Seniors Rhett Schimpf and Chris Bell and sophomore Giles Jones each finished among the top six competitors Saturday to lead the Starkville High School boys cross country team to second place in the Class 6A, Region 3 championships in Clinton.

Both the Yellow Jackets boys and girls teams qualified for the MHSAA Cross Country Championships 

Schimpf covered the Choctaw Trails course in 16 minutes, 54.46 seconds to take third place, just 8 seconds behind winner Colin Brannon of Madison Central. Bell was right behind in 17:09.63, while Jones took sixth in 17:13.27.

The Yellow Jackets’ team total of 53 points trailed Madison Central by just 11 points for the team title. All five scoring runners for the Jaguars placed in the top 13.

Sophomore Taze Fulford finished 19th for Starkville in 18:20.62, while eighth-grader Harlan Tagert rounded out the Yellow Jackets’ scoring by finishing in 18:26.50 for 21st place.

Eighth-grader Addyson Vickers finished fourth in 21:37.06 to lead the Starkville girls team to fourth place. 

Sophomore Samantha Layton covered the course in 22:34.02 to place 16th for the Yellow Jackets. Rounding out the scoring for Starkville were sophomore Agatha Taquino (33rd, 24:28.64), freshman Katie Bateman (39th, 24:50.90) and eighth-grader Overby McCarty (40th, 25:15.52). 

Host Clinton won the meet easily with 25 points, placing all five scoring runners in the top 10. Germantown finished second, and Madison Central placed third.

The New Hope boys and girls qualified in Class 5A, while the Caledonia boys and girls qualified in Class 4A.

The 6A, 4A and 2A championships will be held Saturday, while the 5A, 3A and 1A championships will be held Monday, Nov. 8, at Choctaw Trails.