Syboris Pippins, Courtney Stovall, and the rest of the West Lowndes High School boys track and field team weren’t going to let a few holes in the team’s lineup prevent it from getting a clean sweep.
Buoyed by a strong showing from Pippins in the sprints, from Stovall in the distance events, and a 1-2-3 showing in the 110-meter hurdles, West Lowndes continued its run of success Saturday by winning the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 1A South State title at Madison Central High.
The Panthers finished first with 136 points despite not having a team compete in the 4×100 relay or having individuals in the 400, shot put, or discus. Despite missing out on even more points from those events, West Lowndes coach Anthony King felt confident the Panthers would be able to build on its district and region championships to sweep the three titles for what is believed to be the first time in the history of West Lowndes High. Prior to becoming West Lowndes High in 1990, the school was known at Motley High.
“This was the first year you could you three in each event, so hurdles really have been getting us over the top,” King said of Marshall Lockett, Deshaunte Dickerson, and Nicholas Foster, who swept the top three spots in the hurdles. “I told the team earlier this year we have a chance to win state this year if we take it seriously.”
Pippins and Stovall helped the Panthers make up for what they were missing with strong showings. Pippins, a senior in his first year on the team, finished second in the 100 (11.79 seconds), first in the 200 (23.58), and first in the 400 (55.08).
Pippins said he never imagined competing on the school’s track and field team. He said he only played football and never thought he was fast enough to consider going out for the squad. As a senior, though, he wanted to go out on a high note, so he did extra work to get in shape, including pulling tires. He said the training was tiring, but he said he had to sacrifice because the team wanted to win championships this season.
“I tried my best at it and now I am winning,” Pippins said. “I realized I could be pretty good at track and field after the football team’s last game (a playoff loss to Simmons). I had told coach before the season I was going to compete on the track and field team, but that really put me in there.”
King said he stayed on Pippins, 5-foot-9, 164-pounder, prior to the start of the school year and throughout football season. That part was easy because King is the school’s football coach and Pippins was a member of that team, too.
“He has so much potential, and we haven’t seen the best from him,” King said. “I believe his best race is coming up Saturday. I think if he works harder he can be a lot better than what he is doing.”
Stovall, a 6-4, 155-pound junior, took fourth in the 1,600 (5 minutes, 24.26 seconds) and third in the 3,200 (12:05.74). In his second year on the track and field team, Stovall said he used the memory of friend and former teammate Quay Brown, who graduated last year, as motivation. He said Brown used to beat him, but when he beat him last year at the South State meet he realized he could go even faster. Last year, Stovall finished seventh in the 3,200 and fifth in the 1,600 at the South State meet.
This season, Stovall said his best time in the 1,600 is a 5:21 at the region meet. He hopes to go even faster Saturday. Stovall said the 5:21 is a school record in the event.
“I am shooting for 5:15,” Stovall said. “It is not a stretch because I know I can do it. I have come close to doing it (after running a 5:19 last summer), so I know I can do it. It is just mind over matter, as coach King says.”
Said King, “Courtney has had a great year, but I think he can do better. He needs to force himself all the way through because every point is going to count this weekend.”
King said it wasn’t surprising the Panthers did so well without their missing pieces because the remaining athletes have worked hard to help the team realize its potential. He hopes the weather will cooperate this week so the Panthers can get a solid week of training in to get ready for the final meet of the season.
“I figured we should score close to 136 points,” King said. “We got points from Marcus Farmer in the high jump and in the triple jump. He played baseball, so we weren’t expecting to get those points, so that helped us out a whole lot.”
Other West Lowndes High boys qualifiers were: Chayil Phinizee (second in the 200, 23.94), Lockett (first, 110 hurdles, 17.83), Dickerson (second, 110 hurdles, 19.72), Foster (third, 110 hurdles, 20.60; second, long jump, 17-4), and Farmer (second, high jump, 5 feet, 6 inches; third, triple jump, 36-11 1/2).
The West Lowndes 4×200 relay team took first (1:35.49) and its 4×800 squad finished fourth (11:40.41).
The West Lowndes High girls track and team finished fifth. Romalra Guyton was the best individual finisher. She was second in the high jump (4-2), third in the 100 (14.62), and second in the 100 hurdles (18.72). Zabasjia Price was fourth in the 300 hurdles (55.93).
The West Lowndes High girls 4×100 relay team was third (55.99), the 4×200 team was second (1:56.65), and the 4×800 team was fourth (13:25.69).
n In other track action from this past weekend, Columbus High’s Michael McCloud finished first in the 400 (49.18) in the Class 6A meet at Madison Central High. The Columbus High boys 4×200 relay team (third, 1:31.18) and Kenneth Martin (third in the triple jump, 43-8 1/2) also qualified for the Class 6A State meet, which will be Friday at Pearl High. The Class 2A and the Class 4A meets also will be Friday.
On the girls side, the Columbus 4×100 relay team finished second (49.57) and Kennedi Stephens was second in the shot put (32-3) to qualify.
In Class 5A, West Point High’s Chelsea Landon was fourth in the 100 hurdles (18.02) to qualify for the Class 5A State meet, which will be Saturday with the Class 1A and Class 3A meets.
On the boys side, West Point High’s Randall Johnson was third in the triple jump (42-11 1/4) and fourth in the long jump (21-6 1/2) to qualify.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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