DII-AA
At the 2022 state meet, Knoxville runners just took 1 out of the top 5 spots, with Keegan Smith taking 4th in 15:31. This year, Knoxville runners took 3 out of the top 5 spots, going 1st, 3rd, and 5th. Colin Eckerman continued his breakthrough season and although not being considered the favorite, secured his first state title in a meet record of 14:51. Keegan Smith (3rd overall in 15:02) and Radek Molchan (5th overall in 15:19) led the Knoxville Catholic Boys to a 5th-place team finish. Colin and Keegan would go on to place 6th and 7th at the Nike South Regional and have the potential to qualify for the national meet with an at-large bid.
Last year the Webb Girls on paper were the fastest team in the state, but due to two of their top 5 runners being ineligible for TSSAA competition, they took runner-up to Harpeth Hall. This year at full strength, the Webb Girls were the heavy favorites to win their first State Title since 2018. Despite a last-second injury to Anna Graves, the Webb girls still won handily, placing 5 in the top 12. As of writing this article, the Webb Girls are waiting for a potential at-large bid to NXN after a third-place finish at NXR.
DII-A
The CAK boys bounced back after getting upset at the region meet, with the Warriors placing third at Sanders Ferry. Led by Joshua Cross (1st overall) and Andrew Mansfield, CAK placed two in the top 9 and improved their average at the state meet by 22 seconds year over year. With only 1 senior and 3 freshmen in the top 7, the Warriors have a chance to continue contending in DII-A for the foreseeable future.
Grace Christian Academy placed 8th at the state meet and was the fastest Knoxville girls team in DII-A. Led by Adeline Kose placing 32nd, the Rams improved their 1-5 average at the state meet by 13 seconds, with 5 of their runners setting season bests at the state meet.