HATTIESBURG — Despite the loss of a strong, young runner, the Natchez High track team finished in second place at the MHSAA Class 5A South State Track Meet.

The Bulldogs finished with 96 points, two points behind south state champion Meridian.

Joe Perry, who was expected to run the 800- and 1600-meter runs and a relay, did not compete because of an injured ankle.

The 4×400-meter relay team of Jeremy Davis, Ernest Jones, Rolando Prater and Wesley Pendleton took first place with a time of 3:24.6, and Davis, Willie Newman, Gabe Campbell and Rico Richardson took second place in the 4×100-meter relays with a 42.6-second finish.

Pendleton won the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.93 seconds and won the 200-meter dash in 21.9 seconds.

Davis took second place in the 200-meter with a 22.1-second finish.

Ernest Jones won the triple jump with a 44-foot, 10.7-inch jump, and Richardson finished second, falling 7/10 of a point short.

Richardson recorded a 20-foot, 10-inch long jump, good enough for third place.

The girls’ teams finished in sixth place with 49 points.

Alicia Wimley took first in the triple jump (35 feet, 10 inches), second place in the 400-meter dash (58.7 seconds) and third in the 100-meter (12.8 seconds).

Pam Selmon took second in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:29.3, and she placed sixth in the 1600-meter run (6:13). Lamesha Anderson finished second in the 300-meter hurdles with a 48-second time.

The Bulldogs will travel to the state championships next weekend, and coach Larry Wesley said their toughest opponents will be Starkville, Tupelo and Meridian.