2023 & 2024
At the TSSAA's first Board of Control meeting for 2023, Hendersonville was selected as the host site for the 2023 and 2024 cross country championships where the meet has been contested for the last three years. The four cities that placed bids were:
- Memphis - Shelby Farms Park
- Franklin - Castle Park
- Knoxville - Victor Ashe Park or Cherokee Farms
- Hendersonville - Sanders Ferry Park
After some deliberation, Hendersonville won the vote.
Rotation?
There has been a lot of chatter about moving the meet out of Middle Tennessee and rotating locations every two years between East, West, and Middle. I'm biasedly relieved that is not the case since during the state meet for the past couple of years I start and end my day in my own home. While that is the case for myself and the rest of the runners and teams within an hour or so of Hendersonville, it is not for the remaining 70% or so of the state. I understand the desire for those on the wings of the state to have the meet in their backyard every four years and if it happens at some point, we'll be sure to bring you the same level of coverage we have in the past.
Sanders Ferry, while extremely spectator friendly, does have it's flaws. Runners cross pavement three times per lap, erosion on the downhill leading to the quiet corner is a injury risk, and on a wet day, the turn leading to the lake loop that is downhill and slopes away can spell disaster. Hopefully the parks department will remedy some of these areas before races resume this fall. I anticipate teams will be clamoring to enter Coleman Midgett or Saturday Light Fever again this season which is exciting. After last year, I feel like we're just now scratching the surface of how fast the course can be.