KNOXVILLE – For the fourth year in a row the Greeneville boys track team finished on top Class AA East Sectional Track Meet on Saturday at the University of Tennessee’s Tom Black Track, and in doing so the Greene Devils sent a handful of athletes to the state meet.
The Greene Devils won five events on Saturday and had strong showings in several others to outdistance second-place Alcoa in the team-score race 109-78.
“We were pretty much down the line where we expected to be,” Greeneville coach Larry Blalock said. “We took care of business and now we are ready for the next step in 10 days. Early in the year we might focus on getting the best time, but right now it’s all about placing and getting those points. It’s about getting in position for the big meet. Tonight, we got the positions we thought we could get.”
The attention now turns to the Class AA State Meets that will begin on May, 20 at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro. Greeneville will be looking to repeat as state champions and bring home the program’s fifth team title.
“It speaks really well for us as a program, and when you win the section convincingly you are where you need to be to be a state contender,” Blalock said. “This is the fourth year in a row we’ve won the east, and we have what it takes to win state. We are going right back to work next week, fine tuning those handoffs, fine tuning those starts, and making sure we are doing those things we need to be doing. Once we know who is in we’ll start talking strategy, and that’s a big part of it.”
Distance runner Trey Bailey had the biggest day for the Greene Devils as he captured sectional championships in both the 3,200 meters and the 1,600 meters. He will also have a chance at state appearance as part of Greeneville’s 4×800 relay team.
“I got here early today to run the 3,200 and that’s my race, that’s what I’m best in,” Bailey said. “I was able to cruise in the front and then drop the hammer at the end. The 1,600 was kind of the same, stay in front and drop the hammer,” Bailey said.
Bailey got the day started in 3,200 meters and he jumped in front quickly. For the better part of the first seven laps he rode the rail with Volunteer’s Kevin McCurry on his heels. Then in the seventh lap Anderson County’s Vance Laster made his move and took the lead, even stretching out to an advantage of more than 10 meters. On the back stretch of the final lap Bailey began to reel him in, before regaining the lead with 200 meters remaining.
“In the 3,200 the whole thing is to hold your pace,” Bailey said. “I just want to get in front and zone out honestly. When he got in front that wasn’t my plan, I just had to stick with it. I knew I could close strong and I could take care of it in the final 400. That’s exactly what I did.”
Almost eight hours later the 1,600 meters played out in a similar fashion. This time Bailey stayed on the heels of McCurry for three laps before Anderson County’s Laster took the lead. Laster pushed the tempo but Bailey never let him separate, and coming out of the final turn the Greene Devil found an extra burst to capture the win.
“We focus on building speed and having that quick recovery rate,” Bailey said. “I know that I can sprint that last 250-300 meters when a lot of other guys have to wait until that last 150 meters. So, I think knowing I have that extra closing speed helps me. I know if can stick to the plan, and not let them get too far ahead, then I can kick through it.”
Zaydyn Anderson had a big day for the Greene Devils, winning the long jump, placing second in the triple jump and finishing third in the 100 and 200 meters.
In the long jump Anderson only needed one attempt to put himself in position to claim his section championship. He put up a number no one else could catch and then passed on his final three jumps.
Anderson will automatically qualify for the state meet in both the long jump and triple jump. He will have a good chance to earn an at-large spot in both 100 and 200 meters.
“Zay was where we thought he would be in his jumping events and I think he has a real good shot at qualifying in the running events,” Blalock said. “If that comes through for us, he can put us a really good position to win the state meet.”
The top two placers in each event automatically qualify for the state meet, and then the next two best finishes from across the state qualify for at large spots.
In the pole vault Greeneville’s Jacob Moore set a new school record while easily claiming the top spot in the section. He will go into the state meet looking to improve on last year’s state runner up finish.
Greeneville’s 4×100 relay team of Cole Franklin, Taren Calridy, Darien Humphries and Jaxon Nichols claimed a section championship as well on Saturday.
“The last two or three years the 4×100 has become the relay we pride ourselves in, and those guys really stepped up today to win handily,” Blalock said.
Nichols finished second in the 110 meters and will be going to state in that event as well.
Greeneville’s 4×800 relay team of Bailey, Grant Tunnell, Micah Muyanja and Isaac Gibson placed third and will have a good chance at a wild card spot.
Media is requested to post any distances, heights or time until all three state sectionals have been completed and turned into the TSSAA.
