NATCHEZ &8212; Six high schools from around the area got together Thursday afternoon at Natchez High School for a little run.

The Natchez Invitational Cross Country meet, which began at Tom F. Williams Memorial Stadium and then wrapped around the Natchez Trace Parkway, was a rousing success, according to Natchez track coach Larry Wesley.

&8220;This was a good meet,&8221; he said. &8220;We had a good turnout. We didn&8217;t bring enough girls, but the boys did a good job.

&8220;We always have a good time here.&8221;

The Natchez girls finished first with a score of 22, due in part to the fact that they were the only school to arrive with the quorum of five girls.

McComb took the boys title, followed by Port Gibson and Natchez, respectively. Cathedral finished fifth.

Madeline Jeansonne of Cathedral finished second in the girls division, but felt she could have done better.

&8220;I hope (my time) gets better,&8221; she said after being told her finishing time of 17:10. &8220;I don&8217;t really remember my time here from last year, but I know I had a better pace than this at state. I&8217;m definitely happy to have a second place finish. That&8217;s an improvement on last year.&8221;

The girls ran 2.1 kilometers, while the boys ran 3.1 kilometers.

Cathedral track coach Jean Benoit said she was pleased with her team&8217;s performance.

&8220;They&8217;ve worked hard,&8221; she said. &8220;Most of them are still junior high kids and Natchez always runs a great meet. I was pleased with how they did.

&8220;(The kids are) also very enthusiastic,&8221; she said as several team members interrupted her.

Wesley was happy with his girls&8217; performance, but felt the boys could have done more.

&8220;The girls always do a good job,&8221; he said. &8220;I was hoping for a better effort from the boys. We had a good crowd, a good meet. The boys just should have done better. Especially after the Choctaw Trails, Tuesday.&8221;

Cathedral will host another cross country meet next week on the Natchez Trace.