The two longest state championship streaks in Tennessee are in Division II.
Brentwood Academy and Webb left no doubt last Saturday at the state meet.
The Eagles finished with just 17 points, the lowest total since Montgomery Bell Academy had a perfect score in 2010. BA coach Marshall Smith told us after the race that the performance exceeded his expectations.
"We felt like we had a good plan in place and could go run well. But to score under 20 points really is pretty special," he said. "Eddie Lunn, our number five, had a huge day and finished seventh. The first four ran super well also."
Lunn caught anywhere from 8-10 runners in the final mile.
There were no issues with his team becoming complacent. Coach Smith says these kinds of performances have become the standard.
"From the beginning, we just wanted to be the best team we could be," he said. "I think that's been our goals each and every year I've coached these guys. And I think the state meet's a big deal. We've got some great teams and some great coaches.
Webb's girls have the same standards. And the Spartans didn't disappoint in their bid for another state title as well.
"Every year is a new year," Coach Bobby Holcombe told us after his team won its seventh straight title on Saturday.
WEBB SCHOOL OF KNOXVILLE ALL RESULTS EVENT PLACE ATHLETE GRADE RESULT POINTS F 5000m 1 Niki Narayani 12 18:20.43 1 F 5000m 3 Lindsay Holliday 12 19:02.76 3 F 5000m 4 Taylor Cosey 12 19:10.76 4 F 5000m 10 Kamryn Krishnan 11 20:47.78 10 F 5000m 13 Caroline Ross 12 21:00.55 13 F 5000m 21 Erin Jones 10 22:06.99 19 F 5000m 25 Isabel Papenbrock Romero 12 22:29.75 23
Having a top three under 19:10 is remarkable. And Holcombe's group lived up to the lofty standard that's been set by past Spartan teams.
And they had a phenomenal frontrunner too in Niki Narayani.
Webb will continue its training into the postseason, which in turn fuels another run that will help them out during track season.
A couple members of Holcombe's team will run again on Thanksgiving weekend. And that expectation of prolonging the year just a bit longer helps them gear up for next season.
"We have about four athletes heading into the postseason program in hopes that we do very well," he said. "We have one that's at the top who can make a run for it. It's always an honor to get to make the trip to San Diego."
When asked about how his team gears up for the state meet so well every season, Holcombe told us that they don't really think about it too much. Like Smith's team in Brentwood, his group is focused on the next race.
Every team has its own personality. But they all aim for the same high expectations.
"There's something new that's motivating the team," he said. "A different dynamic and chemistry. From year two to year three, five out of the top seven was a totally new team...we get here, we tally it up and its a nice streak to get going."