PEARL — Dwight Palmer was on a simple mission this season to move up one step on the podium at the MHSAA Class 6A state track meet.

On Saturday he accomplished it — three times.

The Warren Central junior staked his claim as the fastest sprinter in Class 6A by sweeping the state championships in the 100, 200 and 400 meters at Saturday’s state meet in Pearl.

“It feels good. A lot of hard work paying off,” Palmer said. “I knew I had to come harder this year. I didn’t get first last year, so I had to come even harder.”

Palmer finished second in the 200 meters in 2024 and tore a path of destruction through Mississippi’s track circuit on his quest to turn that silver medal into gold. He did not lose against a Class 6A opponent in any of the three sprint races this season, and did not lose at all in eight starts in the 200.

On Saturday, Palmer won the 100 meters in 10.73 seconds, the 200 in 21.84 seconds, and the 400 in 49.12. His time in the 100 tied his season-best mark from the North State meet last week, and was the sixth time he has run it in under 11 seconds.

In the 200, Palmer won by .26 seconds — a blowout in a short sprint race — over Terry’s Jaydon Brown. Brown was second in 22.10 and Pascagoula’s Jalen Asford got the bronze medal in 22.20.

“I got out the blocks, and when I hit the 110 that’s when I started pulling off. That’s probably my best part of the race,” Palmer said.

Palmer wasn’t the only Warren Central runner to win gold on Saturday. Chester Savage dominated the 300 meter hurdles to win the Class 6A championship with a time of 39.89 seconds. Terry’s Elgin Kelly was second in 41.22.

“It feels great. I’ve been putting in the work at practice, came out and showed it,” Savage said. “I pushed out hard for my first couple hurdles. When I made it to the curve I knew I had it.”

The Vikings added one more medal among their eight entries in the meet. Rohan Caples brought home a silver in the 800 meters with a time of 2:03.63. Hattiesburg’s Jalen Hardiman won in 2:01.60 to add the 800 meter title to the one he won in the 1,600.

Caples, a senior, beat his previous personal best by eight seconds.

“It feels good because I’ve been trying to do this since I got up to varsity,” Caples said.

Warren Central totaled 61 points to finish fifth in the team standings. Terry won the Class 6A boys team state title with 89 points, Hattiesburg was second with 81, Pascagoula third with 70.5, and South Panola fourth with 69.5.

Vicksburg High only had two athletes in the meet, and neither was able to win a medal. Shaun Archer finished seventh in the discus, while Jayden Woods was fourth in the discus and seventh in the shot put.