McComb High School senior Sharon Botley, a three-time state champion in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles who also carries a 4.36 grade point average, will be continuing her track career next season at Mississippi State University.
As the Lady Tigers won their second consecutive 4A state championship at Pearl High School, Botley won the 100-meter hurdles in 15.57 and the 300-meter hurdles in 45.34.
“My first intentions were to go to LSU — Louisiana State University — but I got a better offer from Mississippi State, so I went where I could get the most credit for everything that I’ve done with academics and athletics,” Botley said.
According to Botley, LSU looks for more elite runners, but at MSU, she would earn more opportunities, a scholarship and not be a walk-on. She said she plans to stick with the 100-meter hurdles in college, but run the 400-meter hurdles instead of the 300-meter hurdles.
“My times, I want to run low 14, maybe even high 13,” Botley said. “In my 400 hurdle time, I will probably try for 58.”
Botley was a freshman when Jeffery Gibson arrived at McComb as the head coach.
“Sharon, when she got to me, I could tell she was talented,” Gibson said. “She was about that schoolwork. She was about getting better and better.”
Gibson recalled a track meet at Franklin County during Botley’s freshman year where she lost the 100-meter hurdles.
“She wasn’t accustomed to losing,” he said. “She was crying. Coach (Larry) Johns was the junior high coach still. She ran over to Coach Johns and she was crying.
“I said, ‘Come here, Sharon.’ I said, ‘No offense to Coach Johns, but I’m now your high school coach, so if you have any issues, you come talk to me now. You’ve moved up to high school.’ ”
Gibson said Botley did not like how it felt to lose and, from that day forward, did everything in her power to be the best hurdler possible.
Now Botley will be running in college, but she hopes her track career continues after Mississippi State. She said she knows she has to eat properly and work out consistently.
“In high school, you usually don’t work out as much over the summer,” she said. “That’s usually downtime, but I feel like, once I put it all together, I’ll be even better than I was in high school.”
Botley said she is at a good weight of 125, but is open to getting stronger and gaining muscle through weightlifting.
Botley plans to major in veterinary medicine in college, noting there is room to succeed in the classroom and in athletics.
“My plans are to do veterinary medicine and work at a clinic until I gain enough experience to own my own place of practice,” she said. “With track, I just want to see how far I can go when I put everything together — eating right, working out year round, getting more individualized attention at the collegiate level. The possibilities are endless.”
She said she expects her GPA to be close to 4.40 when the final grades come in. She added she has earned a GPA above 4.0 through taking advanced placement and college courses.
Botley specifically said she would like to practice veterinary medicine in the McComb area.
She believes Southwest Mississippi benefits from veterinary practices that provide good service and quality care to animals.
Botley said her favorite animal is a cat. She currently has one cat at home named Yew, who will be 2 years old in July.
Yew will be staying with Botley’s grandma, Emma Wilkinson, when she is in college.
“You can expect a lot of me in the future with track and academics,” Botley said.
Botley is the daughter of Lillie and Sammie Botley of McComb.
