There was a strong showing for schools from Southwest Mississippi last week in Hattiesburg, as the Hub City hosted two different cross-country meets.

At Camp Shelby, the Mississippi High Schools Activities Association (MHSAA) put on the Red-White-Blue Run.

The 1A/2A/3A boys’ team event was won by the Wesson Cobras and the overall race winner in that event was Loyd Star sophomore Carson Sellers.

Sellers finished the 5K course in 21 minutes and 49 seconds. Seth Britt is the Loyd Star cross-county coach this season.

(Carson Sellers)

Second, third, and fourth were all Wesson runners in eighth grader Dalton Jackson, sophomore Grady Smith, and senior Isaac Stovall.

(Wesson Boys)

Other top finishers from the area included Loyd Star freshman Conner Smith (Eighth Place), Wesson eighth grader Asher Hart (14th Place), Wesson sophomore Gavin Sandifer (22nd Place), and Wesson sophomore Preston Oberschmidt (24th Place).

Other local competitors in the race included Wesson seventh grader Cole Windham, Loyd Star freshman Memphis Falvey, Loyd Star freshman Lyric Foster, Wesson sophomore Canderous White, Wesson seventh grader Santana Silvan, Wesson senior Nic Raiford, and Loyd Star senior Syncere Hawthorn.

Wesson also took first place in the girls’ team competition.

(Wesson Girls)

Top finishers for coach Vance Windam and the Cobras were sophomores Eden Hall and Zoey Ashley in third and fourth place respectively. Other top finishers for the Cobras included freshman Kennedi Johnson (Ninth Place), freshman Emory Britt (13th place), sophomore Ally Selman (14th place), freshman Anne Peets (15th Place), freshman Jayden Allen (24th place).

Alos running for Wesson were eighth grader Natalie Allen and seventh grader Kate McKenzie.

North Pike eight grader Bellah Alohr had a top 25 finish in the 4A/5A race for girls, finishing 15th overall.

The North Pike boys’ team won their 4A/5A race by just edging out Kosciusko High by three points. There were 21 total teams entered in that event.

Top finishers for North Pike included senior Hayes Gabler (Fifth Place), junior Jaxon Jones (Seventh Place), and senior Ethan Lewis (12th Place).

McComb High freshman Jermaine Green finished 17th.

On the same day in Hattiesburg, a meet was being put on by the Hattiesburg Forerunners, an athletic organization made up of homeschooled students from the area.

There was a 2-mile run for junior high girls in which West Lincoln eighth grader Aubrey Maxwell (16th Place), seventh grader Karleigh Wallace (19th Place), and seventh grader Haylen Yawn (24th Place) were Top 25 finishers.

Eighth grader Riely Blackwell (29th Place) was the top finisher for Bogue Chitto.

Other competitors included Alayna Richardson of West Lincoln, Annamarie Posey of West Lincoln, Alaina Wilson of West Lincoln, Aliyah Riggs of West Lincoln, Zailey King of West Lincoln, Peyton Johnson of Bogue Chitto, Jaliyah Wood of Bogue Chitto, Miriam Myers of West Lincoln, and Addy Delaune of West Lincoln.

The West Lincoln boys’ and coach Jay Case took first in the 2-mile junior high boys race. Seventh grader Garret Evans finished second, eighth grader Kason Lofton finished third, seventh grader Russell Case finished fourth, and seventh grader Sawyer Smith finished sixth.

(West Lincoln Junior High Boys)

Seventh grader Holden Porter finished 13th for Bogue Chito while seventh grader Tanner Huey finished 20th for West Lincoln.

Other local runners included Cooper Wallace of Bogue Chitto, Jon LeBlanc of Bogue Chitto, Brice Wilson of West Lincoln, Kolten Beeson of West Lincoln, Ketch Avants of Bogue Chitto, Rex Smith of Bogue Chitto, Mason Bales of Bogue Chitto, Raylan Sasser of Bogue Chitto, Mason Hart of Bogue Chitto, Stone Wallace of Bogue Chitto, Dameion Cannon of West Lincoln, John Joffrion of West Lincoln, Bryson Montgomery of Bogue Chitto, Ky Waldrop of Bogue Chitto, and Landon Meadows of West Lincoln.

Jesse Acy (29th Place) of West Lincoln and Eli James (30th Place) of Bogue Chitto were the top local finishers in the girls and boys varsity races respectively.