By Thomas Sellers Jr. ARLINGTON – Despite the Class 3A Sectionals in West Tennessee adding the likes of Ripley, Haywood, Covington, Fayette-Ware, Crockett County and Millington, the events were still taking just the top 4 qualifiers. That added pressure to all the competitors at Arlington High School Saturday from the 100m dash to the High Jump. After the boys’ High Jump was completed there were five names on the board still alive. The two athletes tied for fourth had to compete in a jump-off starting at 6-feet. It would come down to an athlete from Cordova High School and Millington’s Corey Smith. Larger schools like Whitehaven, Memphis Central and Cordova were snatching up several medals throughout the day sending qualifiers to Murfreesboro for the Class 3A State Meet May 24-25. Trojan Smith had his heart set on a Millington athlete heading to Middle Tennessee State University for the final meet of the year. After the Cordova athlete fail at his first attempt, Smith glided over the bar and into a spot in Murfreesboro. “It feels great,” he said. “It was 6 feet. I’ve jumped 6’4 before. I just had to get into a rhythm and find my mark. To get back in rhythm was kind of tough. “I just want to thank God No. 1,” Smith added. “I went had to pray really quickly and get my mind back right. I had to zone back in and just stay focused.” Smith, a junior, said Head Coach James Edwards and staff made sure he was prepared for the moment.
“It’s just a lot of hard work,” he said. “We’re all working toward the same goal. Whether its small schools or big schools, we’re all human. It’s just another day. It will be great representing Millington Central High School at State.”
