MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / March 25, 2000

LAPLACE – All eyes of the sports world will be focused on Sydney, Australia this summer for the Summer Olympics. Millions of people fromaround the globe will be watching the best athletes from around the globe compete for one of the most coveted awards in sports – an Olympic gold medal.

And one of those athletes those millions may be watching could be one from right here in the River Parishes.

Millicent Sylvain, a 1996 graduate of East St. John High School, has adream to be in Sydney this summer, competing in the heptcathalon. Andbased on the success she has had recently, Sylvain could be making the long flight to realize that dream in Australia.

Sylvain, a senior at Alcorn State University, was named the outstanding field performer at the Southwest Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Meet held in Baton Rouge last month. It was the fourth straight yearshe has received that honor in the indoor meet. Sylvain scored 40 points inthe field events, helping Alcorn State to a third-place finish at the meet.

“We had a lot of good competition and it was tough,” Sylvain said. “Myteammates and coaches motivated me.”Sylvain won the long jump with a jump of 20 feet, 4.25 inches, a personalbest. She also set a personal best in winning the triple jump with a jumpof 40-5. Sylvain added victories in the high jump, clearing the bar in 5-5.75, and in the pole vault with a vault of 8-5. In addition, she set apersonal best in placing third in the 55-meter hurdles in 8.05 seconds.Last year at the indoor meet, Sylvain placed first in the pole vault, the first time the event was held, to go with victories in the high jump and triple jump. She also had second place finishes in the long jump andhurdles.

Sylvain has not only excelled on the track but in the classroom as well.

Last semester she achieved a 4.0 grade point average and has made theDean’s List all four years in college. She is scheduled to graduate in Mayand plans to return next year for her master’s.

“Time management,” Sylvain said of the key to combining athletics and academics. “We schedule practices between classes so in the evening timeI have time to do homework.”Sylvain ran track and played basketball at East St. John. In her senior year,she qualified for the state meet in the triple jump and hurdles. Quite anaccomplishment given that she did not even start in track and field until her sophomore year.

That was when the East St. John coach saw her practicing the high jumpbehind the gym and asked her to give it a try. Sylvain did, found she likedit, and two years later it paid off in a full track scholarship to Alcorn State.

Currently, Sylvain is looking to help lead Alcorn State to an outdoor title and to qualify for the NCAA meet. Sylvain, who has been named theoutstanding field performer the last three years at the SWAC outdoor meet, is already provisionally qualified in the long jump.

“I want to do better than I did inside and to help the team to its first championship,” Sylvain said.

After that, her goal is to achieve the 5,600 points she needs to qualify for the Olympic Trials in the heptcathalon.. She said the main thing she needsto work on is her time in the 800 meters.

“I’ve been pretty close,” Sylvain said. “I just have to have a good day. Ican’t have flaws.”

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