HATTIESBURG &045; The new season means a new start against some new competition for the Natchez High track clubs.

Neither team finished first or second, but the biggest thing is the first meet is in and out of the way. The Bulldogs finished in third place, while the Lady Bulldogs finished fourth among teams from Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana at the USM Relays Friday.

&uot;We pretty much ran for times,&uot; NHS head coach Larry Wesley said. &uot;We ran hard and got some good times. It was an eye-opener. Another thing is to credit those other schools in regard to Mississippi. They have outstanding indoor facilities, and that makes a difference. But our kids were up to the challenge.&uot;

The boys’ squad finished with 82 points behind Port Gibson and Central Tuscaloosa (Ala.), who won the meet. Kendrick Gibbons was the only one to get a first on the boys’ side as he won the 100 hurdles in 13.91 seconds and the long jump at 21-10.

Karlecio Richardson was second in the 300 hurdles in 40.7 seconds, and the 800-meter relay team of Darius Edwards, Richard Blanton, Adrian Galyer and Travis Washington finished second in 1:30.91.

Other results included Blanton in fifth in the 100 at 11.35 seconds and Washington in 10th at 11.49, Blanton in fifth in the 200 in 23.07 seconds and Washington in 10th in 23.40, Galyer was in 11th in the 400 in 53.30 seconds and Chris Tenner in 15th in 55.37.

In the 800, Tenner was 14th in 2:18.40 and Travis Graves 17th in 2:21.74. Donta Brown was 10th in the 1,600 in 5:13.41 and Graves 15th in 5:21.58, and Brown was third in the 3,200 in 11:03.00.

Richardson was eighth in the 100 hurdles in 15.97 seconds, Richardson was second in the 300 hurdles in 40.7 seconds and Edwards was third in the 300 hurdles in 41.02 seconds. The 400-meter relay team of Edwards, Richardson, Gibbons and Washington was third in 43.48 seconds, and the mile relay team of Gibbons, Edwards, Richardson and Galyer was third in 3:28.

Darryl Bassett was 15th in the long jump at 18-7 and sixth in the triple at 42-3. Gibbons was third in the high jump at 6-8.

The Lady Bulldogs, meanwhile, got two first-place finishes from Janice Davis and a second place from Lexi Washington. Davis won the 100 in 11.82 seconds and the 200 in 23.95 seconds, while Washington was second in the triple jump at 36-5.

The three high finishes helped the Lady Bulldog finish fourth with 60 points. Baton Rouge High won the meet with 143 points, Central Tuscaloosa was second with 138 and Auburn (Ala.) High School was third with 78.

Other results were Taji Dorsey in seventh in the 200 in 26.38 seconds, Whitney Thomas in 11th in the 400 at 1:06.03, Serena Dixon in 16th in the 400 in 1:10.57, Porshe Singleton in 11th in the 800 at 2:55.24 and 16th in the 1,600 at 6:54.51 and Tanieka Hill in fifth in the 100 hurdles in 16.34 seconds and fifth in the 300 hurdles in 49.05 seconds.

Dixon was 10th in the 300 hurdles in 56.62 seconds, Washington was fifth in the high jump at 4-8 and sixth in the long jump at 16-01 and

Dorsey was ninth in the long jump at 15-5 and 10th in the triple jump at 32-1.

The 400-meter relay team of Davis, Hill, Dorsey and Washington was third in 49.41 seconds, the 800 relay team of Thomas, Dixon, Hill and Dorsey was seventh in 1:52.29 and the mile relay team of Davis, Hill, Dorsey and Washington was fourth in 4:15.64.