CHURCH HILL — In a span of just eight years, Jim Ailshie took Volunteer’s track and cross country programs from barely fielding teams to winning conference and regional championships plus a near-podium finish at the state meet.
Now, he’s hanging it up and turning the reins over to the younger generation. Ailshie is set to retire from teaching in the Hawkins County school system on Dec. 15 and formally submitted his formal papers on Wednesday, according to a release from the school.
kAmu@C>6C '@=F?E66C DE2?5@FE 9FC5=6C $2> q2CE@? H:== DE6A :? 2D E96 EC24< 4@249 7@C E96 FA4@>:?8 @FE5@@C D62D@?] p D62C49 7@C E96 4C@DD 4@F?ECJ 4@249 :D F?56CH2J[ 2E9=6E:4 5:C64E@C y6C6>J q2:=6J D2:5] k^Am
kAm“x H2D 2 AC:?4:A2= 2?5 :? 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 7@C `` J62CD 2?5 E96 EC24< A@D:E:@? H2D @A6? 2E '@=F?E66C[” p:=D9:6 D2:5] “x 925 4@?E24E65 q@33J (:?6D 2?5 2D<65 :7 E96 A@DD:3:=:EJ @7 >6 4@>:?8 5@H? E96C6 2?5 E2<:?8 :E H2D E96C6] w6 E@=5 >6 E92E :E H2D >:?6 :7 x H2?E65 :E]”k^Am
kAm(96? p:=D9:6 8@E E@ E96 4C@DD 4@F?ECJ AC@8C2> :? a_`d[ E96 42C5D 96 H2D 562=E H6C6 E@F89[ 3FE 96 4@?E:?F65 E@ DE2J 2E E96 E23=6 2?5 A=2J]k^Am
kAm“x 925?VE C62==J H@C<65 H:E9 E96 <:5D 2E 2== E92E DF>>6C 3642FD6 x 8@E 9:C65 :? pF8FDE[” 96 D2:5] “~?6 >66E E92E x C642== :D E92E H6 7:?:D965 `eE9 @FE @7 `e :? E96 3@JD 2?5 ``E9 @FE `` 7@C E96 8:C=D]k^Am
kAm“x C67=64E 324< @? E92E 2 =@E 2?5 :E :D G6CJ 8C2E:7J:?8]”k^Am
kAm}@H252JD[ E96 u2=4@?D’ AC@8C2> :D @?6 @7 E96 >@DE 4@?D:DE6?E :? }@CE962DE %6??6DD66[ 92G:?8 BF2=:7:65 3@E9 E96 3@JD 2?5 8:C=D E62>D 7@C E96 =2DE E9C66 J62CD]k^Am
kAmp 4@FA=6 @7 E96 9:89=:89ED 7C@> E9:D J62C :?4=F565 D6?:@C y24:6 q68=6J 2?5 ;F?:@C #@>2? q@C896EE:\|6EK 7:?:D9:?8 2D 2==\DE2E6 CF??6CD :? E96 r=2DD p^pp C246] q68=6J H2D @7 A2CE:4F=2C ?@E6 3642FD6 96C 7:7E9\A=246 D9@H:?8 H2D E96 9:896DE :? AC@8C2> 9:DE@CJ[ 362E:?8 @FE u@?52 pCC:?8E@?’D D:IE9\A=246 7:?:D9 7C@> `hge]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 E96 @?=J AC@8C2> :? #68:@? `\p^pp E@ 92G6 BF2=:7:65 3@E9 E96 3@JD 2?5 8:C=D E62>D E96 =2DE E9C66 J62CD[” p:=D9:6 D2:5] “x’> 2=D@ D66:?8 2 4@FA=6 @7 <:5D DE2?5:?8 @? E96 A@5:F> E@ C646:G6 E96:C 2==\DE2E6 >652=D :? 4C@DD 4@F?ECJ 2?5 H92E D66>65 =:<6 2? :>A@DD:3:=:EJ 92D 364@>6 2? 6IA64E2E:@? ?@H]Qk^Am
