Ensworth’s Sloan finally wins cross country title

There was only one place Ensworth’s Emma Sloan could finish at Saturday’s state high school cross country championships.

After placing fourth, third and second her first three years at the Division II-AA girls meet at Percy Warner Park’s Steeplechase Course, Sloan left little doubt with a 26-second victory in her final appearance.

“There’s no other way that I would want this to turn out,” said Sloan, the daughter of Margaret Groos Sloan, a 1988 Olympian who still owns the state’s 1,600-meter record, set at Harpeth Hall in 1977, and was a three-time cross country champion.

“The entire week, before I ran this and all of this morning, I was very, very nervous because I know I have some tough competition. So I’m happy with the way things turned out.”

Sloan finished in 18:36.25. Harpeth Hall senior Reagan Freeman (19:03.04) was second and Brentwood Academy’s Claire Cheeseman (19:05.88) was third.

Freeman helped Harpeth Hall take the team title ahead of Brentwood Academy.

Central Magnet’s Taylor Cuneo won the Class A/AA girls title on her first try, finishing in 18:57.58, nearly nine second aheads of Christian Academy of Knoxville freshman Rebecca Story (19:06.53).

She became Central Magnet’s first cross country state champion.

“I think I’ve just been trying to focus on my training rather than competition, and I wanted to get out here and do my best race,” she said.

The Class AAA races saw two east Tennessee upperclassmen win, but two Midstate freshmen run right there with them.

In the girls race, Ravenwood’s Annika Sleenhof (18:33.29) was second to Morristown West junior Cherie Wilson (18:30.25). Brentwood’s Brodey Hasty (15:50.52) was second to Daniel Boone’s Adam Barnard (15:43.48) in the boys race.

“I tried to hang on to the back of the (front) pack starting and once we got to the two-mile point it started to slow down a bit, and I tried to keep the same pace,” Sleenhof said. “(Wilson) stayed with me and passed me and I just tried to stay with her at the end, but she pulled away.”

Hasty used a last-gasp burst up the incline to the finish to keep Daniel Boone from sweeping the top three spots.

Morristown West edged Brentwood for the AAA boys’ team title, 47-50.

McCallie senior Dylan Carmack ran a 15:57.63 to win over Father Ryan senior Ben Weisel (16:09.85) in the DII-AA boys race.

Brentwood Academy’s boys won the DII-AA team title over MUS 41-63.

Hume-Fogg won the A/AA boys team title.