VICKSBURG &045; No Janice Davis and Kendrick Gibbons for a Natchez High track meet?

No problem.

Each team’s top athlete sat out Saturday’s meet at Vicksburg, and the Lady Bulldogs went up there with just five athletes &045; four who ran all the track events and one who did just two field events.

Instead of folding, the girls’ team finished second and boys’ team first in a seven-team field of 5A schools from Vicksburg and Jackson.

&uot;It’s one of the most enjoyable meets I’ve been to in a while,&uot; NHS head coach Larry Wesley said. &uot;They really put out. When I first got there and saw the teams that were there, I said, ‘Let’s get fifth.’ The girls said, ‘Coach, we’re going to do this.’ They did a good job to finish second with four girls. That was something special for the girls.&uot;

The girls’ squad was down to Tanieka Hill, Serena Dixon, Taji Dorsey and Lexi Washington in the running events, and the three made a sweep of the relays &045; 51.2 seconds in the 400, 1:45 in the 800 and 4:23 in the 1,600 &045; to finish second with 106 points behind Pearl’s 112.

Hill was first in the 110 hurdles in 15.10 seconds and the 300 hurdles in 45.7 seconds, Taji Dorsey won the long jump at 16-2 and Lexi Washington won the triple jump at 34-8.

&uot;They went in with a team aspect, and that’s how you do it,&uot; Wesley said. &uot;All four of them had good days.&uot;

Other results were Dorsey in second in the 100 in 12.46, Dixon third in the 110 hurdles in 17.71, Washington in second in the high jump at 5-0 and Dorsey in second in the triple jump at 34-4.

Amber Smoot was sixth in the shot put at 30-3 and eighth in the discus at 51-3.

On the boys’ side, the Bulldogs used a third-place finish with a makeshift team in the mile relay to hold on to first place with 111 points. Pearl was second with 110 and Vicksburg third with 108.

Anthony Green, Dennis Williams, Karlecio Richardson and Gerald Shelvy finished the mile relay in 2:44 for third place.

&uot;We knew we had to finish in the top five,&uot; Wesley said. &uot;I knew it would be hard because we didn’t have the right people. Pearl had to win it and not let us finish high. We finished third and won the meet.&uot;

Top finishes included Richardson in first in the 300 hurdles in 39.2 seconds and Darius Edwards second in 41.2, Richard Blanton was second in the 200 in 22.2 and Richardson was second in the 110 hurdles in 15.71 seconds.