NATCHEZ &045; Kedrieck Gibbons looks fast even when he’s standing still.

The former Natchez High standout sprinter and hurdler was at his old school Wednesday helping with Natchez track coach Larry Wesley’s summer track camp.

&uot;When I first talked to him about it, he said he wouldn’t miss the opportunity,&uot; Wesley said.

Gibbons was showing a handful of young campers the finer points of baton exchanges, something he knows plenty about. At Hinds Community College, Gibbons runs the 4×100-and 4×400-meter relays in addition to hurdles and the long jump.

As for helping with the camp, Gibbons said he was happy to do so.

&uot;It’s something I like to do. Anything that has to do with track, I’ll volunteer to do,&uot; Gibbons said. &uot;I’ve been helping out with some of the local track clubs. I’ll do anything for the community. I needed help at one time, so I can help now. There’s a lot of talent in Natchez that just needs a little help.&uot;

Gibbons is coming off a record-setting freshman season at Hinds and he’s looking forward to even bigger and better things.

&uot;If the Lord lets my plans stay the same, in the next couple years I’ll go pro,&uot; Gibbons said. &uot;This year went great for a freshman year. I started off good at the LSU meet.&uot;

Gibbons set a National Junior College Athletic Association record at the National Indoor meet when he ran the 60-meter hurdles in 7.87 seconds in the preliminary rounds. Unfortunately, Gibbons aggravated a broken collarbone and wasn’t at his best in the finals, finishing eighth. He received All-American honors in the long jump and set personal bests in the 110-hurdles, running a 13.8 time. He also got his 100 time down to 10.05, he said.

Despite his considerable success at Hinds, Gibbons isn’t running at full strength because of that broken collarbone, which prevented him from competing in some meets and a number of events at meets in which he did compete.

It’s that collarbone that’s holding him back right now. When he pulls his shirt collar down, you can see where the bone sticks out, something he hopes to get corrected this summer with surgery.

&uot;I’m seeing a guy in Baton Rouge who thinks he can help me out,&uot; Gibbons said. &uot;Hopefully we can get this taken care of.&uot;

In fact, were it not for that collarbone, Gibbons wouldn’t have been in Natchez this week. Instead he would have been at the U.S. Outdoor Trials competing in the hurdles.

&uot;I qualified to go there. I feel like I’m ready in my mind, but not physically,&uot; Gibbons said.

Gibbons first broke the collarbone playing football in his senior season at Natchez High, and it’s given him trouble ever since.

&uot;It didn’t really bother me in high school because I wasn’t going all out. I didn’t really have much competition in Mississippi,&uot; Gibbons said. &uot;When I came into these big meets where I really have to work hard, it flares up and hurts.&uot;

Running against other junior college athletes hasn’t been what Gibbons expected.

&uot;I don’t even think about the junior college thing. I know I was D-I material, so at the big meets I just try to beat everybody,&uot; Gibbons said. &uot;It doesn’t matter to me.&uot;

Gibbons said his first choice right now is Arkansas, one of the nation’s premier collegiate track programs.

&uot;I’m leaning towards them right now, but everybody wants me,&uot; Gibbons said. &uot;A lot of schools have let me know about them. I just have to keep my grades up. I got a 3.2 GPA last semester.&uot;

Wesley said Gibbons should be able to go just about anywhere he wants to for college.

&uot;The most important thing is just that they know he’s out there,&uot; Wesley said. &uot;He can go where he wants to go and he has a good chance to get on that big stage.&uot;

Gibbons is studying radiology and plans to continue that when he transfers to a Division I school a year from now.