passing made things difficult, but his accomplishments have always inspired me. By all accounts, as close as our relationship was, his championship was an individual accomplishment—yet still, he knew his baby brother was his biggest fan,” Wykes says.After Frederick’s passing, Quincy spent much of his life continuing to remind those around him and his community of Frederick’s legacy. His incredible athletic feat continued to be a source of great pride for his family and fellow Eastview and McNairy County citizens. In 2012, the State of Tennesee changed a segment of U.S. Highway 45 in McNairy County in honor of him as “Frederick D. Wyke Memorial Highway Tennessee State Champion.” Also, in his honor, Quincy established the Frederick Wyke 5K race, where a portion of the proceeds went to the American Heart Association and the Frederick D. Wyke Memorial Scholarship. The winner of the first scholarship was a McNairy Central High School graduate who competed in track. Now, because of Frederick’s dedication and outstanding performance, the track on the campus of McNairy Central High School at Don Whitaker Stadium will be forever known as the Fredrick Wyke Memorial Track. He will be honored, and the track will be dedicated to him during the McNairy County Middle School track meet on March 30, 2023.