HATTIESBURG &045; It’s mathematical that a rivalry ensues each time two schools within an hour’s drive of each other face off.

Such is the case with Natchez High and Vicksburg in almost every contested athletic endeavor. That tension has now spilled over into the track and field arena, as the Gators continued to be the thorn in the side of the Natchez High boys at the Region 3-5A meet Saturday.

Earlier this month, the Bulldogs left the Division 6 District 6 meet in Vicksburg believing they had edged out Vicksburg for top team honors, only to be tracked down at a McDonald’s and informed they had lost by half a point.

It once again came down to the wire with the Gators prevailing 132 to Natchez’s 130. However, both teams advance to the South State meet.

Despite being without the services of senior Anthony Greene, who was injured, the Bulldog relay teams captured two of their four relays, finishing second in the 4×100. The 4×200 and 4×400

teams blew past the competition with respective times of 1:30.85 and 3:35.27.

Standout Kedrieck Gibbons continued his dominant march with first-place finishes in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles, his bread-and-butter events, and the long jump. Gibbons ran a 14.51 in the 110 and 40.59 in the 300, both marks off his state best times he set at the district meet in Vicksburg.

Montrell Shelton and John Isaacs gave Natchez a 2-3 finish in the 3,200-meter run, while Travis Washington (11.6) and Greene (11.7) were able to acquire points by crossing the tape in third and fourth, respectively.

Washington also picked up a second-place finish in the 400-meter dash with a time of 52.80.

It was a near dead heat on the girls’ side as well with the Lady Bulldogs compiling a team total of 152, four points shy of meet winner and host Hattiesburg.

Hattiesburg one-upped the Lady Bulldogs in each relay event, as Natchez’s foursome finished second in each race.

Premiere hurdler Tanieka Hill got some help in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles from freshman Candace Frye. The duo went 1-2 in the 100 with Hill (15.27) finishing ahead of Frye (15.97), and 1-3 in the 300, as Hill crossed the tape in 46.34 seconds with Frye not far behind at 49.22.

The pair reversed roles in the 100-meter dash, giving the Lady Bulldogs points as Frye’s 13.08 finish was good enough for third place, while Hill finished fifth in a time of 13.30.

Junior Taji Dorsey proved to be a force to be reckoned with, picking up first places in the long jump (16-10), triple jump (35-0) and the 200-meter dash (25.53).

Not far behind Dorsey in the 200 was Ke’Airra Jones (27.11), another freshman who also added first place points in the 400-meter dash (59.72) and high jump (5-04).

Porsha Singleton, who showed well in the shotput, gave the Lady Bulldogs another first-place finish in the 800-meter run (2:36.61).