NATCHEZ — Five seconds is all that separated the winners of the Cathedral Invitational Cross Country Meet girls’ group Tuesday afternoon.

Pamela Selmon of Natchez High edged out Cathedral’s Madeline Jeansonne to take first place running the four kilometers in 15:43.

“We stayed together the whole way,” Jeansonne said. She sped up at the end and I couldn’t keep up.”

Selmon said it has always been her strategy to gain momentum at the end.

“I always keep a steady pace until the end,” Selmon said. “But I didn’t expect her to push me that hard. I had to run at a faster pace.”

Cathedral track coach Jean Benoit said Jeansonne had been sick all week and she had some concerns on how she would do.

“She has been coughing and stuff this past week,” Benoit said. “But she hung in there to the end. I’m real pleased with the way she ran.”

In the boys’ group, McComb took first place with Natchez and Cathedral placing second and third in the overall team competition.

Natchez was without their primary runner Mario Williams but Reginald Thomas took up the slack finishing third behind McComb runners Kenton Fischer and Devon Butter.

Natchez track coach Larry Wesley said Williams was suspended but would return before the next meet.

“Not having Mario hurt us for team scoring but Reginald is a very good runner,” Wesley said. He ran a good race.”

Thomas ran a 21:25 finishing just behind Fischer’s first place time of 20:50.

“I couldn’t catch them,” Thomas said. “McComb has some good athletes. But I stayed with them the whole way.”

Benoit said the meet went extremely well and all the schools involved did a good job.

“We’ve competed with each other in a number of meets,” Benoit said. “All the times have picked up. Now everyone gets some time between the district meets.”