From staff reports

Seven down, one to go.

The Vicksburg Missy Gators stayed undefeated on Monday, outrunning Natchez and Hattiesburg to win the Class 5A South State track meet in Gulfport.

Courtney Prentiss won the 100 and 200 meter dash, and was a part of the winning 4×200 and 4×100 meter relay teams for Vicksburg, which has won all seven meets it has run this spring.

Next up for the Missy Gators is Saturday’s Class 5A state meet at Pearl High School. VHS will try to avenge a narrow loss to Natchez at last year’s state meet and cap a perfect season with the school’s first team track championship since 1988.

The Missy Gators qualified for 14 events Monday, giving them the depth they need to challenge for a title.

“It’s all my girls,” Vicksburg coach Deborah L. Brown said. “They told me at the beginning of the year that they got me from last year, and that their goal was to go undefeated. So far they’ve been true to their word.”

Prentiss, the defending state champion in the 100 and 200, won those same events Monday in 12.2 and 25 seconds, respectively. Both were slightly faster than the times she recorded at the 2004 state meet.

Prentiss and the three relays – VHS also won the 4×400 – were the Missy Gators’ only first-place finishes at the South State meet, however. They piled up four second-place efforts and three thirds to amass 133 total points.

Natchez was second, with 117, and Hattiesburg was third with 98.

Stephanie Wright and Kendra Sims were also on the winning 4×200 meter relay team, along with Prentiss and Rachel Jenkins. Sims and Erica Woodson teamed with Wright and Prentiss to win the 4×100, while Woodson, Sims, Audrianna Williams and Keshia Collins were on the 4×400 team.

Warren Central only competed in six events, and had one athlete advance to the state meet.

Brittany Willis finished fourth in the 400 meters, in 1 minute, 1.5 seconds, to earn the South’s final spot.

In the boys’ meet, Vicksburg had no winners but still managed to finish second to Gulfport. The Gators totaled 85 points, just behind Gulfport’s 93. Moss Point was third, with 80 points, and Warren Central finished sixth with 60.

WC sprinter Fred Payne was a double winner, clocking a speedy time of 10.8 seconds to win the 100 meter dash. He also teamed with Marquel Sims, Larry Warner and Donald Neal to win the 4×100 meter relay. The Vikings finished in 42.2 seconds.

Payne was also third in the triple jump. Larry Warner (long jump), Geroid Chambliss (110 meter hurdles), Marquel Sims (200 meters) and the 4×200 meter relay team also qualified for the state meet.