NATCHEZ &045; Trinity’s Scott Hanson has a large, ugly-looking scab behind his right shoulder.

&uot;That’s from where I tried to win the 400,&uot; Hanson said.

Hanson, a sprinter and hurdler for the Saints, finished second in the 400 at the MPSA Class A South State meet Saturday, but that was just the beginning. He also won the 300 hurdles and qualified for state in the 200 and as part of the 400 and 800 relay for Trinity. And all this in the first year Hanson has run track full time.

&uot;Usually our numbers were pretty good. Two years ago we finished second and (Hanson) wasn’t really a factor on those teams because we didn’t need him,&uot; Trinity coach David King said. &uot;This is his year to shine. He’s put up good times and really trained hard.&uot;

Hanson and Stevan Ridley are leading the Trinity contingent to Jackson Saturday for the state meet. The senior and sophomore sprinters have performed brilliantly for the Saints this season. Ridley qualified in the 100, 200 and the two relays. Zach Rogel and Tripp Bryant run the other two relay legs for the Saints.

Bryant will compete in the high jump and triple jump at state as well.

&uot;I look for Zach and Scott to go out and have a good end to their careers,&uot; King said. &uot;For Ridley and Bryant, they’ll be coming back and I look for them to have great years next year.&uot;

Trinity moved up to Class AA this season after having been a perennial contender in Class A track for the past several years.

&uot;We would like to be in the top five and keep our streak going,&uot; King said. &uot;It’s tough because most of the boys are doing multiple sports. It’s tough to get as much practice time. They’ve competed well and trained as much as we could.&uot;

Ridley and Rogel both play baseball and Tripp Bryant plays golf.

Adams Christian will send a small but talented contingent &045; Heath Williams and Arianna DeLaSalle.

Williams won the shot put and discus at South State and should be one of the favorites to win both Saturday.

&uot;I started throwing in eighth grade and it’s been my dream ever since to go to State,&uot; Williams said.

DeLaSalle won the high jump at South State and also has a good chance at taking the state title in her event. At South State, she cleared a personal best of five feet, three inches, ahead of the next best mark of 5-0.

&uot;I surprised myself last week clearing that,&uot; DeLaSalle said. &uot;The other girls there didn’t think I could make it. Then some of them started crying after I did it.&uot;

In the Class A ranks, several local schools have athletes heading up to Jackson. Tensas Academy, Huntington School and Wilkinson County Christian Academy will all have athletes at the meet.

Tensas will send athletes in seven individual events and two relays.

&uot;We got a pretty good bit of our team qualified,&uot; Tensas coach Chris Jacobs said. &uot;We were fortunate to get some boys and girls in.&uot;

Mary Miller Ratcliff (1600), Whitney Alford (high jump), Mary Elizabeth Crigler and Caity Rogers (both 400) and Sadie Henderson (100 hurdles) qualified for the Lady Chiefs.

With Cody Hill, the defending state champion in the shot put, the Chiefs have at least one athlete who should be favored to win his event. Hill will compete in the shot put and the discus.

&uot;With Cody Hill, I think he’s odds-on to win state unless he has a really bad a day or someone else has a really good day,&uot; Jacobs said.

Tensas doesn’t have as many athletes going to the state meet as some teams.

&uot;It’s hard for us to win state with scoring system there, since even the last runner in the event gets some points,&uot; Jacobs said. &uot;We don’t have a lot of girls in each event, so it’s hard for us to get as many total points. If we make the top two that would be well-accepted. Making the top four would be a pretty good performance for us.&uot;

Huntington has athletes competing in six individual events and three relays.

&uot;We do have quite a few that qualified and I’m pretty excited about that,&uot; Huntington coach Penny Moak said.

Krystal Arnold won the shot put at South State

Jessie Lee (100 hurdles), Katie Gray (3,200 and 1,600), Emily Anders (400) and Leslie Wagoner (shot put) will also compete for the Lady Hounds. Huntington’s 400, 800 and mile relays also qualified.

&uot;We don’t have anyone that ranks real high, but anything can happen,&uot; Moak said. &uot;Our mile relay has a pretty good chance to do good. Jessie Lee is second in the South in the hurdles and fifth overall (in the state), but the times are really close.&uot;