Nov 2, 2024- Olive Branch cross country runner Preston Mundy was crowned the MHSAA 6A state individual champion on Saturday. The state meets for 6A and 7A were held at Choctaw Trails in Clinton.
A sophomore, Mundy led all runners with a five-kilometer time of 16:32.84, leading the Conquistadors to a fourth place team finish with 108 points. Neshoba Central was the team champion with 42 points.
Freshman Lucas Roberson led Center Hill runners with a 46th place finish in a clocking of 21:07.42, as the Mustangs scored 328 points for 11th place.
In the 6A girls event, Center Hill sophomore Mary-Magers Anderson took fourth place overall with a time of 22:20.71, leading the Lady Mustangs to a second-place team finish with 62 points. Saltillo won the team title with 38 points.
Olive Branch ended up in eighth place with a team score of points, led by a 10th-place result from Maykyn Johnson in a time of 22:49.69.
The top runner from DeSoto County among 7A boys was Aaron Richardson of Hernando, running a time of 17:09.60 for 16th place overall. Jackson Dickerson led Lewisburg runners, taking 19th place in a time of 17:17.11. Auston Simpson of DeSoto Central was 20th in a time of 17:17.64.
Pearl was crowned the state 7A champ with 47 points, with DeSoto Central taking sixth place with a score of 172 points. The Jaguars were followed by Lewisburg in ninth place with 246 points and Hernando, which took 11th place with a. score of 284 points.
In the girls’ 7A race, Hernando’s Kyleigh Carter finished fifth with a time of 19:57.20 as the best finish from DeSoto County. Lewisburg’s Kaydi Blanchard was seventh in a time of 20:10.07 followed by Layla McGuire of DeSoto Central, who was 12th with a time of 20:40.98.
Lewisburg recorded the best team finish among county schools, taking third with 100 points. Hernando was sixth with 157 points and DeSoto Central finished 15th with 365 points.
Tupelo was the state 7A girls’ champion with 81 points.
