Savage and Palmer ran their way to success on WC’s track team

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — Warren Central High School track and field athletes Dwight Palmer and Chester Savage achieved major milestones during the 2025 season. Both runners captured state championships, with Palmer making history as the first athlete in WC history to win three gold medals at a single state meet.

Chester Savage

Savage lived up to his last name with a dominant performance in the 300m hurdles, winning the event with an impressive time of 39.89 seconds.

“I felt great when I won—it was a proud moment because all the hard work paid off,” Savage said. “I’ve been preparing for this since December. I trained harder so I could focus on competing.”

Before his state victory, Savage also secured a gold medal at the North State Championships held at Olive Branch High School.

“I expected to win North State because I put in the work and trained myself to be prepared for anything,” he added.

In addition to his track success, Savage made the All-District Team as a football player and is currently enlisted in the National Guard. He is scheduled to ship out in July.

Dwight Palmer

Palmer cemented his legacy at Warren Central by sweeping the 100m, 200m, and 400m races at the state meet. His winning times were 10.73, 21.84, and 49.12 seconds, respectively.

“I feel like it was an overall great accomplishment,” Palmer said. “I had to take care of my body and keep my legs healthy to succeed.”

After narrowly missing out at last year’s state meet, Palmer bounced back to achieve the first-ever triple crown in program history.

Like Savage, Palmer also earned gold at the North State Championships, which served as a springboard for his state meet success.

“I was planning on winning all of them from the beginning of the year,” he said. “Coach Wilson believed in us, but I couldn’t have done it without God.”

Palmer, a junior, will return next season to compete under Head Coach Corey Wilson Sr. as he aims to build on his historic run.