Photo Gallery: Warren County athletes rack up championships, medals at MHSAA and MAIS state track meets

Published 2:24 pm Sunday, May 5, 2024

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Warren Central's Adria Burrell competes in the Class 6A girls' 100 meters at the MHSAA state track meet Saturday in Pearl. Burrell finished second in the event. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg High's Koury Vample smiles as he sits on the track following the Class 6A boys' 300 meter hurdles at the MHSAA state track and field meet Saturday in Pearl. Vample won the state championship in the event. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg High's Koury Vample runs toward the finish line in the Class 6A boys' 300 meter hurdles at the MHSAA state track and field meet Saturday in Pearl. Vample won the state championship in the event. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg High's Shaniyah Walker celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the Class 6A girls' 4x200 meter relay at the MHSAA state track meet Saturday in Pearl. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Porter's Chapel Academy's Jae'la Smith, right, bites down on her gold medal and teammate Mia Abdo shows off her ribbon after they competed in the girls' high jump at the MAIS Class 3A state meet on Friday. Smith won the state title in the event and Abdo finished fourth. (Submitted to The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg High's Zion Knox competes in the Class 6A girls' long jump at the MHSAA state track meet Saturday in Pearl. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg High's Zion Knox receives her gold medal for winning the Class 6A girls' triple jump state championship at the MHSAA state track and field meet Saturday in Pearl. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

St. Aloysius' Megan Theriot competes in the Class 5A girls' 400 meters at the MAIS Overall track and field meet Saturday in Flowood. (Micael Edwards/For The Vicksburg Post)

A group of Sharkey-Issaquena Academy track and field athletes watches a race Saturday at the MAIS Overall meet in Flowood. Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg High's Shaun Archer Jr. throws the discus at the MHSAA Class 6A state track meet Saturday in Pearl. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Porter's Chapel Academy's Marley Bufkin runs in the Class 3A girls' 4x200 meter relay at the MAIS Overall state track meet on Saturday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg High's Jayden Woods prepares to throw the discus at the MHSAA Class 6A state track meet Saturday in Pearl. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

St. Aloysius' Annslee Averett competes in the Class 5A girls' hurdles at the MAIS Overall track and field meet Saturday in Flowood. (Micael Edwards/For The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central's Ricky Neal competes in the Class 6A boys' triple jump at the MHSAA Class 6A state track meet Saturday in Pearl. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central's Arrionna Jenkins competes in the Class 6A girls' shot put at the MHSAA Class 6A state track meet Saturday in Pearl. Jenkins finished second in the event. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Sharkey-Issaquena Academy's Hanna Tilghman competes in the Class 2A girls' 300 meter hurdles at the MAIS Overall state track meet on Saturday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg High's Rodrianna Hall competes in the Class 6A girls' long jump at the MHSAA state track meet Saturday in Pearl. Hall finished second in the event. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

St. Aloysius' Samantha Edwards competes in the Class 5A girls' 1,600 meters at the MAIS Overall track and field meet Saturday in Flowood. (Micael Edwards/For The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg High's Tyler Henderson competes in the Class 6A boys' triple jump at the MHSAA Class 6A state track meet Saturday in Pearl. Henderson finished second in the event. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Porter's Chapel Academy's Jae'la Smith competes in the Class 3A girls' 300 meter hurdles at the MAIS Overall state track meet on Saturday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central's Mere' Smith runs toward the finish line in the Class 6A girls' 300 meter hurdles at the MHSAA state track and field meet Saturday in Pearl. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Porter's Chapel Academy's Henry Slayton, right, and the Regents School's James Edwards compete in the Class 3A boys' 300 meter hurdles at the MAIS Overall state track meet on Saturday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

St. Aloysius runners Samantha Edwards, left, and Megan Theriot show off their medals and ribbons from the MAIS Class 5A state track meet on Saturday. Edwards finished third in the 1,600 meters, and Theriot was second in the 400 meters and third in the 200. (Micael Edwards/For The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central's Adria Burrell and Jim Hill's Morgan Bradley run in the Class 6A girls' 200 meters at the MHSAA state track and field meet Saturday in Pearl. Burrell won the event to earn Warren Central's first girls' state track championship since 2018. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central's Adria Burrell shows off her gold medal for winning the 6A girls' 200 meters at the MHSAA state track and field meet Saturday in Pearl. Burrell earned Warren Central's first girls' state track championship since 2018. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg High's Zion Knox and Rodrianna Hall stand atop the podium after finishing first and second, respectively, in the Class 6A girls' triple jump at the MHSAA state track and field meet Saturday in Pearl. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central's Dwight Palmer and Grenada's Chance Jenkins run in the Class 6A boys' 200 meters at the MHSAA state track and field meet Saturday in Pearl. Palmer finished second in the event. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central's Mariah Burnett competes in the Class 6A girls' shot put at the MHSAA Class 6A state track meet Saturday in Pearl. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicskburg High's Korzabian Hill competes in the Class 6A boys' shot put at the MHSAA Class 6A state track meet Saturday in Pearl. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg High's Tyler Henderson sprints past Columbus' Jerquaviou Lowery to finish second in the Class 6A boys' 100 meters at the MHSAA state track meet Saturday in Pearl. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central sprinter Dwight Palmer stands on the podium with his silver medal following a second-place finish in the Class 6A boys' 200 meters at the MHSAA state track and field meet Saturday in Pearl. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg High's girls' 4x200 meter relay team of Aubrey Turner, To'nia Taylor, Amiya Hall and Shaniyah Walker celebrate after winning the race and receiving their gold medals at the MHSAA state track meet Saturday in Pearl. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg High's Rodrianna Hall competes in the Class 6A girls' high jump at the MHSAA state track meet Saturday in Pearl. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg High's Makynzie Edmond competes in the Class 6A girls' high jump at the MHSAA state track meet Saturday in Pearl. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg High track and field coaches Shaun Archer and Deatra Cable stand together for a photo at the MHSAA state track meet Saturday in Pearl. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg's Amiya Hall and Warren Central's Zakiya Watkins take their team's batons for the the third leg of the Class 6A girls' 4x200 meter relay at the MHSAA state track meet Saturday in Pearl. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central's Adria Burrell competes in the Class 6A girls' 400 meters at the MHSAA state track meet Saturday in Pearl. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg's Shaniyah Walker crosses the finish line to win the Class 6A girls' 400 meters at the MHSAA state track meet Saturday in Pearl. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central's Adria Burrell, left, and Vicksburg's Shaniyah Walker share a moment at the end of the Class 6A girls' 400 meters at the MHSAA state track meet Saturday in Pearl. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

