By Matt Sigler

The Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ — When someone looks at a cross-country results sheet, names stand alone.

When the Natchez High varsity girls cross-country runners look at a results sheet, they see more than just a name, they see a family.

Shaylin Williams, Markaja Ramirez, Shamarra Grover, Jadelia Ealy and Kenya Davis have been running cross-country together for a few years now, and have been able to get more out of the sport than just running.

“We motivate each other and stay on each other like white on rice,” Ramirez said.

The group of five led Natchez to an extremely successful season last year and is hoping to do the same this year, with each girl saying their goal is either reaching or winning state.

“I want to win state and set a record,” Grover said.

Davis added, “I want to get a ring.”

The group said state was in their grasp last year, until they were hit with an unexpected turn of events.

“We could’ve won state,” Davis said. “But we had to run with people that weren’t in our division.”

Despite their success in cross-country, the group claims track as their number one sport.

“We take cross-country serious,” Ramirez said. “But we are more competitive in outdoor and indoor track season.”

All of them said cross-country is their main way of staying in shape and “keeping their wind” for track season.

When it comes to track and each is competing in their own event, it is no surprise to see another one of the girls there to root them on.

“It is amazing,” Grover said of having the opportunity to watch her friends compete. With Ramirez adding, “It’s like watching your sister play.”

Most importantly, though, the group is focused in the classroom, something they pride themselves in.

“We all help each other,” Ramirez said. “If we know somebody is slacking, we are going to get on their case and make sure they get on track.”

In Tuesday’s meet at Natchez, Ramirez led the way finishing sixth overall, Davis took eighth, Williams came in 16th and Grover in 20th.

Cathedral takes top spot

It was a photo finish for Abby Massey as she raced to the finish line.

Neck and neck until the end, Massey was able to barely capture first place in the Natchez High meet Tuesday.

“I was about to give up and let her have it,” Massey said. “I don’t know if I would have done nearly as well if she hadn’t been right next to me. She really pushed me.”

Massey finished the race with a time of 14:58, a time she wasn’t expecting to see.

“I did much better than I thought I would, honestly,” Massey said. “I felt pretty bad about this one before, but I did better than I thought.”

Massey said she hung around the front of the pack for the majority of the race, sitting in sixth until the halfway mark, where she jumped into fourth and eventually into the showdown at the finish line.

Although she was in a good position most of the way, Massey stressed that it isn’t positioning that matters most when it comes to having success.

“You need to just pace yourself and not wear yourself out the first mile,” she said. “It doesn’t really matter where you are as long as you’re not putting it all out there the first mile.”