http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com...-set-three-ahsaa-state-track-events/26640183/
MA's Mims: sights set on three AHSAA state track events
Kym Klass, Montgomery Advertiser 3:26 p.m. CDT April 30, 2015
It is the strength training in football and the running drills from basketball that Sidney Mims credits to his success in track and field.
The Montgomery Academy junior, who competes Friday in the AHSAA 3A state track and field meet in the shot put, javelin and discus, has competed in the events since he was in seventh grade when he said the sprint events he originally wanted to compete in didn't suit him.
"It was suggested to me that I throw," he said, citing his size as a reason running "didn't work out. And I tried it, and really liked it."
The AHSAA 1A-3A state track meet is Friday and Saturday at Cullman High School.
Mims, 17, and who stands 6 feet, 5 inches, won the shot put event at state last year, and this year is seeded first in the event, as well as in the discus. He ranks 11th in the javelin, an event he said that to him is the hardest.
"It's a lot more running and a lot more technical."
He placed second in javelin last year at state, and fourth in the shot put.
This year, he said his shot put has improved by 3 feet. His personal best throw is 47 feet, 10 1/4 inches. His biggest competition at state in the shot put, he said, includes Hillcrest and TR Miller.
Mims has a personal best in discus with a throw of 139 feet, 8 inches. He looks to Austin McCawley of Prattville Christian as competition. McCawley is seeded third with a throw of 127 feet, 1.5 inches.
The javelin event is "pretty heavily weighted," Mims said, citing second seed Lane Adams of Lexington and throwers from TR Miller, including Markail Mitchell and Terry Samuel, who are seeded third and fourth.
Mims, who plays defensive line on the football team, and as center in basketball, moves straight into track as soon as basketball is over, bringing with him all the strength and conditioning the two sports offer in training and workouts.
"Weight lifting helps me tremendously with the strength," he said. "Basketball helps with the running. It all fits together.
"The strengthening and weight lifting program we have at the Montgomery Academy is very good and keeps us in shape and very strong. The football workouts that we do before track actually translate very well to throwing because they focus on hips and flexibility and that's basically what throwing is ... mostly hips. A little bit of upper body, but mostly hips."
In competition, Mims uses the distances he throws as markers to beat.
"You're there to compete against yourself," he said, "as well as other people. That's what I like. It's a chance and an opportunity to get better. And to really compete with some very fine gentlemen across the state."