READ NEXT: Senior Sendoff: Pearl's Dominic Turner
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Featuring in this week's MileSplit Mississippi Senior Sendoff is Lamar School's Maggie Triplett, the 2022 MAIS 5A 800m State Champion, who will be headed to Mississippi College in the Fall of 2022!
Mississippi College is a private, Christian university that competes in the Gulf South Conference at the NCAA Division II level. The college is located in Clinton, Miss.
RELATED: 2022 MAIS Overall Track and Field Championships Results
Mississippi College's womens' program is coming off of a 23rd place finish at the 2021 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships, becoming the first women's team in Mississippi College athletics history to make it to their sport's respective national championships.
The Lady Choctaw's 800m squad time (the average of their top performers) is 2:16.14. With that statistic, Mississippi College ended the season as the number 21 ranked 800m squad in the country. Their top performer in that event is Jazmin Hernandez, with a PR of 2:11.83.
Triplett is coming off of a Hollywood senior track season, in which she became a state champion in one of the toughest classes in the MAIS after placing second at the 2022 MAIS 2-5A District Championships. She also took a full 17 seconds off of her 800m time from her junior year to her senior year.
On the side of academics, Triplett will be working to get her degree in Music Performance, a program that offers cultural enrichment opportunities to the college community and the public in the form of applied lessons, concerts, recitals, and workshops, and prepares students for a career as a singer, music director, composer, and more.
We asked Triplett some questions and insight in regards to her high school career, what she loves about running, and some advice that she would leave behind to all of the track and field athletes that are still on their journey.
Check them out below!
GOOGLE FORM: Senior Sendoff Survey
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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 got into running when I lived in Biloxi where I ran with the gulf coast running club every Monday night. When we moved to Meridian as I started 7th grade, I joined the XC team running ever since. In 8th grade, I found my sweet spot in the 800m, my favorite event to run.
I plan on running for Mississippi college in the fall and am so excited to join such a close-knit environment!
Q: What is your most memorable meet/race and why?
A: Probably north state this season because I drove 3.5 hours to run the 800, won, and flew back just in time to make it to prom! It was a whirlwind of a day!
Q: Out of all your high school achievements, which one means the most to you and why?
A: I think graduating at the top of my class because I was able to succeed academically on top of all of my extracurriculars.
Q: If you could go back and do it all over again, what would you change, if anything?
A: I am pretty happy with how my high school experience turned out, but if I could change anything I would try to manage my time better
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 first cross country coach, Jim Redgate, was a tough coach and always reminded us that "This sport is no picnic" but without him, I would not have pushed myself to my greatest potential.
Q: What will you miss the most?
A: I will miss the laughs and fun times at Chick-Fil-A after meets with the team.
Q: What piece of advice would you give to the younger athletes that are just getting started on their journey?
A: Don't take the competition too seriously. Enjoy running for YOU and be happy that God gave you this ability. I found that once I understood that, I performed much better.