kAm~? E96 @G2=[ p:=D9:6’D DBF25D 92G6 DE625:=J 8C@H? :? ?F>36CD @G6C E96 J62CD] !C@323=J E96 9:89=:89E @7 9:D E:>6 H2D 7:?:D9:?8 E9:C5 369:?5 $:8?2= |@F?E2:? 2?5 |2CE:? {FE96C z:?8 2E E96 a_aa r=2DD pp >66E]k^Am
kAm%H@ @7 E96 3:8 D4@C6CD 7@C E96 {25J u2=4@?D E92E >66E H6C6 t>:=J r9C:DE:2?’D :?5:G:5F2= H:? :? E96 b__\>6E6C 9FC5=6D 2?5 E96 cIa__ C6=2J 7:?:D9:?8 CF??6C\FA]k^Am
kAm“(96? H6 H6?E 5@H? E@ E96 DE2E6 >66E E9:D A2DE J62C[ H6 925 9:89 ;F>A6CD[ =@?8 ;F>A6CD[ 5:D4FD E9C@H6CD[ D9@E AFEE6CD[ A@=6 G2F=E6CD[ DAC:?E6CD[ 5:DE2?46 CF??6CD 2?5 H6 4@G6C65 E96 H9@=6 82>3:E[” p:=D9:6 D2:5] “%92E’D <:?5 @7 E96 ?62E A2CE :D E92E J@F 4@F=5 DA64:2=:K6 2D 2 E62>[ 3FE H6 4@G6C65 2== E96 2C62D] %92E >@C?:?8[ H6 H6C6 BF:E6 3FDJ 8@:?8 7C@> @?6 7:6=5 6G6?E E@ E96 ?6IE]k^Am
kAm“~FC <:5D 92G6 =62C?65 9@H E@ 4@>A6E6 2?5 <?@H:?8 E92E E96J 42? 4@>A6E6 282:?DE E96 =2C86C D49@@=D 2C@F?5 96C6[ E92E :E A2:5 @77 7@C FD :? E96 6?5]”k^Am
kAmp:=D9:6 — 2 DE2E6 492>A:@? 2?5 2 ?2E:@?2=\42=:36C CF??6C 7@C s@3J?D\q6??6EE 324< :? E96 62C=J `hg_D — AC:56D 9:>D6=7 @? 3F:=5:?8 2 AC@8C2> E92E 56G6=@AD 2E9=6E6D E@ CF? E96:C 36DE :? 4@==686[ 2?5 E96 ?F>36CD D9@H :E]k^Am
kAm%6??6DD66 |:=6DA=:E C646?E=J AF3=:D965 2? 2CE:4=6 4@>A2C:?8 E96 36DE :>AC@G6>6?ED 2E E96 DE2E6 >66E 7C@> 7C6D9>2? E@ D6?:@C J62CD 24C@DD 2== AF3=:4 2?5 AC:G2E6 4=2DD:7:42E:@?D] '@=F?E66C 925 7@FC @7 E96 E@A c` 7@C E96 3@JD 2?5 8:C=D] }@E23=J[ p==JDD2 v6?E 925 2 H9@AA:?8 `c\>:?FE6 :>AC@G6>6?E — E96 36DE 7@C 6:E96C 3@JD @C 8:C=D — E@ D92G6 2? :>AC6DD:G6 bg]bT @77 96C E:>6]k^Am
kAm“x 36=:6G6 :? E96 56G6=@A>6?E2= A2CE @7 CF??:?8 2?5 H6 5@?’E 92G6 E96 76656C AC@8C2>D =:<6 E96D6 3:886C D49@@=D 92G6[” p:=D9:6 D2:5] “xE’D 366? 2 H2J E@ 36 :?G@=G65 :? 492?8:?8 A6@A=6’D =:G6D] x’G6 925 A6@A=6 4@>6 @FE E@ CF?[ DECF88=65 2 =:EE=6 3:E[ 3FE H6?E @? E@ 364@>6 @A6C2E:@?2= DJDE6>D >2?286C @? 2 ?2G2= DF3>2C:?6] *@F D66 2 =@E @7 C6H2C5:?8 DEF77 7C@> 4@249:?8]”k^Am
kAmq6:?8 2 A2CE @7 @?6 @7 E96 8@=56? 6C2D @7 3@JD 5:DE2?46 CF??:?8 7@C 3@E9 }@CE962DE %6??6DD66 2?5 $@FE9H6DE ':C8:?:2[ p:=D9:6 925 E@ 5C2H :?DA:C2E:@? 7C@> D@>6H96C6 D:?46 96 EC2?D76CC65 E@ z:?8DA@CE :? 9:D ;F?:@C J62C 7C@> x==:?@:D]k^Am
