Sometime Saturday before the Class 6A North State track meet, Sammy Doughty will retrieve a bottle of green alcohol and Epsom salt from his bathroom closet. He will pour the contents in a foot tub, add hot water, and sit back on his bed and watch television.
He will keep his right ankle eight minutes in the tub. He will take it out, dry, and repeat.
The remedy isn”t a secret weapon for the Columbus High School senior high jumper. He”s just trying to stay healthy and trying to get back to where he was this time last year when he was one of the top high jumpers in the region — able to jump over most classmates.
As a junior, he finished fifth at the 2010 Class 6A State meet, clearing his height of 6 feet, 4 inches. Earlier that season, he jumped a personal-best 6-6. His performances drew attention from Mississippi State and the University of Mississippi, who are intrigued by his technique and athletic ability.
That”s why this was supposed to be his year.
Battling an injury
In December, Doughty went up for a rebound during a Columbus High boys basketball game, landed awkwardly, and twisted his ankle. He thought little of the injury, and played the final weeks of the season. It hurt, but not enough for him to realize it needed rest.
Track season followed. Coach Jim Hamilton noticed Doughty limping during conditioning workouts. He didn”t complain, so Hamilton didn”t think much of it.
Work at the high jump pit followed.
“When he started jumping,” Hamilton said, “I started seeing something.”
Doughty jumps backwards — off his right leg — and approaches the bar from the left, so the leg he utilizes to plant and to explode off of to start his flight was weak at its base.
Instead of peaking, his jumps descended.
March 11 — 6-2
April 2 — 6-0
April 16 — 5-10
By April 21, the student-athlete who once soared over the competition was struggling to advance past the Class 6A, Division 2 meet. He cleared the opening height of 5-8 on his third and final attempt, placing fourth.
Road to recovery
Doughty started taking care of his injury, using stretching bands to exercise his foot in hopes of strengthening the ligament. He also paid attention to the warning signs his body gave him, in case he wasn”t able to practice or compete.
He also has his homemade remedy, a suggestion of his mother and James Richardson, an assistant coach at Columbus High.
One week after his lowest jump of the season, Doughty prepared for the Class 6A, Region 1 meet. His competitors watched from nearby, whispering amongst themselves at how far their former nemesis had fallen.
Doughty cleared 5-8, 5-10, and 6-0. He won the meet with a jump of 6-2.
“He probably could have gone 6-6 or 6-8,” Hamilton said.
Welcome back, Sammy.
“I woke up that day and felt like my ankle wasn”t boring me at all,” Doughty said. “I felt like I was my old self from last year.”
Doughty said his ankle is about 85 percent healthy, so he continues his medical ritual before and after practices — sometimes during practice. He also will use the remedy Saturday at Mississippi State in an attempt to finish in one of the top four spots to qualify for the overall state meet next week at Pearl High School.
“His form is back,” Hamilton said. “His confidence is back. It”s a great story as a kid who”s worked hard, done everything you”ve asked him to, and is back into form of being a champion again. Two weeks ago, I didn”t know if he was going to make it out of district.”
Doughty is one of three Columbus High athletes aiming for the state meet. Junior Justin Verner (shot put) and sophomore Jake Thomas (discus) also will compete, as will the Falcons” 400-meter relay team of Byerson Cockrell, Demarcus Vance, Quan Latham, and George Lowery, which is a favorite to reach the state meet.
This is where Doughty wants to be — where he expects to be — moving from the high jump pit to the medal stand.
“I feel my chances are going up,” he said. “I feel I can end up jumping 6-8.”
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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