Lindsey Derrick
Daily Citizen Correspondent
DALTON — Live. Love. Laughter.
Markisha Washington, a standout senior athlete at Dalton High, says that simple three-word phrase is her favorite, and it is clear to her coaches that the smiling 17-year-old does not stray far from them.
Over the past few winters, Washington was a starting forward for the Lady Cata-mounts’ basketball team and she’s winding up her prep athletic careers this spring with coach Pam Brackett’s track and field squad. With most of her after school time booked with two sports, Washington doesn’t have much free time since, so she spends weekends at home relaxing with her mother, Kelley Washington.
Markisha Washington’s versatility is on isplay with the track team. She competes in the 100-meter dash, the 400- and 1,600-meter relays and long jump and triple jumps.
“Triple jump is my favorite event,” Washington said.
She received a nudge in becoming an accomplished in triple jumper from former Southeast Whitfield athlete, Rashad Person, who is her brother.
“He got me into it,” she said.
Her best effort in the triple jump is 33 feet 9 inches, which she used to win the event at the recent Northwest Invitational. She also won the long jump with a leap of 14-11 and helped the 400 and 1,600 relays teams finish second and third, respectively. Her individual performances in the two jumps earned her the meet’s Most Outstanding Field Athlete award and the Lady Cats won the team title for the second straight year.
Brackett describes Washington as a “natural athlete with lots of energy.”
“She has a powerful presence,” Brackett said. “Markisha has a willingness to execute what she decides to do and she focuses her determination.”
Despite her excellence in track and field, Washington has an even greater love for basketball, a sport she has played since age 11.
“It’s more fun,” she said. “It’s not just running. There are more technical things to enjoy.”
Lady Cats basketball coach Jeff McKinney said Washington’s biggest weakness had nothing to do with skills or work ethic. She simply gets “down on herself” at times.
“She always puts 100 percent on the court,” McKinney said. “She is strong-willed, she loves to win, she’s unselfish, has a good attitude, and she’s a good role model.”
McKinney said that Washington, a two-year starter, always knew what the team was trying to accomplish and used her leadership ability to rally others around her.
As a senior, Washington led the Lady Cats with 8.6 rebounds per game and her 11.0 scoring average was second only to Amanda Rector. She also averaged 3.9 steals per game, helping the Lady Cast post a 20-7 record.
Washington will continue her basketball career in college at Fort Valley State, having chosen the school over Mississippi State, Cleveland State, Lee University and North Georgia, after discussing her options with her mother.
That doesn’t come as a surprise to Brackett, who saw a change in Washington in the last year.
“She matured a lot,” Brackett said. “Basketball helped a lot with that because she really wanted that scholarship.”
When Washington graduates in May, she said the things she will miss about Dalton High are her two most influential coaches.
“Coach McKinney is fun, but he’s not easy,” she said. “He always expects the best of you from sports to school. And coach Brackett is like my second mom.”
Washington, who attended Eastbrook Middle School, said she has one regret with the Lady Cats’ basketball team. She never got the chance to play against Southeast Whitfield.
“They play us next year so I could fail just to come back to play them,” Washington said, with a laugh, and she always seems to be smiling.
So how can future athletes learn from Markisha Washington? Brackett said it was her determination and shear athleticism that separated her from others.
McKinney mentioned hard work and the relentless desire to win.
“Keep reaching for your goals and never let anyone say you can’t do anything,” Washington said.
But those who strive to be like Washington should take a page out of her personal playbook.
Maybe, just maybe, you have to live a little bit, love a little bit, and laugh a little bit along the way.
