and maybe of all time, in their sport. She is a little bity skinny white girl from the coast. 11 Gold Medals in her career. She's got 2 more years to go.
It was by that oh-so-close margin that Pass Christian's Cory McGee edged Corinth's Katlyn Will in the Class 3A girls 800 meters - and most thrilling race - of Saturday's Mississippi High School Activities Association state track and field meet.</p>
"It was a dogfight, that's what it was," said Will. "I leaned at the finish and she just outleaned me."</p>
And with the victory, the sophomore McGee completed yet another stellar day at the state meet, winning the 800 (2:14.20), 1600 (4:56.35) and 3200 (10:54.67).</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">It was the third straight year that McGee - one of the nation's top distance runners - tripled in the three events.</p>
But with Pass Christian dropping from Class 4A to 3A this year, it was the first time McGee competed head-to-head at the state meet against Will, the reigning 3A champion in all three events.</p>
"This is my fourth year at state and never before have I had someone there pushing me the whole way," said McGee. "It helps a lot having her here. I am really relieved to have someone else there with there with me that can run fast times. She's the only girl I know in Mississippi who has broken 5 minutes in the mile, so she's great competition and that's definitely a plus."</p>
It was the only close race of the day for McGee, who set a state meet record in the 1600, eclipsing the 4:57.20 she set as a freshman. And she lapped all but two racers in the 3200.</p>
"I felt like I accomplished everything I came up here to do in my individual events," said <span style="font-weight: bold;">McGee, who has won the 1600 and 3200 every year since seventh grade.</span> "We also finished second as a team, so I can't complain."</p>
McGee, who entered the day holding the 4A record in all three races, finished by setting new records in 3A, erasing all the previous marks set by Will last year.</p>
"I just wanted to come out and do the best I can," said Will, whose team won its third straight 3A team championship. "If the best was beating her, great. If not, then there is also the team championship so I wanted to help us get as many points as I can. I knew my best chance of beating her was in the 800 because that race is so fast, so it's hard to get a big lead."</p>
But McGee, who led the whole race, managed to hold off Will's late surge.</p>
"It's a great thing to have her here," McGee said. "It just shows how much this sport has grown in this state."</p>
McGee was one of two girls who set state meet records.</p>
Mooreville senior Ann Howell set a record in the pole vault (10-0), eclipsing the previous mark of 9-6 set by Oxford's Sarah Ott. It was the third title in four years for Howell.</p>
"I was hoping to get that high today," said Howell, who had a 10-1 pole vault last week in the North Mississippi 3A meet at Oxford.</p>
Raymond sophomore Valencia McFarland, a two-time All-Metro selection in basketball, set a 3A high jump record (5-6).</p>
It was by that oh-so-close margin that Pass Christian's Cory McGee edged Corinth's Katlyn Will in the Class 3A girls 800 meters - and most thrilling race - of Saturday's Mississippi High School Activities Association state track and field meet.</p>
"It was a dogfight, that's what it was," said Will. "I leaned at the finish and she just outleaned me."</p>
And with the victory, the sophomore McGee completed yet another stellar day at the state meet, winning the 800 (2:14.20), 1600 (4:56.35) and 3200 (10:54.67).</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">It was the third straight year that McGee - one of the nation's top distance runners - tripled in the three events.</p>
But with Pass Christian dropping from Class 4A to 3A this year, it was the first time McGee competed head-to-head at the state meet against Will, the reigning 3A champion in all three events.</p>
"This is my fourth year at state and never before have I had someone there pushing me the whole way," said McGee. "It helps a lot having her here. I am really relieved to have someone else there with there with me that can run fast times. She's the only girl I know in Mississippi who has broken 5 minutes in the mile, so she's great competition and that's definitely a plus."</p>
It was the only close race of the day for McGee, who set a state meet record in the 1600, eclipsing the 4:57.20 she set as a freshman. And she lapped all but two racers in the 3200.</p>
"I felt like I accomplished everything I came up here to do in my individual events," said <span style="font-weight: bold;">McGee, who has won the 1600 and 3200 every year since seventh grade.</span> "We also finished second as a team, so I can't complain."</p>
McGee, who entered the day holding the 4A record in all three races, finished by setting new records in 3A, erasing all the previous marks set by Will last year.</p>
"I just wanted to come out and do the best I can," said Will, whose team won its third straight 3A team championship. "If the best was beating her, great. If not, then there is also the team championship so I wanted to help us get as many points as I can. I knew my best chance of beating her was in the 800 because that race is so fast, so it's hard to get a big lead."</p>
But McGee, who led the whole race, managed to hold off Will's late surge.</p>
"It's a great thing to have her here," McGee said. "It just shows how much this sport has grown in this state."</p>
McGee was one of two girls who set state meet records.</p>
Mooreville senior Ann Howell set a record in the pole vault (10-0), eclipsing the previous mark of 9-6 set by Oxford's Sarah Ott. It was the third title in four years for Howell.</p>
"I was hoping to get that high today," said Howell, who had a 10-1 pole vault last week in the North Mississippi 3A meet at Oxford.</p>
Raymond sophomore Valencia McFarland, a two-time All-Metro selection in basketball, set a 3A high jump record (5-6).</p>
