Salute to Seniors: Brodey Hasty

"While Brodey ends his high school career as the best in our state's history, I will always appreciate how genuine and humble he's remained through all of his success and accolades," says long-time Brentwood Academy coach Marshall Smith.

Brodey leaves Tennessee this week to travel to the forested trails and 7,000-foot altitude of Flagstaff, Arizona after recently transferring to the defending NCAA Cross Country Champion, Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks, following a recent coaching change at the University of Oregon.

The Brentwood High School graduate is leaving behind an incredible legacy as Tennessee's finest high school runner ever, and as arguably the best high school distance runner in the country over the past two years. Hasty's five National Championship titles, and his overall body of work, place him in extremely rarified air, amongst the all-time high school distance running greats.

Near the end of his eighth-grade school year, Hasty's family sought out the guidance of private coach, Guy Avery. In the last seven years alone, Avery's tiny group of privately-coached athletes have garnered an astounding 40 'All-American' honors in national championship events.

It is out of this tight-knit family culture of excellence, that Hasty quickly thrived and emerged as a champion. While Avery has coached many outstanding student-athletes, he recognized early- on, a special athlete who had the desire to learn and the courage to push himself in races. Hasty quickly became a prize pupil, a champion runner and a dynamic leader within one of the country's top high school distance programs.

The curly-haired, pony-tailed Hasty, nicknamed 'Fluffy' by his coach, initially burst onto the high school scene with an outstanding runner-up finish at the Tennessee State Cross Country Championships - an extraordinary feat for a freshman boy. Three weeks later, Brodey clocked a nation-leading freshman time of 15:13 for 5k at the Nike Southeast Championship, over the hilly Wake Med course in Cary, North Carolina.

The rest is now history, as Hasty continued to improve his best times year after year, recording new track PR's in every event, in every season of his stellar high school career.

Hasty's Steady Annual Progress:

• 8th Grade = 2:14 / 4:36 / 9:47
• 9th Grade = 2:07 / 4:19 / 9:16
• 10th Grade = 1:57 / 4:08 / 9:01
• 11th Grade = 1:54 / 4:01 / 8:45
• 12th Grade = 1:52 / 3:58 / 8:36

As a sophomore, Brodey captured the Individual State Cross Country title by a wide margin and led Brentwood to their fourth State Championship team title in the previous five years. He followed that by winning his first of an unprecedented three consecutive Nike Southeast Individual Cross Country Championships. That Spring of his sophomore year, he also won the State 1600m, coming from 4th place in the final 200m, to win at the tape, in the final stride.

As a junior, he successfully defended his Individual State Cross Country title while setting a Steeplechase 5k course record (15:09) and leading his Brentwood team to their 5th State Championship in the previous 6 years. His Brentwood boys' team out-scored all 23 other large school teams put together, and also lowered their previous team course record, with a 15:46 five- man average.

Three weeks later, Hasty repeated as the Nike Southeast Individual Champion, while leading his Brentwood XC Club team to their second Nike Southeast Team Championship in four years. One week later, at the 2016 Nike Cross Country National (NXN) Championship in Portland, Oregon, Brodey led his Brentwood XC Club team to its' second NXN team podium finish in just four years. Hasty found himself on the NXN podium, as a top-3 individual and as part of a top-3 team. It was a glimpse of things to come for the versatile harrier from Tennessee.

That winter, Brodey won the Mile & 2-Mile Indoor State Championship double, recording his eighth and ninth State Championship titles already by the middle of his junior year. He probably would have had won many more state championships over his remaining 1 1⁄2 years, had a convoluted situation not taken place at his high school that winter. However, Brodey turned a sad situation in Tennessee, into a joyful experience at the New Balance Indoor Nationals in New York City, as he anchored his young Distance Medley Relay (DMR) team to a National Runner- Up finish, before capturing his first Individual National Championship in the 2-Mile, in a spectacular upset win over the best seniors in the country, only two days later.

That Spring, Hasty parlayed his indoor success into racing the 3rd fastest junior mile time ever, with an outstanding 4:01.75 clocking at the Music City Distance Carnival, and he extended his unbeaten streak on the national stage, with another convincing 2-Mile win in the prestigious Brooks PR meet in Seattle.

Perhaps Brodey's most memorable cross country races came on the Nike Southeast Regional course in Cary, North Carolina. It was there, at the largest of all Nike Regional meets (representing 12 states, with twice the total schools and total school enrollment of the next largest Nike Regional qualifying meet), that the tough Tennessean won an unprecedented third Nike Southeast Regional Individual Championship, pulling away from the top runners by 20 seconds in the final 1K of the race. On the Wake Med course, which happens to be one of the most frequently-run courses in the entire country, Brodey broke Sean McGorty's course record by 1 1seconds with a 14:32 clocking. He also holds five of the top-ten fastest times ever run on the hilly course, that annually hosts the Great American Cross Country Festival and the Nike Southeast Championships.

The New Balance Indoor National Championship meets have also been a special event, with the electric atmosphere that is found in few other high school meets, and this event always brought out the best in Hasty. Brodey capped off a great high school career by winning back-to-back Indoor National Championship 2-Mile titles, and he also anchored his team to a very rare back- to-back Indoor & Outdoor DMR National Championship sweep, coming from behind in both races, to win with his special kick.

When presented with his options, Hasty chose to finish out his illustrious high school career, sharing the sweet taste of victory, with his friends and teammates.

