The University of Mississippi Athletics
A True Athlete
11/30/2004 | Track and Field
Nov. 30, 2004
The NIKE Corporation says, "If you have a body, you are an athlete." Well, not everybody is a heptathlete. The heptathlon consists of seven track and field events over a period of two days. Athletes are awarded points for each event.The winner is determined by the athlete who has accumulated the most points after the seven events. The seven events consist of the 100 meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200 meters, long jump, javelin, and the 800 meters.
LaToya McBride, a senior on the Lady Rebel track and field squad, said she never could find her niche in just one event. McBride originally came to Ole Miss to compete in the high jump and 400 meters.
"I had a hard time making the transition from high school to college in the high jump and 400 meters," McBride said. "Coach Walker decided to try me in all seven heptathlon events and that is where I have excelled."
As a sophomore, McBride scored points at the 2003 SEC Outdoor Championships by placing seventh in the heptathlon. She would follow that up with a stellar outdoor season in 2004.
McBride earned All-SEC honors at the 2004 Outdoor Championships with her third place finish in the heptathlon and competed at her first NCAA Championship meet, finishing 15th in the heptathlon.
"LaToya has trained really hard the past year, and seeing her transition from a good athlete to a great athlete has been fun," Ole Miss head coach Joe Walker said. "Her great attitude and work ethic took her to nationals last season and it will be exciting to see what she will do in her senior season."
McBride enters her senior season ranked second on the Lady Rebel chart for the heptathlon with 5,189 points.
Making time to work out in all seven events, while carrying a full class load has taught McBride to balance her schedule and take it one day at a time.
The Pine Bluff, Ark., native said she works on running events during the team's regular practice time, works on the throwing events between classes.
"You have to treat each event individually," McBride said. "If I don't do as well as I need to in one event, I can't let it affect me for the next competition. I have to move on to the next event and compete the best that I can."
Though McBride finds herself overloaded at times, there is nothing else she would rather be doing.
"I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I didn't compete in seven events," McBride said. "It has taught me how to work hard."
Being one of the few Lady Rebel seniors on the team, McBride says she wants to step up this season and help the newcomers "get their feet wet." "We have a lot of incoming freshman, and I want to help them as much as I can, so we can take Lady Rebel track and field to a whole new level."
With McBride's dedication and hard work expect a great season from her as she helps lead a young Lady Rebel squad in 2005.