Starkville’s Scott claims second in nation

Starkville High School athlete Sterling Scott came up big in the Big Apple recently.

While taking part in the triple jump event at the Nike Indoor National Championship Track meet in New York, Scott captured second place in the nation.

“With just amazing numbers he puts up and the things he's doing, we are extremely proud of him,” SHS boys track coach Tory Reeves said. “He showed out and represented Starkville and Mississippi in a big-time way.”

It has been quite an impressive year already for

Scott. He competed at the Crossplex in Birmingham, Alabama, and set the Mississippi record for the triple jump.

That qualified him for the Nike Indoor Nationals where he reached a goal he had been pursuing of 50-02.

“It was a big one because he had been chasing 50 and he finally got 50,” Reeves said. “We knew he would, but he got over 50feet there and wound up being second in the nation so that's pretty cool.

“I don't know when the next time we'll see numbers like that. I think I'll be retired.”

For good measure, Scott also finished 12th in the long jump with a 22-04.25 at the Nike National Indoor.

It's a comfort for Reeves to know that Scott will be involved with postseason coming up for the Yellow Jackets.

Scott will be competing for SHS at the Big Blue Invitational next week and will be involved with the

Starkville Invitational at home on March 28 before postseason starts.

“He's really only done one outdoor meet this year,” Reeves said. “He went to Hattiesburg with us. He didn't jump, but we ran him in that one. He missed the next one or two so he could get ready for New York.

“He's going to go to Meridian next week. At home, he'll jump so everybody that wants to come see something special, they will want to come see that one because that will be the only time around here.”