In all, Brodey was atop the New Balance Nationals podium every time he raced, including back- to-back National Championship Indoor 2-Mile titles (2017 -18) his junior and senior years, as well as back-to-back National Championship Indoor and Outdoor DMR titles (2018) his senior year. Additionally, Hasty led his teammates to back-to-back HOKA ONE ONE Postal Nationals 5 x 2-Mile team titles the final two years of his high school career, recording the top individual 2M time in the national team competition each year.

Hasty's exploits on the national stage, kept the state of Tennessee in the national spotlight for the last three years. He has been atop the Nike Southeast (NXNSE) podium four times and on the Nike National Championship (NXN) podium three times, twice as an individual and once as a team member, finishing with an individual National Runner-Up at NXN his senior year on the muddy and undulating Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland, Oregon. In addition, he has been a fixture on the podium at the New Balance National Championship events, on top of winning the prestigious Brooks PR 2-Mile as a junior, an event that most agree is the actual national individual championship meet.

In four years of high school running, Brodey Hasty amassed an incredible eleven 1st Team 'All- American' honors in XC and Track, five National Championship titles (2 team and 3 individual championships), along with two National Runner-Up finishes. In addition, he set an amazing eleven Tennessee State H.S. Records and recorded an incredible nine All-Time Top-5 U.S. H.S. distance event marks in an 18-month stretch.

Very few runners have accomplished so much at such an elite level both individually and as a team member, and in both cross country and track. A general outline of his career numbers tells the story of an incredible high school career (see below).

A Sample of Brodey Hasty's Accomplishments:

• 9 State Championship titles (3 Team and 6 Individual) in only a 2-year stretch.

• 11 State Records in a 2-year stretch

  • 1500m (3:43.8i)
  • 1600m (3:58.6i)
  • Mile (4:00.05i)
  • 3000m (8:00.92)
  • 3200 (8:42i)
  • 2M (8:45i)
  • 4x800R (7:43)
  • D.M.R. (9:56.3i)
  • 5K XC (14:32)
  • 5K Steeplechase (15:09) as a junior.
  • 5K Steeplechase State Championship 5-Runner Team Average (15:46).

• 4-Time Nike Southeast Cross Country Champion (3 individual and 1 team

• 5 National Championship titles (3 individual & 2 team) including 2 National Runner- Ups

• 9 Top-5 All-Time Marks in U.S. High School history: o U.S. #3 All-Time Junior Mile

• U.S. #3 All-Time Indoor 1600m o U.S. #3 All-Time Indoor Mile
• U.S. #5 All-Time Indoor 3K
• U.S. #5 All-Time Indoor 3200m o U.S. #5 All-Time Indoor 2M

• U.S. #2 All-Time Indoor DMR o U.S. #2 All-Time Outdoor 3K
• U.S. #3 All-Time Indoor 1500m
• 11-Time 1st Team All-American honors

Brodey Hasty achieved all this, by racing with an uncommon passion and steadily improving each year, while carrying himself with a down-to-earth sportsmanship that endeared him to his teammates, runners throughout the state of Tennessee, and to running fans all over the country.

Amazingly, when Coach Avery first met Hasty as an 8th grader, Brodey initially said he "could not break 5 minutes for the mile." The veteran coach shrugged it off and within 10 weeks, Hasty had run a 4:36 mile. Only 3 1⁄2 years later, Brodey would cross the line at the prestigious Millrose Games (this past winter) in a professional race on a 200-meter track, in a 4:00.05 for the mile, making him the third-fastest indoor high school miler of all-time.

The kid who "could not break five minutes" in middle school, ran the full mile distance on a 200-meter indoor oval, in four minutes!

Brentwood's double state champion, rising junior, Beth Donnelly, has experienced a similar trajectory of improvement, going from a 5:50 mile in 8th grade to a 4:48 mile in 10th grade, in only two years. Donnelly acknowledges that Brodey has been an inspiration to her. "Brodey has been an inspiring runner and a great friend. He has been a great role model to me, because he always gives his very best in races, and he always tries to help others become better."

While his accomplishments have been many, his impact on his team stands out. "When the chips were on the table in a cross country team race or a relay, Brodey would always rise to the occasion for the team," recalls Avery. "I always trusted him on our anchor leg, because he was always fully committed to his team's success."

Brodey and teammate Scott Thompson, have been atop multiple National Championship podiums together as teammates, at the Nike Cross Nationals, as well as at both the New Balance Indoor and Outdoor National Championships. According to Track & Field News, Brentwood's other multiple State Champion and All-American miler, Scott Thompson, has combined with Brodey to be the 3rd fastest High School Boys' 1600/Mile duo in history, with 4:02.7 (1600m) and 4:04.1 (full mile) averages, respectively.

About Hasty, the Princeton-bound Thompson, shares, "Running with Brodey this last four years has completely changed my perspective on running and has helped me tremendously with my own running. He's a phenomenal athlete and an amazing person. I look forward to having him as my friend the rest of my life and I hope to see him at some championship meets."

According to his high school coach, Hasty's spirit has not only fueled his progress but has added to his legacy, not only a legacy of great races and marks, but more importantly, who he is as a person.

"Brodey is a very talented athlete who has expressed his gift for running with a spirit that inspires others," says Avery. "He has barely begun to scratch the surface of his physical ability. He's an exceptional runner who is an equally exceptional human being. We've had so many fun times and laughter together, and in our group, over the last four years. I'm going to miss that part the most. He is loved by many here, and he is going to be missed by all of us."

Tennesseans have been fortunate to witness Brodey's spirit, athletic excellence and sportsmanship for four straight years. We at Tennessee Milesplit, salute the amazing Brodey Hasty for a spectacular and inspiring high school career and we wish him the very best, as he ventures off to college for the next fun challenge in his inspiring running journey.