So Ariana DeLaSalle is the defending state Class AA champion in the high jump. She still can get just as nervous as anyone.

So the Adams Christian standout has to concentrate. Don&8217;t tell her how high the bar is. Don&8217;t laugh when she&8217;s the only girl in the competition that does a little stutter step before jumping. She had to almost teach herself how to jump after everyone told her she ought to try it being that she&8217;s so tall.

It&8217;s worked so far. DeLaSalle won state last year at only 5-1 and won South State last week by clearing 5-3. She&8217;ll try for a repeat performance Friday morning at the MPSA state meet at Mississippi College.

&8220;It&8217;s completely mental,&8221; DeLaSalle said. &8220;I told them (last week) to put it at whatever they want because I don&8217;t want to know. They set it at 5-1, and they said I cleared it by four inches. If the bar looks high, I&8217;m going to miss it. And I don&8217;t even have steps &8212; I have stutter steps, and nobody else does that.&8221;

Unorthodox, yes, but the girl who made a living grabbing rebounds in basketball used her talents to gain success and track and field. Her best jump this spring is 5-4 &8212; during a regular meet at Silliman &8212; only a half-inch off of the Class AA state record at the state meet.

She&8217;s gained notoriety the last two seasons for just getting the job done. She&8217;s undefeated this year.

&8220;She&8217;s got a good opportunity as a repeating champion,&8221; Adams track coach Kyle Smith said. &8220;People from other schools give her recognition knowing she&8217;s a good high jumper. It&8217;s a good compliment, and DeLaSalle is kind of a quiet girl and doesn&8217;t get all the attention. I don&8217;t think she realizes what happens.

&8220;It&8217;s kind of fun to watch her. She&8217;s got her own unique little style.&8221;

She got her start back in junior high when former track coach Bill Richardson convinced her to try the event. It started by clearing 4-6, and things went from there. But the form and other mannerisms when it comes to jumping weren&8217;t anything Richardson taught her.

Just keep it simple, he said, and keep that stomach to the sky.

&8220;I miss him,&8221; DeLaSalle said. &8220;I started in the seventh grade and started messing around. Coach said come out and do it because I was the tall girl. I&8217;ve gone up two inches every year. I taught myself. I do this every day by myself.&8221;

She reached a peak at this point last year when she beat out a girl from Indianola Academy to win the state title despite clearing only 5-1. That day came early in the morning for DeLaSalle, who played the night prior in a softball game and had to jump at Jackson Prep for 9 a.m.

She won that on misses, too, but it&8217;s something she hasn&8217;t done much of this year.

&8220;I got a 5-4 this year, but I&8217;m shooting for 5-5 of 5-6,&8221; she said. &8220;It would be nice. At least by the time I graduate I hope I have that. It&8217;s really hard going from basketball shape to track shape really, really quick. I&8217;m trying to hang with all those big girls (in basketball). I&8217;ve got to jump higher.&8221;

DeLaSalle may have gotten higher last week had the weather cooperated, and she was able to take the win and remain unbeaten. Since then, she&8217;s tried to work out in the jumping pit at the school by herself &8212; on Wednesday she was the only person in the entire stadium &8212; to prepare for her final competition of the spring.

&8220;She&8217;s had a goal to go 5-5 this year,&8221; Smith said. &8220;She&8217;s been out there by herself a lot of times doing it on her own. She&8217;s excited, and she&8217;s real dedicated. She&8217;s dedicated to go out by herself or her and a couple of friends. I think she can make 5-5 or 5-6. It just depends on what she makes at different heights. I don&8217;t think she even thinks about it &8212; she just goes out and does it.&8221;

A girl from East Holmes set the Class AA mark in 1985, and former Centreville Academy standout Anna Goudeau set the overall mark in 2002 when she cleared 5-6 1/4.

It all depends on how the first few jumps go, DeLaSalle said, if it&8217;s going to be a good day or not. She&8217;s got to get the little stutter steps right just when she gets up close to the mat.

At least now she&8217;s a bit more seasoned after getting a taste of what the state meet is like last year.

But nervous this time? Probably so. She&8217;s the defending champ now.

&8220;(Last year) I was terrified,&8221; DeLaSalle said. &8220;I was just a sophomore, and they were all seniors. I was really scared. I was so nervous I started practicing at 4-4 and I was hitting it. I thought it was over right there.

&8220;In basketball, you want to beat that top team so bad. They want to win the state championship in high jump. Of course I&8217;m nervous.&8221;