NATCHEZ &045; Nason Stephens is a throwback.

Not in the floppy, chromatic sports jersey sense of the word, although his shaggy blonde hair that he cleans from his eyes is reminiscent of the mop Pete Maravich used to boast.

No, Stephens’ &uot;old school&uot; diet consists of a healthy dose of classical art.

The Trinity Episcopal sophomore, who competes in three events at the South State Class A championships today, prefers van Gogh and Picasso to modern painters, such as Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol and Georgia O’Keefe.

However, he sees where the future of art is headed, and it’s nowhere in the historic ballpark.

He wants to attend New York’s School of Art and Design, and major in graphic design.

&uot;Nobody’s drawing anymore. It’s all coming into computers,&uot; said Stephens, who has the top MPSA time in the 400 meters this year at 51.29 seconds. &uot;If I want to survive in this world, I have to learn how to do it.&uot;

Which is why Stephens is considering leaving Trinity after this year and enroll in Brookhaven’s Mississippi School for the Arts.

Stephens first heard about MSA last summer when a woman delivered a PowerPoint presentation detailing the school while he was taking some arts courses at Delta State.

MSA boards its students in an eight-story student life center that houses dorms, a cafeteria, computer labs, a library and a fitness center.

If accepted (he finds out next week), the program calls for students to take your typical curriculum &045; history, science, math, etc. &045; at Brookhaven High during the mornings and then return to MSA in the afternoon for his art classes along with an English course.

&uot;I’m so welcoming the chance to go to a school for two years where it’ll basically be art in training to set up my portfolio for college,&uot; said Stephens, who loves working with oil, pastels and acrylic. &uot;It’s the best opportunity I can get at the high school level as far as teaching in Mississippi.&uot;

He said he’ll miss Trinity where he’s spent the last two years, helping the track team to a state title last year and serving as a placekicker for the football team that finished as state runner-ups to Heidelberg in 2003.

Stephens could begin his final hurrah for the Saints at the Silliman Institute in Clinton, La., today, as he attempts to qualify for State in the 100, 200 and 400 meters.

&uot;I think Nason has used this as a time to do something that very few kids get to do,&uot; said Trinity track coach David King, who will be running with a depleted team due to a senior exodus several weeks ago. &uot;I think he can really focus on what he’s gotta do. With him not running the relays, it’ll give him an advantage over some of the guys he’ll be competing against.&uot;

With numbers short, King opted not to field a team in any of the relay events, so the Saints will enlist the services of two sophomores and one freshman today.

Stephens’ fellow sophomore Wesley Davis will run the 800 and 1,600 meters, while Austin Greene is scheduled for the 3,200 meters.

In order to qualify for the State meet at Greenville’s Washington School next weekend, the three must finish in the top four.

&uot;I promise we’ll all qualify,&uot; Stephens boldly predicted. &uot;The pressure’s on you with the seniors gone. It’s not a let down, although it did seem like that way in the beginning. People might think we’re weaker for it. But every time you walk in with that Trinity jersey on, people expect you to be fast. It’s time for you to step up. They’ve passed the torch to us.&uot;

Stephens has run the 400 since the eighth grade when his family lived in Sewanee, Tenn., while his father Paul took the steps to become a priest.

That’s also when Stephens dove headfirst into sports, continuing his love affair with soccer and being introduced to basketball and track.

&uot;To me the 400 is the hardest race because it’s a long sprit and takes a lot out of you,&uot; he said. &uot;If you’re a sprinter, naturally born or whatever, the 400 is the way to define yourself as an athlete.&uot;