WOODVILLE — Track athletes from all around Mississippi and Louisiana will gather at Wilkinson County High School Saturday to honor a former championship coach.

Wilkinson County will host its 22nd annual Wordy Hicks Relays meet at 11 a.m. Saturday. Natchez High School and Franklin County High School will be competing alongside several other teams out of Southwest Mississippi, Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

Event coordinator Johnny Smallwood said the meet would include a memory lap in honor of Hicks’ many years as track coach at Wilkinson County.

“All former track and field athletes on hand are going to do a memory lap around the track in honor of Wordy Hick,” Smallwood said.

“Hicks won several championships in track and field here, and all of his former athletes think the world of him.”

Hicks passed away in 1988, and Wilkinson County has held the relay meet each year since in honor of his memory.