2022 TSSAA State XC Meet Recap: Division I Class AAA Boys

Division I Class AAA Boys

First Since 1998

As anticipated, heading into the second loop of Sander's Ferry there was no definitive leader. The entire first loop acted as a feeling out process. Trevor Coggin, Brody Chapman, Owen Clemons, Alexander Quackenbush, Luke Mussard, and Braden Ebbert all entered the second loop in a tightly knit pack.  Clemons and Chapman would eventually separate themselves exiting the lake loop with a 20 meter lead heading into the final uphill. Both runners would go up the hill, only Clemons would come down (figuratively) and maintain the lead he had on the rest of the field into the finish line where he crossed in 15:22, eleven seconds better than runner up Trevor Coggin. It was the first time since 1998 a freshman boy would win the largest Division I classification and only the second time in history. The other was Farragut's Andy Baksa who did so in 1998. 

Cade Crum of Bearden would narrowly edge Farragut's Ebbert for third in a sprint off at the line. Crum and viral sprint-offs have been well-documented this season but of all the runners that were in the chase pack heading into the second loop, I would assume he had one of the stronger final miles of the race as he was outside the top 5 heading into the final uphill. 

Here's the remaining finishers in the top ten. 
=======================================================================          
    Name                    Year School                  Finals  Points          
=======================================================================          
  1  #616 Clemons, Owen        9 Cleveland             15:22.47    1             
  2  #692 Coggin, Trevor      12 Farragut              15:33.13    2             
  3  #552 Crum, Cade          10 Bearden               15:43.69                  
  4  #695 Ebbert, Braden      11 Farragut              15:43.75    3             
  5  #697 Tonnos, Matteo      11 Farragut              15:46.98    4             
  6  #680 Mussard, Luke       11 Dobyns Bennett        15:50.58    5             
  7  #653 Quackenbush, Alexa  12 Daniel Boone          15:53.98    6             
  8  #681 Sullins, Dane       12 Dobyns Bennett        15:58.64    7             
  9  #590 Vaughn, Kehler       9 Brentwood             16:09.38    8             
 10  #588 Pautienus, Robert   11 Brentwood             16:10.82    9             

First Since 2001

As you can see from the results above, Farragut, with three in the top five, would take the team championship. It was the first since 2001 for the Admirals and the third in school history. Brentwood and Farragut would both go out incredibly aggressive with both teams at one point in the first loop making up over half of the top 25 or so spots in the race. Eventually Brentwood runners would start fading and Farragut would remain strong. All five scoring Admirals would finish within a minute of Coggin and ahead of any other team's third runner posting just 41 total team points which is the fifth lowest in this classification in history. 

With Chapman struggling to finish for Brentwood similar to what occurred to Claire Stegall and others at Sanders Ferry in previous seasons, Beech was able to grab runner-up bringing in five runners within 47 seconds of one another. For the Buccaneers, it was a program sweep of runner-up finishes securing the highest either team has finished in school history. Every team in the top five is set to lose multiple scoring runners to graduation. Will be interesting to see who has the ability to backfill heading into 2023. 

Congratulations to the Farragut Admirals and Owen Clemons. 

Good luck to all in your postseason endeavors.