South’s Cowan Half-Inch, One Miss From Double State Titles
South’s Cowan Half-Inch, One Miss From Double State Titles
Sullivan South freshman Madison Cowan earned three podium finishes at the TSSAA Division I Large School Track & Field Championships. Photo contributed to TriCitiesSports.com.
by STEVE WILMOTH
TriCitiesSports.com
May 24, 2018
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Sullivan South’s Madison Cowan was a half-inch away from a state championship in the triple jump and one miss away from another state title in the high jump at the 2018 TSSAA Division I Large School Track & Field Championships Thursday at the Dean Hayes Soccer and Track Complex at Middle Tennessee State University.
“Madison was excited to see what she could do with having so much time since the sectional to really get healed up and just focus on her jumps,” said Sullivan South coach John Wooten.
The Lady Rebel freshman started the day with the overlapping high jump and long jump competitions. Cowan learned she had made the long jump finals just after clearing 5-4 in the high jump.
“After seeing that only one other competitor had cleared 5-4, we discussed the situation with meet officials and it was determined that Madison should finish the high jump before heading back to the long jump finals,” explained Wooten.
Neither Cowman nor Whitehaven senior Ladasia Walton were able to get over 5-6 in three tries. While Cowan had cleared every height up to 5-4 without a miss and Walton needing two attempts at both 4-10 and 5-2, it Walton who earned the state championship by clearing 5-4 on two tries while Cowan needed three.
Back at the long jump, Cowan landed a personal-best 18-2 to finish sixth.
“Madison did great having to bounce back and forth and stayed relaxed through it all,” added Wooten.
Cowan rounded out the day with a personal-best 37-2½ in the triple jump, finishing as runner-up to Maryville junior Georgie McDevitt who went 37-3.
The 19 total points scored by Cowan in the field events, momentarily had South ahead in the team competition, although the Lady Rebels eventually settled for a tie for the 12th spot.
“Could not have asked for a better performance from Madison today,” continued Wooten. “Very happy for her to come out on the biggest stage and PR in all three events. She showed a lot of competitiveness and hard work.”
Other local athletes notching podium finishes in the field event portion of the meet included Daniel Boone’s Caitlin Cutshall, who finished third in the pole vault (10-0).
Dobyns-Bennett’s Lily Griffith tied for fifth in the high jump at 5-5 while Elizabethton senior Camryn Koroma (111-0) and Cherokee freshman Katie Biggs (107-5) finished fifth and sixth respectively in the discus.
Another pair of freshmen were also on the stand. Volunteer’s Ashley Salyers was seventh in the triple jump (35-2) and Science Hill’s Mary Reed with eighth in the long jump (17-8).