NATCHEZ &045; Twenty minutes prior to the girls’ varsity 800-meter, Kim Robertson appeared from a cocoon of blankets.

With a sound of weariness and frustration in her voice she cried, &uot;I’m so tired, so tired. It’s 10 o-clock!&uot;

It had been a long day for all 12 teams involved in the first annual Kramer Fife Relays, and the marathon of prelims and heats were still going on well past 11 p.m. Thursday at Adams Christian’s Bobby Marks Stadium.

As she stretched, Robertson received some last-minute words of encouragement and strategy from AC head coach Bill Richardson.

She then huddled, with her head buried into her knees for a quick prayer, removed her gray LSU sweatshirt and navy windpants, and approached the starting line along with her competition.

&uot;What ya got in ya Kimmy?&uot; asked Rebel football coach and meet starter Keith Walters.

&uot;I’m ready to go to bed, I’m tired and I’m sleepy,&uot; Robertson answered.

She put the field to bed at the 400-meter mark, racing past Huntington’s Jessi Moak and Whitney Bradford, Robertson made her move to the lead.

By 600 meters, she was in a dead sprint, opening up an insurmountable lead. As she into the stretch, Robertson displayed a smooth stride on her way to first-place finish with a time of 2:43.72 and earning the Lady Rebels 10 points.

With one event left, it appeared the Riverfield Academy girls’ 15-point cushion would hold up as the winning score.

ACCS and Huntington were second and third with 89 and 82 points, respectively, and even if either team won the 1,600-meter relay, the remaining event, there was no way to catch the Lady Raiders from Rayville, La.

Wilkinson County Christian held a comfortable lead against rivals Huntington and Trinity with three events left on the boys’ side.

The Rams’ 81 points seemed untouchable after 15 events, as the Hounds and Saints trailed with 62 and 60 points, respectively.

&uot;It’s hard knowing how much time we have between races,&uot; said Robertson, who also helped AC to wins in the 400- and 800-meter relays. &uot;You rest for so long and then you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh I have to get up again.’ I’m glad I didn’t have to do the mile and half-mile.&uot;

The 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs were Robertson’s bread-and-butter until Richardson needed a replacement for the departed Tiffany Collier, a major leg on the Lady Rebel relay teams a year ago.

AC, however, never missed a beat with Robertson on the second leg of both the 400- and 800-meter relays. The Lady Rebels cruised in the 800 in a time of 1:53.84, nearly 10 seconds faster than second-place Tensas Academy (2:03.08). The 400 relay seemed just as easy, as the same AC four crossed the tape in a time of 54.13 seconds.

&uot;It’s different (from distance races), but I like it. I’ve done long distance for so long, it’s fun to do something different,&uot; Robertson said. &uot;In sprints, there is no pace; it’s all out. The half-mile is more of a mind game.&uot;

Nikki Hankins looked fresh with easy wins in her cup of tea events, the 200 and 400-meter runs.

The defending state champ in both events blew away a small field in the 200 in 28.53 seconds and won the 400 in 1:04.72.