TUPELO, Miss. --- North Mississippi's best collided at the 2022 Tupelo XC Invitational to put on a show for the fans, which is exactly what they did.

Jaheim Bridges and Taylor Brown of Tupelo High School, debatably the best high school boys duo in Mississippi, closed in a 4:55 mile to drop the field and go 1-2 on their home course. 

The pair both ran 16:13.2 to win by 22 seconds over a substantial field. The next runner to cross the line was 16:03 5K runner, Parker Shannon of Saltillo, who is the All-MileSplit Mississippi XC No. 3 high school boy. Shannon finished in 16:35.9. Graham Weiss of Hernando, who finished runner-up to Shannon in 16:09 at the 2022 Saltillo XC Invitational, was fourth overall. Snagging the last top five spot was Starkville High's Giles Jones in 16:38.9. 

All in all, this was an awe-inspiring run for the Tupelo duo, as they proved that they have a genuine chance of going 1-2 at the 2022 MHSAA 6A Cross Country Championships. They have two of the top three fastest 5K performances in Mississippi at this point in the season.

RANKINGS: 2022 Mississippi High School Boys 5K List

Saltillo High School, the No. 2 ranked High School Boys Cross Country team, won the day with a score of 43 points, 20 points ahead of Tupelo High School. 

READ NEXT: Mississippi High School Boys XC Team Rankings: Edition No. 2

The Tigers placed their entire scoring five inside the top 12, with two runners under 17 minutes in the 5K - Shannon and Jace Stanley in 16:51.6. 

Another performance that we absolutely have to point out is Walnut High School's Gabe McElwain and his solo 16:03 5K performance, the fastest time of the day by 10 seconds in hotter weather. 

*Walnut's Gabe McElwain at The Opener

Photo credits: Christian Leach

McElwain has been on a tear this season, as this is now the second week in a row that he has soloed a 5K time faster than the large school boys race, which was run in cooler weather. He is coming off a 16:01 5K victory at the 2022 Saltillo XC Invitational, and he looks to be primed to go sub-16 soon. 

All in all, the best of the best from central Mississippi toed the line at the 2022 Clinton Arrow Cross Country Invitational, and it certainly did not disappoint. 

READ NEXT: Meet Preview - 2022 Tupelo XC Invitational