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While the first weekend of the 2023 Mississippi High School Track and Field season was one of the best openers in Mississippi's history, the action has not slowed down. Athletes at the Starkville High School Season Opener kept the momentum going by trailblazing new heights in the sprints, jumps, and hurdles, ending in multiple new Miss. No. 1 marks.
Jerquavious Lowery of Columbus High set the pace early in the season with the fastest 100m time by any MS boy by 0.15 seconds. Lowery's 10.86 was a significant improvement over his season opener at the MHS Season Opener. The senior doubled back to win the 200m and looks to be in strong form, potentially taking a shot at the 100m title to add to his name.
Khristan Watson of Columbus High looks to vie for the No. 1 spot in High School Boys High Jump. The returning MHSAA 5A High Jump Champion reestablished himself as one of the best High Jumpers in the state with a shared MS #1 mark of 6-0 with Kingi McNair of Pearl High School. Watson also set the meet record in the 110m Hurdles by 0.77 seconds and earned an MS #3 mark.
Starkville's Sterling Scott began his senior season by claiming his seat as the #1 Triple Jumper in Mississippi with a comfortable MS #1 mark of 49-9.25. He also earned an MS #3 mark in the Long Jump. Scott had a busy time in the winter, finally bringing down the 18-year-old state indoor Triple Jump record.
READ NEXT: Sterling Scott breaks Miss. High School Boys Indoor TJ Record
Tiara Leverson of Holly Springs opened her season up with a lifetime best in the High Jump, good enough for a Miss. No. 1 mark in the event. At the 2022 3A MHSAA Track and Field Championships, Leverson placed third in the meet with a mark of 5-0. The winning height was 5-2, which was the exact mark Leverson jumped at the Starkville High School Season Opener.
RESULTS: 2022 MHSAA 3A Track and Field Championships
Leverson was not the only jumper to make a statement at this meet. Both Alexis Wilburn and Luxury Wordlaw jumped 5-0 to share second place at the Starkville meet. These two sophomores from Caledonia High and Starkville High, respectively, share the Miss. No. 2 High Jump mark with three other girls.
Freshman Taniya Turner of Starkville High opened her season with two lifetime bests and wins in the 100m and 200m. Though both marks were wind-aided, this doesn't take away from the impressive double of a freshman runner making her mark.
Other notable performances include MHSAA 6A qualifier Grady Stewart winning the 400m dash, as well as Giles Jones and Scott McDonnell going 1-2 in the 800m and 1600m run.
Fans can stay up-to-date on all the latest news, results, and analysis by coming to the Mid Week recap, brought to you by MileSplit Mississippi!