Welcome back, Mississippi MileSplit subscribers! I recently had the opportunity to talk with Brandon High School Senior, Aleekia Lewis. Aleekia has been one of the top long jumpers in the state in recent years, and just this past weekend she started her season off with a jump of 16 feet 6 inches to win the Clinton Season Opener. Aleekia also placed fourth in the triple jump and was part of the 4x100m and 4x200m relay teams. Aleekia plays a major role on the Lady Dogs track team and will be key to their success this season. Look for her to have some great performances this year and in the coming years as a collegiate athlete. This is how our Q&A interview went:
Q. Aleekia, you've had some great success in the past few years of high school track and field, what are your goals for your final season?
A. My goals for this season are to improve upon my marks last year, to never give up when times get hard, and to chase a PR in the long jump.
Q. Awesome! As far as your team goes, what are your goals there?
A. The goals for our team are to be a team that is always there for each other, to motivate each other, and to ultimately bring home a state championship so we can get a ring!
Q. Sounds like some great goals to have! What are your plans for after high school?
A. I plan on going to Hinds on an athletic scholarship and then going to a university for the next two years.
Q. That sounds great! Do you know what you want to study in college?
A. At hinds I want to study Paralegal Technology, and for a university, I am not sure yet.
Q. What is your ACT score/ GPA?
A. My ACT score is a 22 and my GPA is a 2.0
Q. Are you in any clubs or other extracurricular activities at school?
A. Not much outside of the track team.
Q. Outside of school and track, what do you like to do in your free time?
A. In my free time, I am typically working or at church helping with the youth.
Q. That sounds great! If you could give any word of advice to up-and-coming track & field athletes, what would that be?
A. A bit of advice I would give to younger athletes would be to always practice hard and to be determined because talent can only take you so far!
Q. Thanks so much for your time, I hope you accomplish all of your goals this season and continue to do great in the future.
A. Thanks so much!
As you can see, Aleekia is very determined and ready to take on her senior season of track and field. Look for her to be a driving force on the Brandon High School Lady Dogs team and to be in the hunt for an individual state title in the long jump as we near the state meet!