Freshman Marrissa Harris can do it all.
Last Saturday at the Bulldog Invitational, the Memphis-native clocked a personal-best time of 13.92 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles, a run that not only ranks fourth in school history but also one that qualified the freshman for the NCAA Regionals.
“I’ve run low-14s before but never 13.92,” Harris said. “It’s the best time I’ve ever run running hurdles.”
That most-recent run continues a game of time-limbo in the event for Harris, who ran a then-personal best 14.21 at the Alabama Relays March 18. One week later, Harris qualified for the 100-meter hurdles finals with a time of 13.96, eventually taking second place overall at the LSU Tiger Relays.
“I was confident in dropping my time to make it to regionals,” she said. “So I was really happy when I ran the 13.92.”
Now, with the Bulldog Invitational run, the freshman owns MSU’s fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh-best times in the event.
But this early level of success doesn’t surprise Harris.
Not really, anyway.
She was the state champion in the 100-meter hurdles her sophomore and junior years at Central High School, where she also lettered in basketball and cross country.
She also won the state championship in the 300-meter hurdles all four years of her high school career and took fifth in the heptathlon at the 2005 Junior Olympics.
Heptathlon?
“The heptathlon consists of seven events,” Harris said, almost as if she’d answered this question before. “It’s the 100-meter hurdles, the high jump, the long jump, the 200 (meter dash), the shot put and the javelin. You have to be versatile because there are so many things and techniques you have to learn to be able to compete, especially in the SEC.”
That versatility also comes packaged with a practice schedule that may sound like a potluck to some, but one that has become very routine for Harris.
“I may hurdle, long jump and throw one day … run the next day, long jump … everything!” she said. “It’s a real work out, but after a while you just get used to it. You just get familiar. You expect to do everything. I like it. You just have to be a different kind of athlete, I guess.”
With the NCAA Regionals in Knoxville, Tenn., May 25-26, Harris is now focused not as much on regionals as the preparation leading up to them.
“I hope to be running really well by the time we go to regionals. So then, I can make it to nationals,” she said. “Right now, I’m just focused on dropping my time even more.”
The real question now is, how low can it go?
Texas Relays Preview
Mississippi State’s track and field squads return to action from April 5-8 at the 79th annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, where the two teams hope to again lasso the success they’ve had in recent seasons.
“In the past few years, we’ve gone to Texas and come back with trophies, and not many teams can boast that,” MSU head coach Al Schmidt said. “We’re going to Austin wanting to win more.”
The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs posted a combined seven regional qualifying marks and bested the competition at the Bulldog Invitational last weekend, winning eight events and taking top honors.
Sophomore all-American Chris Woods became the first Bulldog in 13 years to place in the top five in the 800-meter run with a regional-qualifying time of 1:48.90 seconds. Junior transfers Ezra Jones and Bruce Davis also qualified in the 400-meter dash, with Jones winning the event in 46.99. Davis finished third in 47.24.
Junior Travis McKay set a new Spencer Stadium/Maddox Track record in the 3,000-meter, taking top honors with a time of 8:26.51.
On the women’s side, senior Zita Magloire stole the show, winning both the 800 and 1,500-meter runs. Magloire timed in at 2:10.83 in the 800 and 4:34.30 in the 1,500.
Freshman Marrissa Harris qualified for the NCAA Regionals after clocking 13.92 in the 100-meter hurdles. Meanwhile, Emily Sanders broke her freshman record in the hammer, with a throw of 172-01.
MSU has made quite the impression in Austin, Texas in recent visits. Last year, Steve Mullings set a Mike A. Myers Stadium record with a 10.06 time in the 100-meter dash. The run also tied the Texas Relays record. The Lady Bulldogs also hold the meet record in the women’s distance medley relay (11:10.06 in 2004).