kAm%92E :?DA:C2E:@? H2D =2E6 s\q 4@249 %@> r@F896?@FC[ H9@ DE2CE65 2D E96 9625 >2? E96 D2>6 J62C E92E p:=D9:6 42>6 E@ E96 |@56= r:EJ] %96 EH@ D92C65 2 F?:BF6 3@?5 E92E =2DE65 F?E:= r@F896?@FC 5:65 :? a__g] k^Am
kAm“(92E H2D <:?5 @7 ?62E :D E92E %@> 2?5 x 8C6H E@86E96C[” p:=D9:6 D2:5] “w6 925 2 =@E @7 4@>>@? D6?D6 2?5 H96? x H2D DE2CE:?8 E@ @G6C\EC2:?[ 96 AF==65 >6 324< :?] %@> H2D 2 8C62E :?7=F6?46 :? >J =:76 2?5 2D x 8@E 36EE6C 8@:?8 :?E@ >J D6?:@C J62C[ 96 8@E >6 :?E@ E96 36DE C246D E92E 96 4@F=5 E@ >2<6 >6 36EE6C]k^Am
kAm“w6 E@@< >6 5@H? E@ E96 u=@C:52 #6=2JD[ 2? :?E6C?2E:@?2= AC6A :?G:E2E:@?2= :? r9:428@ 2?5 2 ?2E:@?2= AC6A :?5@@C >66E :? {2HC6?46[ z2?D2D] w6 H2D E96 @?6 E92E DA62C962565 E92E 677@CE]”k^Am
kAmp5565 p:=D9:6i “(6 3642>6 =:76=@?8 7C:6?5D 27E6C E92E 2?5 H6 H2E4965 E96 `hhe pE=2?E2 ~=J>A:4D E@86E96C] %92E 3@?5 =2DE65 D@ >F49 =@?86C E92? ;FDE A2DE 9:89 D49@@= 2?5 96 H2D D@>63@5J x 4@F=5 42== :7 x ?66565 2?J 25G:46 2?5 96 H2D D@>6@?6 x 4@F=5 56A6?5 @?]”k^Am
kAmw:D 7:?2= 4C@DD 4@F?ECJ D62D@? H2D >256 6G6? >@C6 DA64:2= H96? 9:D J@F?86DE D@?[ t2>@?[ EC2?D76CC65 7C@> s\q E@ ;@:? E96 DBF25 2?5 H2D 2? :?E68C2= A2CE @7 E96 DBF25 @? E96 52J @7 E96 C68:@?2= >66E]k^Am
kAm“t2>@? :D :? 2 E@F89 D:EF2E:@? H96C6 9:D 525 2?5 9:D @=56C 3C@E96C qCJ46 92G6 925 2 =@E @7 DF446DD :? CF??:?8[” p:=D9:6 D2:5] “w6 92D E96 E2=6?E E@ 36 8C62E[ 3FE D9:6D 2H2J 7C@> :E 3642FD6 @7 E96D6 9F86 6IA64E2E:@?D] (96? 96 42>6 FA E@ '@=F?E66C 2?5 3642>6 2 A2CE @7 E96 E62> 2?5 E96 4F=EFC6 2?5 D2H >J 4@249:?8 A9:=@D@A9J[ x E9:?< 96 D2H 2 5:776C6?E D:56 @7 >6 C2E96C E92? 36:?8 2 ?@C>2= 72E96C]k^Am
kAm“xE H2D C62==J DA64:2= 7@C >6 E@ DA6?5 >J =2DE 4C@DD 4@F?ECJ D62D@? H:E9 9:> 2?5 @FC 3@?5 3642>6 DEC@?86C] (6 5@?’E 86E E@ E96 DE2E6 >66E E9:D J62C H:E9@FE t2>@?]”k^Am
kAmp:=D9:6 H:== ?@E =62G6 E96 4FA3@2C5 32C6 7@C q2CE@? 2D 2 =@E @7 '@=F?E66C’D D4@C6CD 7C@> =2DE D62D@? H6C6 F?56C4=2DD>6?] q2CE@?’D 366? 2C@F?5 E96 AC@8C2> 2D 2 4@249 7@C 2D =@?8 2D p:=D9:6 2?5 9:D A2DD:@? 7@C 9:D 2=>2 >2E6C H:== 46CE2:?=J D6E 2 DEC@?8 6I2>A=6 7@C E96 J@F?8 2E9=6E6D]k^Am
kAm“x’> C62==J 92AAJ 7@C $2> 2?5 7@C '@=F?E66C[” p:=D9:6 D2:5] “$2> 92D 366? 3J >J D:56 D:?46 s2J `] w6’D 2 8C62E E649?:42= 4@249 H:E9 9FC5=6D 2?5 ;F>AD] w:D 962CE :D :? :E 2?5 96’D C625J 3642FD6 96’D 366? 2 9F86 A2CE @7 H9J '@=F?E66C 92D 366? D@ DF446DD7F= :? EC24< @G6C2== E96 =2DE D6G6C2= J62CD]”k^Am
