Clinton Girls, Pearl Boys Win Class 7A Team Championships

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

The top-ranked track and field team in the state, the Clinton girls, showed why they are the best. Saturday, May 3, at the Woody Barnett Track & Field Complex at Pearl High, Clinton won the program’s 12th consecutive Mississippi High School State Outdoor Track and Field title. The team scored a dominant 150 points, claiming their second straight 7A crown. 

Clinton was led by balanced effort scoring points in all but two events. The team swept the relays winning the 4x100 (47.21), 4x200 (1:40.02), 4x400 (3:58.63) and 4x800 (10:02.50). Khamrin Harper won the 200 (24.74) and was third in the 100. Kaitlyn Jones claimed the 300 hurdles (44.55). 

In the field, the Biloxi girls swept the top three in the pole vault with senior Julie Segroves clearing 13-feet. 

The boys 7A title was a home victory as the Pearl boys denied Clinton a program sweep, scoring 111 points, as Clinton was runner-up with 86 points. 

For Pearl, it was the 19th boys state title. 

Senior J’Karius Gilbert won the 110 hurdles (meet record 13.96) and finished second in the 300 hurdles (39.25), while teammate Jaquavion Bryant won the 800 (1:57.27) and placed second in the 1,600 (4:23.51). The team also won the 4x100 (41.17) by three hundredths of a second. 

Kingi McNair, ranked No. 1 in the country in the long jump, won that event with 24-7. 

The Hattiesburg girls repeated as the 6A state champs scoring 96 points. Freshman Tamea Miller led the way by winning the 400 (58.81), triple jump (39-2.50) and placed fifth in the long jump. Eighth grader Judawn Porter won the 300 hurdles (45.17), was second in the 100 hurdles (15.64) and placed second in the long jump (17-6). Teammate and fellow freshman, Nyla Flowers, won the 100 hurdles (15.23). 

The battle for the 6A boys title was close as Terry held off defending champion Hattiesburg, 89-81 to claim the title. The team picked up two individual wins and one in the relays, but scored points in 12 of the events. 

Junior Dwight Palmer of Warren Central swept the sprints, winning the 100 (10.73), 200 (21.84) and 400 (49.12). In the field, Samuel Harris of West Harrison won the discus (181-0) and shot put (45-2.50).

The Brookhaven girls repeated as the 5A state champions with 143.50 points, scoring in all but one event. 

In the sprints, Jayda Ferrell, an eighth grader from Vancleave, won the 100 (12.33) and 200 (25.86).

In 5A, the Corinth boys, led by juniors Preston and Patrick Crump, denied Brookhaven another title, as the team tallied 132 boys to win the crown. Brookhaven was a close second with 122 points. Patrick won the 400 (50.40), placed fourth in the 100 (10.97), sixth in the 200 (23.01) and ran on the winning 4x400 (3:29.76), while Preston was second in the 110 hurdles (14.55), fifth in the high jump (6-feet) and part of the fourth-place 4x200 (1:30.35). 

Monday, May 5 - 3A-1A

At the Class 3A and 1A Class state meet, the Tylertown boys track team scored 88 points to win the 3A title. Tylertown held off Saint Stanislaus (78.50 points) to win the boys' fourth straight championship and 10th overall in the past 11 seasons. 

The team used a strong showing on the track, scoring points in all of the relays, including a first-place showing in the 4x200 relay (1:28.43). Freshman Drayman Robinson won the 300 hurdles in a time of 40.94. In the field, teammate and senior Jamal Martin won the high jump (6-8). 

Saint Stanislaus senior Micah Bishop led his team by winning the 110 hurdles (15.18), taking second in the 300 hurdles (41.20) and placing sixth in the 200 (22.52). 

The Tylertown girls made it a program sweep, tallying 82 points to win the 3A crown - ther first since 2017. Saint Patrick Catholic was a close second with 76 points.

Jefferson County standout sophomore Charve Gibson claimed the 100 (12.29), long jump (18-10.75) and triple jump (39-09). 

Saint Patrick’s Jayden Ware, a junior, won the 800 (2:30.06), 3,200 (12:33.96) and was second in the 1,600 (5:38.87). 

It didn’t come easy but the Tupelo Christian boys did just enough to win the 1A title, the program’s seventh consecutive. The team scored  75 points and Resurrection Catholic School was second with 68 points. Tupelo’s lone victory came from senior Carson Kessler in the pole vault where he cleared 13-6. 

The Tupelo Christian girls also claimed the 1A crown, the program’s first since 2019. The team scored in 12 of the events to finish with a dominating 111.50 points. Sophomore Lynn Hooker won the 100 (12.90) and 200 (26.55)  and the team claimed the 4x400 (4:32.76) and 4x800 (10:59.86) relays titles. 

Monday, May 12 4A-2A

The Senatobia boys and girls swept team titles on Monday at the 4A/2A state championships that were postponed from a week ago. 

The Senatobia girls finished with 114.83 points to win the 4A title. Senior Nakaeyla Hammond led the way with a victory in the pole vault as the team went 1-3-5 in the event. 

On the track, McCombs' Sa’Riah Magee won the 100 (12.22), 200 (25.31) and was part of the fifth-place 4x200 relay.

The Senatobia boys scored a bit more than the girls, finishing with 120.50 points. Junior Ty’earion Webb of Senatobia won the triple jump by five feet, soaring 47-8.25. 

Lanier High, which finished in second place as a team with 104 points, dominated the sprints with junior Krishawn Course winning the 100 (10.86) and 200 (21.87). Teammate and freshman Chris Mathis won the 400 in 49.91. 

The St. Andrew’s girls used a dominating effort in the distance events to claim the 2A title with an incredible 165 points. 

In the 3,200, eighth grader Lily Halter led the way for a 1-2-3 finish as she won the event in 12:27.36. She was also second in the 1,600 and 800, which also saw a 1-2-3 finish. Seventh grader Mary Cecilia Neely won the 1,600 in 5:41.54, while teammate and fellow seventh grader, Evelyn Spelling won the 400 (1:00.12) and 800 (2:25.63). St. Andrew’s also claimed the 4x800 relay title (10:39.53). In total, the team won eight of the 18 events. 

The St. Andrew’s boys made it a program sweep as they defended their crown with 126 points. Freshman Jackson Jumper led the way for the team winning the 1,600 (4:49.49) and 3,200 (10:44.36).

Team Champions

Class 7A- Pearl boys 111 points; Clinton girls 150 points - RESULTS

Class 6A - Terry boys 89 points, Hattiesburg girls 96 points - RESULTS

Class 5A - Corinth boys 132 points, Brookhaven girls 143.50 points - RESULTS

Class 4A - Senatobia boys 120.50 points; Senatobia girls 114.83 points - RESULTS

Class 3A - Tylertown boys 88 points, Tylertown girls 82 points - RESULTS

Class 2A - St. Andrew’s boys 126 points; St. Andrew’s girls 165 points - RESULTS

Class 1A - Tupelo Christian boys 75 points; Tupelo Christian girls 11.50 points - RESULTS