Only one month to go until the Tennessee State Middle School Cross Country Championships !!! It’s hard to imagine, especially while temperatures this month are still in the 90's.
What first started out as a crazy idea on a napkin has now become an event that middle school cross country runners from across the state point towards. It’s been four years since we crowned our first state middle school champions Kaylor Murray (now a senior at Brentwood Academy) and Alex Piper (now a senior at Hardin Valley Academy). It’s great to see that they are both are still running and running at a high level.
A quick check of previous years results:
https://tn.milesplit.com/meets/61242 shows just how many participants are currently making an impact on the high school cross country scene.
The 2006 version of the state middle school championships was more or less an all-comers shot in the dark with no real qualifying required. Jasen Parks and myself were just hoping we could get someone to show up at the starting line. Much to our surprise 300 girls and boys showed up (not bad for a shot in the dark). Our wild idea that there was a need for a state middle school cross country championships - was not so wild after all. In four short years we have gone from these humble beginnings to establishing five regional qualifying meets (Knoxville / Chattanooga / Mid State / Memphis / Tri-Cities) each serving as qualifiers for the state championships. Regional coordinators Brian Buckner, Jasen Parks, Glenn Gattis, Steve Wills, and Kevin Rainey have done an outstanding job building these regional races while creating excitement around qualifying for the "show".
The 2009 State Championships drew 600 athletes from across the state with an electric atmosphere that would rival many a state high school cross country championships. 600 kids who were fired up to reach the capstone of their middle school seasons. Vans painted "Knoxville or Bust" and "State Bound". Caravans of parents, younger siblings, and grandparents ready to do their part on the course and at the finish line. Teams and coaches jogging the course on Friday during course preview day. Pre-Race music jamming over the meet PA system, face paint, Mohawks, shaved heads, and team chants.
There were spectators 10 deep for 125 meters to the finish and kids giving their all for each and every place in hopes of helping their team or making the magical All-State designation. All-comers meet? Not hardly ! State Championships - In every sense of the word.
Our regional qualifiers will kick off this weekend with the Chattanooga Regional which coincides with the Chattanooga Cross Country Festival. Four other regional's take place on regional super week October 12-16th.
Stay tuned here at: www.tennesseerunner.com or
http://www.ktcyouthathletics.org/tnstatemsccchampionship.html
for the latest regional results and state meet information. If you are not yet plugged into a region and would like to participate contact Marty Sonnenfeldt at tennrunner@aol.com
We look forward to seeing you October 23, 2010 at Victor Ashe Park in Knoxville for the 2010 Tennessee State Middle School Cross Country Championships. Cross Country ROCKS !!
