MEMPHIS, Tenn. --- Mississippi athletes have run very well against out-of-state competition this season. That held true this past weekend at the Frank Horton Night Classic 2022.
The top Mississippi finisher in the Varsity Virls' 5K race was Layla Warren of Simpson Academy. She placed 10th against a stout Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama field. The freshman garnered a new 5K PR of 19:25.
*Layla Warren, Simpson Academy
This time marks her as the seventh-fastest girl in the state, as well as the third-fastest freshman in the state.
RANKINGS: Mississippi High School Girls 5K List
The next finisher from Mississippi was Leah Collipp of East Rankin Academy. Placing 12th, Collipp was just behind Warren. Her time of 19:30 is a new personal best.
Collipp has the fastest 5k this year out of any eighth grader in Mississippi. The next athlete in the 8th-grade girls' ranking is almost 40 seconds behind Collipp.
RANKINGS: Mississippi 8th-grade Girls 5K List
Warren and Collipp were separated by only five seconds. This statistic only builds hype for the MAIS 5A Girls state meet, where the two will face off with higher stakes.
Behind Collipp finished Jessica Cartwright and Kaitlyn Burge of Hernando. The two placed 13th and 14th with times of 19:32 and 19:43, respectively.
In a field of 23 schools in total, Hernando High School placed second. All of Hernando's top five placed in the top 50 runners. Hernando has looked great all season, and their depth makes them a sure-fire contender for the MHSAA 6A State Championship.
*Hernando High School at the 2021 Watson High School Cross Country Classic
In the varsity boys race, Gavin Brown from Desoto Central was the top finisher from Mississippi. Placing 13th, Brown ran 16:28. This was a massive breakthrough for Brown, as his PR was 16:48 before this race.
Right behind Brown was his teammate, Kaleb Tackett. With a time of 16:29, Tackett placed 14th. While this was not a PR for the Desoto Central senior, it was his third straight race under 16:30. That said, the consistency Tackett has shown lately is noteworthy.
The following Mississippi Finisher was Henry Richardson of the Hattiesburg Forerunners. Richardson ran 16:43 and placed 21st. This performance in Memphis was a five-second PR for Richardson and a solid jump forward in his season progression.
Jeb Hamilton of the Tupelo Spartans, a 4:43 miler, broke 17 minutes for the 5k for the first time in his career. With a time of 16:52, Hamilton placed 26th, only nine seconds off his homeschool rival.
RANKINGS: Mississippi Homeschool Boys 5K List