NATCHEZ — The Green Wave varsity boys finished second place overall in Monday’s Cathedral Cross Country Invitational 5K race.

Ryan Skates ran a personal-record on Duncan Park Golf Course (17:05) and finished in first place overall among varsity boys.

Monday was the first time Skates won the Invitational, and he beat Preston Speed of Jackson Preparatory School.

Skates said the race started out a little fast, but he was glad he held it together to win it.

“To a point, Skates was very aggressive, and I think that has become his thing now,” Cathedral Green Wave Head Coach Tommy Smith said. “Skates understands more how to race. It’s all coming together for him. We’re looking for great things next year.”

In the boys’ race, Jackson Preparatory School beat Cathedral by 17 points to win the Invitational. Smith said it was a close race between Cathedral and Jackson Prep.

“We were actually probably positioned for second or third going into it, with a little more point spread,” Smith said. “Jackson Prep had a good low score. It could have been close. I was really proud of the Green Wave. You have to learn how to win with humility and lose with humility.”

In the girls 5K race, Jackson Prep won the girls race with 26 points. The Lady Green Wave was sixth out of 10 teams.

Gracie Foster finished in 22nd place with a time of 23:51. Foster said she did not think she raced well.

“I was really tired and it was cold,” Foster said. “My body was frozen.”

This was the fifth year the Green Wave Cross Country team hosted the Cathedral Invitational at Duncan Park Golf Course.

Ten teams and more than 400 athletes participated in Monday’s races. Jackson Academy took third overall in the boys’ race.

“I just hope that the invitational keeps growing and we add a few more teams,” Smith said about the invitational. “It’s a great event for Natchez. I can’t emphasis it enough. It just couldn’t be any better.”

The Green Wave’s next meet will be at 3 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Columbia Invitational at Columbia Water Park.