The course at Choctaw Trails in south Jackson was packed with runners on Thursday as several different MHSAA regions began the postseason with a meet that determine who’ll keep on running next week at the MHSAA state championship events.

The Loyd Star boys, West Lincoln girls, Brookhaven High boys, Brookhaven High girls, Wesson girls and Wesson boys all finished the day as region champs.

Loyd Star, West Lincoln and Wesson will run at the MHSAA State Championship Meet on Thursday, Nov. 2 at Choctaw Trails. Brookhaven High will compete at the MHSAA State Championship Meet on Saturday, Nov. 4 at Choctaw Trails.

Loyd Star

Junior Gauge Montgomery let it be known that he’s ready for the state championship by running a career best and school record time of 17 minutes and 20 seconds on the 3.1-mile course.

A total of 19 runners, all from Loyd Star and West Lincoln, competed in the Region 7-2A competition. Loyd Star topped the Bears in the team competition.

Other runners for Loyd Star included eight grader Carson Sellers (19:46), sophomore Cooper Creel (22:06), sophomore Jamisyn Kelly (23:27), freshman Parker Satterfield (24:37), seventh-grader Memphis Falvey (27:04), eighth-grader James Smith (28:10), freshman Riley Friloux (28:47), junior Chandler Creel (30:10), freshman Brennon Reid (30:46) and seventh-grader Paxton Satterfield (31:00).

Russell Cruise coaches the Loyd Star cross-country team.

West Lincoln

The West Lincoln girls captured the Region 7-2A title as the other team, Heidelberg, didn’t have the five runners needed to complete a team.

Sophomore Chloe Sterling was the first-place finisher for West Lincoln with a time of 25:44. Other runners for the Bears included junior Kylie Suchy (26:56), sophomore Ryleigh Purdy (27:09), senior Alaina Mathis (27:13), freshman Ava Leake (32:06), freshman Lexi Furr (33:08), sophomore Kaleigh Davis (33:08) and junior Anna McKenzie (33:21).

Jay Case coaches the West Lincoln cross-country team.

In the boy’s competition, the Bears got a second-place finish from junior Hayden Skates with a time of 19:28. Other top finishers for West Lincoln included eighth grader Brody Leggett (23:16), freshman Maddux Johnson (24:57), eighth-grader Mason McCarty (26:19), eighth-grader Jacob Jones (26:40), eighth-grader Elijah Leggett (28:08), eighth-grader Liam Thacker (30:01) and eighth-grader Blaise Lilly (31:27).

Brookhaven High

Coach Shannon Knott and the BHS cross-country team cruised to wins in both the boys’ and girls’ competition on Thursday.

The boy’s race was won by senior Zachary Josiah Nobles of South Jones with a time of 17:05. Brookhaven High then claimed places 2-6 overall with finishes by freshman Cooper Wallace (18:19), freshman Coleman Knott (18:23), freshman Isaac Iles (18:53), junior Bram Wolfe (19:19) and freshman Ian Iles (19:28). Other runners for the Panthers included sophomore Isaac Stovall (19:40), eighth-grader Landon Newman (19:48), junior Charlie Adams (20:08), eighth-grader Brooklyn Lee (20:18) and junior Braden Johnson (22:20).

BHS beat out North Pike, Florence and Natchez in the team competition.

In the girls’ race, freshman Isabella Iles won first place with a time of 21:55 to lead the Panthers. BHS outpointed North Pike and Florence in the team competition.

Brookhaven captured the top six spots in the race. Competing for the Panthers were junior Annabelle Summers (22:36), junior Natalie McKinney (22:42), junior Ella Thompson (23:56), eighth-grader Brooklyn Lenoir (24:40), eighth-grader Lucy Spicer (24:51) and freshman Abby Slay (27:50).

Wesson

In the Region 7-3A boys’ race, Wesson was the only team with enough qualified runners as Port Gibson lacked five competitors. Cobra senior Aidan Brice finished first place in the race with a time of 20:43. The Cobras took the top six spots in the race.

Other runners for Wesson coach Vance Windom included senior Preston Selman (20:44), sophomore Brendon Duguid (21:55), eighth-grader Grady Smith (22:13), seventh-grader Walker Breazeale (23:59), seventh-grader Brody Ponder (24:27), eighth-grader Slade Oberschmidt (25:35), eighth-grader Canderous White (27:24), sophomore Nic Raiford (27:58), senior Quention Jackson (28:27), seventh-grader Collins Watts (28:46) and seventh-grader Grant Hynum (28:51).

In the girls’ race, Wesson easily outpointed Port Gibson to take the team competition. The first Cobra across the finish line was first place finisher Kennedi Johnson. A seventh-grader, Johnson ran a 24:31. Other runners for Wesson included eighth-grader Eden Hall (25:21), junior Ella Logan (28:16), sophomore Macy Loy (29:07), junior Courtney Carr (30:45), eighth-grader Ally Selman (31:19), senior Stevie Westrope (31:57), senior Makenze Martin (31:59), sophomore Alana Hux (32:52), freshman Bently Roberson (33:32), seventh-grader Sarah Logan (33:44) and seventh -grader Jayden Allen (36:52).