Newton County’s Jada McDougle made a decision as a sophomore in high school that she had no idea how much it would impact her life.
McDougle, already a standout on the school’s softball teams, decided to try out for the Newton County track teams.
Not only did McDougle make the team, but she quickly found herself running the sprints and ended the year by winning the Class 4A 100-meter and 200-meter state championships.
On Wednesday, McDougle fulfilled a life-long dream as she signed to run track at Mississippi State University.
“I have always been a Mississippi State fan, actually a die-hard fan,” McDougle said. “It was definitely a dream of mine. State started recruiting in June. One of the newer coaches at State started recruiting me. He was at Syracuse and was recruiting me there and started recruiting me to Mississippi State. It was a whole lot closer to home and a really good fit.”
McDougle has also been a standout on the softball fields at Newton County, being a key part of several championship teams. Earlier in her career, McDougle thought that she might end up playing softball at Mississippi State.
I have played softball all of my life,” McDougle said. “It’s really crazy. In my ninth-grade year, I did a lot of camps. I did a camp at State and wanted to go there in softball. It’s crazy how life plays out. The coaches are welcoming. I know the practices will be tough but I think I can come talk to them at any point if I don’t understand anything. It’s not like a scary thing, it’s actually very welcome.”
McDougle said the success she had her sophomore season helped make up her mind that she should pursue a career in track.
“I have always been a softball player but in the 10th grade, I decided to that I wanted to explore other sports so I tried out for the track team,” McDougle said. “I did really well in district and kept on advancing and won first place in two events at the state in my first year. That was really eye opening to me. I told my mother that we should really start exploring track further because I am good at it. God gave me great ability and I am really grateful for it.”
Track coach Ashlee Walker has been impressed with McDougle from the beginning.
“What has really impressed me is her eagerness to come out and do track in her first year, which was my first year here at Newton County,” Walker said. “To know that she was so motivated and wanted to compete, that really impressed me. She really stepped up as a leader, even as a 10th grader.”
McDougle said the coaches at Newton County have been supportive but she gave her mother a lot of credit for helping make Wednesday’s signing a reality.
“The coaches here have been very supportive,” McDougle said. “If I need anything, they do whatever they can to help me with that. My mom has also been a big help. She does lot of research and is always telling me what my diet needs to be and has basically been my personal track coach.”
McDougle said she was also recruited heavily by Hinds Community College and Southeastern Florida but that MSU was always her first choice. McDougle said she was planning on majoring in kinesiology.
