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Pine’s Makia Clark capped off her senior year in track/field by standing on the podium at the Class 2A state meet that was held on May 7 at LSU’s Bernie Moore Stadium.

Clark was third in Class 2A in the discus after throwing it 102 feet, 8 inches. Delhi Charter’s Ashari Jones won the title with a throw of 106-10.

“I know I could’ve done better, but the butterflies and stuff got to me,” Clark said. “Every time I went to throw, the butterflies hit me.”

Clark said that she was nervous about the meet, knowing it was her last time competing at state and she said she was nervous about missing graduation, which was later that day. Clark said she made it to graduation.

Clark is the first person in Pine High School history to place at state in track/field.

“As soon as I placed in third and realized I placed in third, it almost made me cry, but I couldn’t cry because I had graduation,” Clark said. “When I went to the school, my mom (Kenasha Cotton) told my principal (Jennifer Thomas) and my classmates. When I walked into the gym before we went to the football field for the graduation, I got a round of applause.”

Clark talked about standing on the podium.

“I felt short, but it was also a great feeling,” Clark said. “It was out of nine people, but it was out of the whole state and that felt awesome.”

Clark said that her inspiration for moving forward in track/field was her uncle Earl Cotton Jr.

“He passed away in March of 2019,” Clark said. “He pushed me to do the impossible.”

This was Clark’s second time reaching state. She went her sophomore year when her brother and former Pine athlete Markel Cotton reached state.

Clark, who has been throwing the discus since the eighth grade, came in fifth in the discus her sophomore year with a throw of 108-10.

The majority of last season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.