All-Americans Hutchins, Neglia Steal Show at Sectional Track Meet, Tribe Boys Take Team Title

All-Americans Hutchins, Neglia Steal Show at Sectional Track Meet, Tribe Boys Take Team Title
Science Hill’s Jenna Hutchins pulls away from Kensi Gray of Hardin Valley to win in a meet- and venue-record time of 2:13.88.. Photo contributed to TriCitiesSports.com.
by STEVE WILMOTH
TriCitiesSports.com
May 11, 2019

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- There was an all-out assault on the girls’ meet running records at Saturday’s TSSAA Section 1 Track & Field Championships at Hardin Valley High School.

Leading the charge were All-Americans Jenna Hutchins of Science Hill and Sasha Neglia of Dobyns-Bennett along with Maryville sprinter Georgie McDevitt. Together the trio won six individual events, all in meet record-breaking times.

Hutchins and Neglia had the crowd on its feet in a thrilling 1600 meters. Neglia took the point and led through the final bell before Hutchins nudged ahead and clocked an impressive 1:08.71 last lap to win in 4:55.44. Neglia posted a 1:10.71 on the last circuit to finish at 4:57.12. Both surpassed Neglia’s 5:01.14 posted at Science Hill just year.

“A pretty phenomenal race,” said Dobyns-Bennett coach Bob Bingham. “To beat either one of them, you have to beat them. Neither one gives. And the way they raced, I didn’t know what they’d have left for their other races.”

Turns out both had plenty. 

New TSSAA Section 1 800 meter record
holder Jenna Hutchins of Science Hill and
former record holder Laura McSpadden
Froning.  Photo contributed to
TriCitiesSports.com.
Hutchins was back first where she topped an incredibly fast 800 meter field with a scintillating 2:13.88 not only breaking former Sullivan South and University of Kentucky Wildcat Laura McSpadden Froning’s hand-held 1986 meet record of 2:14.6 as well as Stanford freshman and 16-time TSSAA state champion Rebecca Story’s stadium record of 2:14.34.

Neglia returned later to post a 10:35.70 in winning the 3200 meters by 24 seconds and breaking the meet record of 10:40.99 set by Joanna Thompson of Knox Catholic in 2011. 

Neglia led by over three seconds after three laps, by eight seconds at the halfway point and mustered a 20 second cushion with two to go. The winning time included six sub 1:20 laps including a 1:17.33 final trip. 

“Sasha came back really, really smooth,” added Bingham. “She ran a smart race with a really good time with nobody pushing her.”

McDevitt erased the name of the legendary Jacquelyn Coward twice on the day. Coward starred at Knox West and Central Florida and most recently was seventh in the 100 meter hurdles at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials. 

But McDevitt topped Coward’s 2007 meet record of 24.28 in the 200 meters with a 24.17 and Coward’s 2007 meet record of 11.94 in the 100 meters with a time of 11.73. McDevitt also broke former Chattanooga Howard standout Laquisha Jackson’s 2010 stadium record of 11.85 while running with the Chattanooga Jets but was just short of Jackson’s 2010 state high school record of 11.46.

“Pretty fast running today, particularly on the girls side,” said Bingham. “Usually we come down here and it’s about 90 degrees with some humidity but with some rain this morning, it was cooler and I think the runners took advantage of that.”

TRIBE BOYS WIN TEAM TITLE

While winning any event was nice, a top four finish was all that was required for a berth in the TSSAA State Championships in two weeks.

“Today, fourth was as good as first,” noted Bingham. “You have to get down there before you can think about winning a state championship.”

The Tribe boys were so successful in that vain, the Indians also notched the overall sectional team title with 84 points, comfortably ahead of runner-up Hardin Valley’s 65 points, despite not having a single individual event winner and notching only one relay win.

“The goal is to get as many people to the state meet as possible,” continued Bingham. “If you do that, you’re going to score a lot of points. So we had a lot of people qualify and scored some points. The team thing is a by-product of a lot of good, solid individual performances.”

The Tribe’s Jeamy Williams, Tanner Henry, Aziz Dunn and Sam Cleek qualified in two events each. Williams was runner-up in the 200 meters (22.21) and 400 meters (49.56) while Cleek placed third in the pole vault (13-6) and third in the high jump (6-2). 

Dobyns-Bennett’s Sam Cleek is state-bound
in the pole vault and the triple jump.
TriCitiesSports.com photo by
Allen Greene Photography.
Cleek is headed to the state meet after three combined fifth-place finishes the last two years. Dunn is going in the triple jump as well thanks to a fourth-place (40-11¼) and a third place in the 200 meters (22.39). 

“Guys like Cleek and Aziz are our unsung heroes,” Bingham said. “Sam cleared 13-6 on his first try which relieved a lot of pressure. He’s had a great year. And Aziz running behind Jeamy doesn’t get noticed but a 22.39 in the 200 is really, really fast.”

Henry qualified for a third straight high jump state appearance with a modest 6-0 thanks to fewer misses, but the Wofford signee is also is going in the triple jump for the first time with a third-place leap of 41-10¾.

“Honestly, I don’t know how I made state for high jump,” admitted Henry. “It was not a good day for jumping with bad weather conditions. I kept hitting 5-10 and 6-0 and a lot of other people got 5-10 before me so I was really stressed. But almost everyone got out on 6-0 and luckily I got it on my second try.

