Vicksburg’s Adrian Mitchell, right, looks over at Natchez’s Travis Graves, left, and Clinton’s Kentrice Daniels during the 400 meter dash at Saturday’s Coca-Cola Relays. Graves won the heat, while Mitchell finished second.(Melanie Duncan Thortis The Vicksburg Post

[4/4/04]About halfway through the 2-mile run at Saturday’s Coca-Cola Relays, Vicksburg High’s Jamie Hullum looked down and noticed that her shoes were untied.

After careful consideration, she did the unthinkable she stopped and tied them. Later on her teammate, Amber Taylor, did the same. A lap or two later, they did it again.

Normally, such a move would have resulted in disastrous consequences. On this day, though, with the field already lapped and victory assured, it was a lighthearted moment in an easy victory.

Hullum and Taylor finished first and second in the event, and the Missy Gators turned in four other first-place performances to win the meet at Warren Central.

VHS totaled 138 points, while WC was second with 84. Brandon was third, with 82 points.

“You set goals and you have aspirations to meet those goals,” VHS coach Deborah Brown said. “I told the girls this morning that we could win this thing if they wanted to, and they had the heart and desire to win it.”

Vicksburg’s Erica Woodson won in the 100 meter hurdles, Megan Humes took first in the 400 meter dash, and the Missy Gators won the 800 and 1,600 meter relays. VHS also earned five second-place medals and six thirds.

It was Vicksburg’s second straight team title at the Relays, and Brown was hoping it serves as the same type of springboard it did last year. After winning the Relays in 2003, VHS went on to win the Division 6-5A meet.

“This is our call, letting people know we’re a team to watch out for,” Brown said. “And with us moving up five ninth-grade girls, it’s only going to make us stronger.”

WC managed only one first-place finish, in the 400 meter relay, but had five seconds to edge Brandon for second place overall. Jasmin Major had two of the seconds, in the 100 and 200 meters, while Amanda Doyle set a school record in the triple jump with a leap of 35 feet, 4 inches. Doyle was second to Brandon’s Jackie Weakley in the event.

“The kids who needed to step up did. We didn’t come of the field events like we normally do because we had a few people out taking the ACT, but this one’s over and we’re looking to next week,” WC coach Andrea Fairchild said. “They’re finally starting to come together.”

On the boys’s side, WC’s Fred Payne won the triple jump and the 100 meters, Larry Warner was first in the long jump and the 800 meter relay team finished first. Brandon won eight events and was second in seven, however, and easily beat the Vikings in the team standings.

Brandon totaled 165 points, while WC was second with 123 and VHS was third with 85. Natchez was fourth, with 62.

Vicksburg was a comfortable third in the team standings.

Gators coach Bobby Huell tinkered with his lineup a bit, tried some new runners, and was happy with their performance. Charles White won the pole vault and Daniel Hyde was first in the high jump, while William Erves was second in the 400 meters, James Woods was second in the 800 meters and the 1,600 meter relay team also placed second.

“We had a few lucky breaks and a few unlucky breaks,” Huell said. “Overall I think we’ve done a good job today.”