St. Aloysius' Madelyn Kavanaugh carries the starting block to her position for the Class 5A girls' 4x200 meter relay at the MAIS Overall state track meet on Saturday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

St. Aloysius' Annslee Averett, center, takes the baton from teammate Kelci Bingham during the Class 5A girls' 4x200 meter relay at the MAIS Overall state track meet on Saturday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Porter's Chapel Academy's Ansley Conway runs in the Class 3A girls' 4x200 meter relay at the MAIS Overall state track meet on Saturday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

St. Aloysius' Annslee Averett competes in the Class 5A girls' hurdles at the MAIS Overall track and field meet Saturday in Flowood. (Micael Edwards/For The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central's Cora Lindsay competes in the MHSAA Class 6A girls' 3,200 meter run at the state track and field meet Saturday in Pearl. Lindsay finished fifth in the event. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central's Abigail DeJesus competes in the MHSAA Class 6A girls' 3,200 meter run at the state track and field meet Saturday in Pearl. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Porter's Chapel Academy's Daniel Slayton shows off the silver medal he earned for his second-place finish in the boys' 800 meters at the MAIS Class 3A state track meet Saturday in Flowood. (Submitted to The Vicksburg Post)

Porter's Chapel Academy's Lakelan Pecanty runs in the Class 3A boys' 4x200 meter relay at the MAIS Overall state track meet on Saturday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Hundreds of Mississippi’s fastest and strongest high school athletes assembled this weekend for the MAIS and MHSAA state track and field meets in Pearl, Flowood, Jackson and Canton, and Warren County’s runners, throwers and jumpers were at the front of the field.

A total of 41 athletes from Vicksburg High, Warren Central, St. Aloysius and Porter’s Chapel Academy competed in 47 events at the two meets. They won a combined six state championships and 18 medals for top-three finishes in their respective events.

The Vicksburg Missy Gators had three of those champions and finished second in the MHSAA Class 6A team standings, as well.

It marked the 33rd year in a row that Warren County has had at least one individual track and field state champion. Three of the county’s four high schools had a champion this season, and all four had multiple medal winners.

The Vicksburg Post was there to cover the action, and is sharing these photos from the meets to celebrate their accomplishments. We will also honor them with our annual all-county track and field team later this month.

Here is a list of Warren County’s state champions, and silver and bronze medal winners. Congratulations to all!

State champions
• Adria Burrell, Warren Central — MHSAA Class 6A girls 200 meters

• Zion Knox, Vicksburg — MHSAA Class 6A girls triple jump

• Jae’la Smith, Porter’s Chapel — MAIS Class 3A girls high jump

• Shaniyah Walker, Vicksburg — MHSAA Class 6A girls 400 meters

• Shaniyah Walker, Aubrey Turner, To’nia Taylor, Amiya Hall, Vicksburg — MHSAA Class 6A girls 4×200 meter relay

• Koury Vample, Vicksburg — MHSAA Class 6A boys 300 meter hurdles

Second place
• Tyler Henderson, Vicksburg — MHSAA Class 6A boys triple jump and 100 meters

• Rodrianna Hall, Vicksburg — MHSAA Class 6A girls long jump and triple jump

• Adria Burrell, Warren Central — MHSAA Class 6A girls 100 meters

• Arrionna Jenkins, Warren Central — MHSAA Class 6A girls shot put

• Dwight Palmer, Warren Central — MHSAA Class 6A boys 200 meters

• Henry Slayton, Porter’s Chapel — MAIS Class 3A boys 800 meters

• Megan Theriot, St. Aloysius — MAIS Class 5A girls 400 meters

Third place
• Jase Jung, Porter’s Chapel — MAIS Class 3A boys high jump

• Megan Theriot, St. Aloysius — MAIS Class 5A girls 200 meters

• Samantha Edwards, St. Aloysius — MAIS Class 5A girls 1,600 meters

About Ernest Bowker

Ernest Bowker is The Vicksburg Post's sports editor. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post's sports staff since 1998, making him one of the longest-tenured reporters in the paper's 140-year history. The New Jersey native is a graduate of LSU. In his career, he has won more than 50 awards from the Mississippi Press Association and Associated Press for his coverage of local sports in Vicksburg.

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