STARKVILLE — Patton Little made a life-changing decision in the summer of 2014 when he gave up tennis to focus on cross country and track and field.
The decision wasn’t easy for the Starkville High School student-athlete because he loved tennis, but he knew he had a future in the other sport.
Although it wasn’t easy, he pushed himself that summer and committed himself to a vigorous running regimen. He began to see dividends as a sophomore in 2014, but he moved to another level as a junior and as a senior this season. Little’s decision and hard work paid off when he signed a National Letter of Intent to compete in track and field at Southern Mississippi on Wednesday in front of family, friends, teammates, and coaches in the SHS library.
“I miss tennis, and I had a lot of fun doing it,” Little said. “It worked out because I got a lot better at running. I missed half the practice of running every day and I could only get in so much work of running. I had to pick one. I chose running and it worked out.”
Southern Miss doesn’t have a men’s cross country team, but Starkville High coach Steve Griffin said he has heard the school plans to bring a team back, so he feels Little could compete in that season, too.
Little was named the 2015-16 Mississippi Gatorade Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year. That honor traces back to that summer when he decided to put all his effort into running.
Before Little signed, Griffin highlighted everything Little went through to get a chance to compete at a Division I school to his younger runners. He said Little didn’t want to be a mediocre runner and had a desire to be great, but he said he didn’t pressure Little to try to reach that goal.
“It had to be him,” Griffin said. “It always has to be the athlete to make the decision. Coaches, we can want it for them as much as we want, but it’s up to the athlete to internally make that decision for themselves.”
Little is the school record holder in the 5-Kilometer (15 minutes, 20 seconds) and is the reigning Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A 1,600-meter champion (4 minutes, 37.71 seconds). He begins his journey for another state championship today as the Yellow Jackets compete in their district meet at Northwest Rankin High.
As a sophomore, Little fell one spot shy of advancing. The disappointment drove him to work harder.
“It kind of ate at me so I wanted to keep working so I could make it the next year,” Little said.
Griffin took over the boys track and field and cross country programs in 2012. Little was just coming up through the ranks at that time and was adjusting to varsity sports. Although Little’s dedication to running has set him apart, Griffin feels like the development as a person and leader is what makes Little great.
“He wasn’t a real strong, willing leader at the beginning, but over the past two and a half seasons he’s just progressed,” Griffin said. “He relishes it and wants to have that opportunity to lead his team on and off the track.”
Little’s father, David, and grandfather attended Southern Miss. He has a grandmother who lives in Petal, which is three miles from Hattiesburg, and cousins in the area. He said the coaching staff stood out to him when he went for an official visit.
Griffin, a Southern Miss graduate, feels like the fit is beneficial to both sides.
“From what I know about the coaches and being able to talk to them during the coaching clinic back in the summer, they’re knowledgeable, they’re going to push him to be the best, and that’s what Patton wants,” Griffin said. “He’ll fit right in with the kids they already have.”
It has been nearly two years since Little decided to focus on running. He said it was “awful” at the beginning, but he knew that meant he was doing the right thing and putting himself in a position to achieve his goals.
“It took a lot of work because you never want to do anything over the summer, and you’re not forced to do any of it,” Little said. “You have to get up and do what you know is not going to be fun for a long time every day.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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