Westover Grad sets Collegiate Records

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - “I shocked myself honestly.”

Westover grad and current Campbell University Sprinter Chastity Pickett broke not one, not two, but three school records in the Big South Conference Championships. Pickett says breaking one record was just the push she need to go out there and break another one.

“It only made me want to get better, keep breaking them and get faster. It was motivation each and every race,” said the star sprinter.

Pickett took first place in the women’s 60 meter dash setting a school record of 7.48 seconds. She won the 200 meter dash setting the school record at 23.73 seconds and took home gold in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.21 seconds. She says setting the record in the hurdles surprised her the most because she hadn’t run hurdles since she was in the red, white and blue.

“I have always wanted to run the hurdles since high school. I haven’t done the hurdles since high school so being able to hurdle and like open up with a really good time it changed everything from there.”

Pickett helped her team to finish second in the conference meet where she was also awarded the women’s most valuable athlete, but Pickett is no stranger to awards. During her time at Westover she won state in the 300 meter hurdles, bringing home the first individual state title for the Lady Patriots in over a decade.

The star says her time as a Patriot shaped her into the runner she is today.

“I feel like running track at Westover prepared me for this tremendously. It gave me the mental toughness that I needed in order to be able to train at a higher level. At any time I didn’t feel like working out or doing the workout. they just pushed me more and more to do it. I came into college with that mindset and it just transferred from there.”

Although the indoor season has come to a close, the sprinter is going into the outdoor season with a new found confidence.

“This whole season was a major shock to me because I realized exactly what I can do and what I’m capable of.”

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