Janice Davis wasn’t around to accept the awards – she is training in Atlanta trying to earn another berth on the U.S. Junior National track team – but the Natchez High School junior to be has been named the Mississippi Female Track Athlete of the Year by both The Clarion Ledger and the Scholastic Coaches’ Association.

&uot;Janice is very deserving of these honors,&uot; longtime Natchez High track coach Henry &uot;Doc&uot; Woods said. &uot;Her record and her times prove she is one of the nation’s elite runners.&uot;

During her recently completed sophomore season she went undefeated against Mississippi runners. She also won the 100, 200 and 400 meter state titles while anchoring the NHS 4 x 400 meter relay team, which also finished first.

Those four first-place finishes at the state track meet went a long way in helping the Lady Bulldogs capture the 5A state championship for the second time in three years.

Her state meet record of 11.44 seconds in the 100 meters is the second best time posted by a high school runner this season. She hopes to post a even better time when she competes in the Junior National Track and Field Meet this Saturday and Sunday in Virginia.

Davis was not the only Natchez runner to be honored in the past week.

Carl Butler, who won the 5A state title in the 400 meters for the NHS boys track team, was named to The Clarion Ledger’s All-State track and field team.

He finished the year undefeated in the 400 as a senior, and posted a 48.89 in the state track meet. He will continue his career on the track team at Ole Miss next season.

&uot;He hasn’t signed just yet, but we are in the process of getting all the paperwork together,&uot; Woods said.