“My jumping buddy Aziz really helps a lot while I complete in the triple jump,” added Henry. “He keeps me loose and I think that helps me compete better. I don’t feel the pressure in triple jump and I just go over there and have fun.”

Cade Salyers joined the Indian qualifiers with a second-place in the shot with a throw of 49-0¼.

Dunn and Williams also helped the Indians’ 4x200 meter relay team including Kinden Reyes and and Kamdyn Lee to a first-place finish.

RUSSUM, RELAY TEAMS STRONG FOR LADY INDIANS

Dobyns-Bennett’s Emma Russum finished a strong fourth in the 3200 meters (11:18.38) and also ran a leg on the Lady Indians’ runner-up 4x800 meter relay team (9:41.60) with Macy Pickup, Gracie Allen and Julianna McReynolds.

“Emma had a really good day again, she’s been solid and consistent all year,” said Bingham. “And Julianna has really come on. She’s worked hard, overcome some injuries and just slowly gotten better. She ran a really strong 2:23 leg today.”

Milligan signee Kiley Wood, Injoi Bristol, ETSU-bound Aubree Henger and Natalie Bates teamed to finish third in the 4x200 meter relay (1:45.05) and fourth in the 4x100 meter relay (50.08). 

Sullivan South sophomore Madison Cowan
is state bound in three events.
TriCitiesSports.com photo by
Allen Greene Photography.
SOUTH’S COWAN ONLY TRIPLE INDIVIDUAL QUALIFIER

Sullivan South sophomore standout Madison Cowan was only Section 1 participant to quality in three individual events.

Cowan’s day was hectic initially with the high jump and long jump scheduled to compete at the same time.

“Madison was trying to figure out whether she was going to have to run back and forth between the two, but thankfully she was able to finish high jump before her flight of long jump,” said South coach John Wooten.

Coward quickly cleared 5-2 but passed on a chance to match Maryville’s Lilly Lang at 5-4, settling instead for a runner-up finish.

“She had already qualified and the long jump had already started,” explained Wooten. “So she was able to focus on long jump with the high jump out of the way.”

It paid off with a personal-best 17-10 leap and first place finish before moving on to the triple jump, where Cowan landed a jump of 36-0, good for another second-place finish.

Cowan was’t done however and clocked a personal-best 16.89 in the 100 meter hurdles to place seventh. 

“It was just a great day overall for Madison,” added Wooten. “Two second places and a win and another trip to Murfreesboro. It’s really exciting.”

RUSSELL BREAKS THROUGH

After logging her first-ever state cross country appearance last fall, Cherokee’s Harper Russell broke through for a first state track qualification with a fourth-place finish in the 800 meters.

Her time of 2:16.70 was three seconds clear of her own school record set just eight days ago at the Ballad Health / TriCitiesSports.com Relays.

“It means so much because I have been so close every year,” Russell said. “The hard work has paid off and I just want to give God all the glory!” 

Cherokee’s Harper Russell is headed to her
first state track and field meet.
TriCitiesSports.com photo by
Allen Greene Photography.
Russell didn’t back into the bid either. Recent all-state times in the event have been some five-to-six seconds off the pace of Russell on Saturday.

“I was just focused on racing instead of time and maintaining good,” continued Russell. “I am very grateful for a new PR. I’m going to work hard in preparation to represent our region at state.”

FIELD EVENT BOONE

#RunBoone became #FieldEventBoone on Saturday as Jeremiah Sullivan finished runner-up with a school-record heave of 150-11 in the discus, Devin McKenna cleared 13-6 to place fourth in the pole and Lady ‘Blazer Catlin Cutshall cleared 10-0 to also place fourth in the girls’ pole vault.

SCIENCE HILL’S JONES BATTLES FOOT LOCKER NATIONAL RUNNER-UP

Jeb Jones had his work cut out for him trying to log a sectional title on Saturday as the Samford signee battled Notre Dame-bound Jake Renfree of Knox Catholic in two events.

Renfree, the National Foot Locker Cross Country National Runner-Up last fall won both - crossing in 1:53.75 in the 800 meters and in 4:23.73 in the 1600 meters.

Meanwhile Jones was runner-up in both, clocking a 1:55.03 in the 800 and 4:29.99 in the 1600 meters.

OTHER QUALIFIERS

Jones’ brother Aaron secured a state appearance with a 9:48.16 in the 3200 meters while the Toppers’ Connor Morgan was second in the 300 meter hurdles (30.68 and Ekeminiabasi Eno-Ekefree (42-1¼) was runner-up to sectional champion Jayden Keller (42-7) of Tennessee High in the triple jump. 

The Lady Toppers’ Mary Reed came in third in the long jump (17-0). 

Cherokee’s Mataylin Goins shook off a nervous false start in the 100 meter hurdles to place 2nd in the 300 meter hurdles at 46.52. Katie Biggs of Cherokee placed fourth in the discus at 107-0.

Ashley Salyers lept 35-5½ to place third in the triple jump, Elizabethton’s Jasmine Roberts was runner-up in the shot put (37-8¾) and Hailie Hawkins of Unicoi County cleared 10-0 to finish fourth in the pole vault.
 
 
 
 

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