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For this week's MileSplit Mississippi 'Senior Sendoff', we will be sending off one of Tupelo's finest, Robert Hooper, who will be heading to Tennessee State University in the Fall!
Hooper is a prominent and versatile middle-distance runner, with PRs of 53.10 in the 400m, 1:57.3 in the 800m, 4:43.6c in the 1600m, and 16:48 in the 5k(XC).
Hooper was also a very important part of Tupelo High School's success in both cross country and track, as he was their number three runner during the cross country season, played a vital part in their state qualifying 4x400m and 4x800m relays, and earned the silver medal in the open 800m at the 2022 MHSAA 6A Track and Field State Championships.
Watch Hooper at the 2022 MHSAA 6A Track and Field State Championships!
Start of 6A Boys 800m: 3:22:48 | Start of 6A Boys 4x400m: 4:43:50
Tennessee State is a four-year public university and H.B.C.U. that is located in the heart of Nashville, Tenn., and competes at the NCAA Division I level. Their men's track and field program is coming off of a fourth-place finish in the Ohio Valley Conference.
Hooper is looking to potentially specialize in the 800m, joining a crew of three freshmen, and will be slotted in as their potential number three 800m runner according to a descending list of PRs.
On the side of academics, Hooper will be majoring in Mechanical Engineering, which is a career that consists of researching, designing, building, testing, maintaining, and improving mechanical tools and devices, as well as thermal and dynamic systems.
We asked Hooper some questions and insight in regards to his high school career, what he loves about running, and some advice that he would leave behind to all of the track and field athletes that are still on their journey.
Check them out below!
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Q: Explain your 'running journey'... (How did you get into running, how did your senior season go, and how did you get connected with the college that you are going to?)
A: I was first introduced to running in my freshman year of high school when I was told by a parent to try out for the track team because I was sitting around playing too much Xbox, LOL. I started out as mainly a high jumper and 400m runner but I was used in every sprint relay and was just a sprinter that was the "team swiss army knife." After a breakout senior year in XC, I finally found my specific area in the track where I could shine. That area was mid-distance, and I was glad that I ended my high school career getting runner-up at state in an event that I am still trying to learn. I was connected with Tennessee State by reaching out to them with my XC times and basically also saying "Hey watch out for me, I'm gonna be running the 800m this season." This caught their eye as they needed a distance/mid-distance runner or two, and my stock kept going up as I kept improving.
Q: What is your most memorable meet/race and why?
A: The most memorable race was the 4x400m at the King Of The West Relays in Tuscaloosa, Ala., because we came into that race with the sole purpose of winning it and making people say "Hey who's that Mississippi team?" So we won it in a very hype fashion as the 4x400m always has the whole team hyping it up. The 4x400m is the most memorable at EVERY track meet. To be honest, it is my favorite event throughout high school.
Q: Out of all your high school achievements, which one means the most to you and why?
A: My Runner-Up finish in the 800m at State means the most to me because it showed that I finally found an event to specialize in after so much of my high school career is a search for what event I was made for.
Q: If you could go back and do it all over again, what would you change, if anything?
A: I would've started by being a distance or mid-distance runner sooner.
Q: Who is somebody that you look up to/someone that helped you along your journey to get you where you are today?
A: My coaches Fred Hadley, Teneeshia Boyd, David Wheeler, and Murray Collum. They all helped me become a better runner and better person in different ways and were huge inspirations all throughout this journey.
Q: What will you miss the most?
A: I will definitely miss my teammates and the goofy aspect of high school track. Also, my coaches, because it will be hard to say goodbye after what all they have done for me. Finally, especially going to miss my 4x400m team. We were cold!!!
Q: What piece of advice would you give to the younger athletes that are just getting started on their journey?
A: At practice, my motto was always "Hurt now so you can hurt a little less in that race" But don't overdo it. Be patient and don't let frustration stray you away from your goals. Stick to your training but know how to make minor tweaks based on your weaknesses.
