2025 KYA State ES/MS Championship Preview

Ella Day Piersant (Chattanooga Christian) comes in as one of the top contenders for the KYA 2025 Middle School State title. She was fourth last year at this meet. She has a PR of 11:39 that she set last year at her Regional race. Even though she has not matched that time this season, she has six wins out of her seven races this year. That one non-win looked to be an anomaly and so I expect she will be in the front pack, if not the front pack this Saturday. However, with a season best time only 0.01 of a second apart, Nora Campbell (Jonathan Edwards Classical Academy) is likely to be on Ella Day's shoulder at this meet. As we all know, comparing times on different courses for cross county is akin to comparing apples and oranges, but Ella Day and Nora have some great race experiences and wins this season and that kind of confidence will help them be the front runners for sure. They both won their Regional races, so add that to the confidence builder coming into Saturdays race.

Houston Middle is bringing in a few top twenty-five ranked competitors this year. Rhetta Lammi (11:59) and Ryleigh Chester (12:17) lead that pack. Rhetta won the West TN Regional with a new PR and her first showing at the sub-12-minute mark. Ryleigh was a top eight finisher at her Region but something that stands out with her is an early season win in the 2K in a blistering 7:00.01 time at the Memphis Twilight. That is some good motoring and may help her if it comes down to a kick at the end.

Last years state champion, Dresden's Peyton Oliver, ran about 27 seconds faster than what she ran at the 2024 Region to get the runner up spot and that surely puts her on the list of girls to watch Saturday. Third place finisher in the West Region was Elyn Miller of Woodland Presbyterian. Elyn seems to be doing well coming into Saturday after setting a new PR at the Shelby League championship race on Monday (12:14). That trend of setting PR's as they approach the State championships continues with Evie Mae Chastain of Sovereign Grace. Evie Mae dropped about 15 seconds off her PR to run for a runner up spot in 12:15 at the Nashville Region meet. Pippa Piersant (Chattanooga Christian) and Livi Taylor (Arrows XC) join that PR group with times of 12:18 and 12:23 respectively. Pippa's effort gave her a second place finish and Livi's a bronze spot in the Nashville Region. West Valley's Lillian Stout is another sub 12:20 contender who is entered this Saturday and another Region winner (Knoxville Region). These Region meets this year puts these girls in the best possible position to have the confidence to give their best and make this State championship one of the best!

On the boys side of the Middle School race is going to have some fireworks at the front of the race. Two of the top ranked athletes this year will go head-to-head Saturday. University's Declan Murphy and Knox Doss at Drakes Creek's Jackson Oliver have both run a 10:16 this season. Both are also winners in the TSSAA middle school championship, but in different divisions. On that course, Jackson had the better time by about five seconds. You would think that would give Jackson a slight edge coming into Saturdays race. But Declan is just now getting into his zone when he won the West Region meet last week to get that 10:16 PR. Too close to call but no doubt the makings of a particularly good race!

Ryder Chatman, Oliver Brown and William Thursby of Woodland Brentwood can boast having three runners in the top ten ranking. With Ryder leading the way in 10:22, Oliver with a 10:32 and William at 10:36, that is a formidable team for sure and one to watch this Saturday.

A few others with sub 10:40 marks include Caleb Scott (Towering Oaks, 10:33), Stevenson Brown (Brentwood, 10:38), and Jack Beroset (McCallie, 10:39). Caleb sits at number 8 on the state ranking with a 10:33 that was set earlier in the season. But Stevenson set his best in late September and Jack just won the Chattanooga Regional so that may just give these guys a bit of an edge among this group.

Jack Beroset is also part of a strong McCallie team that includes Miles Kirksey (10:42), Everett Campbell (11:00), Calvin Caputo (11:15) and Hudson Stoker (11:21). With their three fastest in the top twenty ranking, that makes this team quite the contender for the title as well.  

And rounding off some of the top runners for Saturday's championship with times under the eleven mark include Benjamin Pettit (Dresden, 10:46), Boyd Buchanan's Matthew Pollard (10:46), Houston's Liam McNeil (10:49), Rossivew's Graham Emery (10:50), and Ethan Strait (CSTHEA Patriots, 10:55).

The girls Middle School varsity race is set for 9:30am and the boys at 11:15am. With some incredibly talented athletes lining up to race in this State Championships, you are sure to witness some memorable races this Saturday!