Harris Caps Record Season With Blue Mountain Signing
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Lailah Harris signs with Blue Mountain College, joined by her coaches and parents. Harris becomes the second Water Valley powerlifting athlete to ink with the program.
WATER VALLEY — For Water Valley High School senior Lailah Harris, signing day was more than just putting pen to paper when she committed to Blue Mountain University. It was the result of careful thought, hard work and a decision that balanced both her academic goals and her passion for powerlifting.
“It really means a lot,” Harris said. “I’ve worked really hard, and it took me a lot to weigh out my options. I was set up to do something completely different, and then I had this opportunity. Not everybody gets this opportunity, so why not take it?”
That “different” plan originally had Harris headed to the University of Mississippi, where she had already been accepted in the Trent Lott Leadership Institute and planned to double major in policy and nursing.
“I was not thinking about powerlifting,” she said. “I had applied way back and just said I was going to see how my season goes, but I probably wasn’t going to go this direction.”
Instead, Harris kept her options open as her senior year progressed.
The turning point came after a visit to Blue Mountain, where she and a teammate were extended an offer with a 30-day window to decide.
“He said, ‘I’m going to send out an offer. You have 30 days to respond,’” Harris recalled. “I was really hesitant, really nervous about it. At the same time, I was very excited.”
Rather than rush the decision, Harris took a deliberate approach. She reached out to her contacts at Ole Miss to make sure the opportunity would not close the door on her long-term plans.
“I said, ‘This opportunity has come up. I’ve already been accepted, but before my 30 days is up, I want to know — if I go here, can I come back and still pursue this degree at the Trent Lott Leadership Institute after graduating from Blue Mountain?’” she asked.
The answer was yes. That confirmation made the decision clear. Just minutes later, she committed.
“That same morning, about 15 minutes later, I texted and said, ‘I’m going to take this opportunity. I’m going to commit,’” she said.
Harris will attend Blue Mountain College, where she plans to major in nursing. She will then enroll at Ole Miss to pursue a master’s degree in policy.
“I really want to go to Ole Miss, and I really love lifting,” she said. “I didn’t want to sit in one school thinking I’m missing out.”
That mindset has defined her approach, both in the classroom and in competition.
Harris began powerlifting as a freshman, not expecting it to become a major part of her life.
“I just tried it out,” she said. “Immediately, it became my favorite sport.”
At the time, she was involved in four sports. She eventually narrowed her focus to powerlifting and band.
“I really loved band, and I’m grateful for that,” she said. “But I fell in love with powerlifting.”
Her results speak for themselves. Harris qualified for the state meet all four years of high school and medaled three times.
“I’ve fallen in love with it,” she said. “It’s my favorite sport now.”
A Stellar Season
Water Valley High School Powerlifting Coach Clint Faust said Harris capped off her senior season by breaking three state records in her weight class and finishing as the overall state champion at 148 pounds. He said she set new marks in the bench press at 155 pounds and the squat at 325 pounds.
“She broke a record that had been standing since 2010,” Faust said. “You break one of those, you’re doing something.”
Faust called Harris the strongest female athlete he has coached and said her senior season was the result of steady progress after reaching the state meet the year before.
Blue Mountain coach Jerrell Howell, who recruited her, said Harris had been on his radar since that earlier appearance.
“I was very impressed, especially with the turnaround from her junior year to senior year,” Howell said. “She flipped a switch.”
Howell said Harris’ focus and determination set her apart and will translate well to the next level.
“She has her eyes set on goals,” he said. “That makes it easy to coach.”
He also described her as thoughtful and deliberate, noting her ability to gather information and make informed decisions — traits that stood out during the recruiting process.
Harris credits the environment around the sport as the biggest reason for that passion.
“No sport, to me, has the environment that powerlifting has,” Harris said. “Everybody supports you. Everybody is rooting for you. Even if you’re competing against someone, they’re still telling you that you can do it.”
That level of sportsmanship stood out to her compared to other sports she had experienced.
“You see competition in basketball and football, but powerlifting is different,” she said. “Other coaches will still root for you. That’s my favorite thing about it.”
Her start in the sport came simply from taking a chance.
“One of my friends mentioned it, and I saw tryouts posted,” she said. “I signed up, tried out, made the team and just kept going.”
Looking back on her journey, Harris said she is grateful for the opportunity and the people who helped along the way.
