The 33rd edition of the Trailblazer Invitational gets underway on Thursday, October 13 at Daniel Boone High School in Gray, Tennessee. Over 50 schools (including 32 high schools) and 1000 runners are entered to run this traditional meet which hosts races for both middle & high school divisions and draws teams from East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. For most teams entered the Trailblazer marks the last major invitational prior to heading into the end of season meets.
Most meets of this size are held on Saturdays but the Trailblazer is unusual with its Thursday evening schedule of races. The meet gets underway at 3:45 with the middle school girls followed by the middle school boys. At 4:40 the junior varsity runs a combined race which always has some top times. The Varsity Girls hits the trail at 5:00 with the Varsity Boys running at 5:30. No small or large school divisions are offered. So the Trailblazer offers the chance for the best throughout the region to race against each other without regard to classification.
The Varsity Girls race this year promises to be a good one as the last two individual champions return. Last's year champion was Maggie Lester from Patrick Henry (VA) and she returns to defends her title. Maggie has shown that she is ready with a series of wins including a win over the Morristown West girls at The Gathering. Also returning after missing last year's meet with an injury is 2003 champion, Ashton Bishop of Gate City (VA). Ashton is a little of an unknown factor this year as she has seldom raced while splitting time with volleyball. However with a personal best of 18:27 and 2:14 800 meter speed she cannot be overlooked. Morristown West's Haley Moody and Tara Gietema have also demonstrated that they will be in the hunt for the individual title. Both are running very well right now and I would not bet against them. If any of these four falter, the door may be open for Stephanie Davenport of University School and Science Hill's Allie Scalf. On the girls team side there is only one name and it is Morristown West. Everyone else is racing for second.
Last's years Varsity Boys race was the closest in the history of the Trailblazer with Marion's (VA) Jason Yonts and Daniel Boone's Blake Ketron finishing in a dead heat with Yonts being picked the winner. Both are back and while Jason has been struggling with injury this year he s finally starting to get into shape with a 16:20 run at the Galax Invitational. Boone's Josh Armentrout has also shown the ability to run up front and already has a win on the Trailblazer course this year. However, the favorite to take the title is Abingdon's Griff Graves. He started out the season on fire and has slowed a little of late (if you can call second place slow). It will be Griff's first time on the tough Daniel Boone course and that might just open the door for one of the Boone runners to score an upset. Darkhorse candidates will be Josh Jaynes of Elizabethton and Doug Fender of Marion. For the first time since 1981, Daniel Boone is favored to win their own meet but look for Abingdon and Patrick Henry to make the Trailblazers work for it.