Aaron Hight was selected as Northeast Mississippi Community College’s inaugural cross country head coach. His Lady Tigers and Tigers made their official debut during the 2024 fall semester.

Northeast won the inaugural National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 23 championships to advance to nationals in Richmond, Va., at Pole Green Park at the conclusion of its debut season.

Dawson Boyd (30:03.6) and Eva Null (22:14.1) were the top finishers for the Tigers and Lady Tigers, respectively, in their first-ever trip to the NJCAA championship.

Northeast is one of only four public institutions below the NCAA Division I level in the state to currently offer both men’s and women’s teams along with East Central Community College, Meridian Community College and Mississippi University for Women.

Hight got his first taste of the sport at Alcorn Central High School. He participated in the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 3A meet as both a freshman and sophomore.

He posted a 5K time of 25:03.98 at Mississippi College’s Choctaw Trails to help the Golden Bears finish in the top 10 of the Class 3A standings in 2005. Hight improved his personal time one year later by nearly four minutes to 21:25.92.

Hight transferred to the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science (MSMS) in Columbus, which did not offer cross country, ahead of his junior year. His zeal for running reignited while completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Tennessee.

Hight received a rare second chance to race competitively some 14 years after his last prep meet after enrolling at Blue Mountain Christian University to work towards a graduate degree.

He placed in the top 20 during his inaugural outing with the Toppers with a 5K time of 20:19. Hight’s best 8K result was a 30:53.3 at the University of Alabama at Huntsville (UAH) hosted event at John Hunt Park.

Hight stays involved with the local running community as well. He recently joined his family in the 2024 Coca-Cola 10K race in his native Corinth and averaged a six-and-a-half minute mile.

He is married to Jessica, who is an alumnus of Northeast, and the couple has three children, Georgia, Moses and Samuel. Hight is also a financial planner at Haire Wealth Management in Tupelo.