With the area's first track meet just around the corner, runners from across the region are gearing up for what promises to be one of the most exciting track seasons in recent memory. The State of Franklin region is loaded with great distance talent, so look for some stellar performances and times as we begin to move into spring.
This track season, keep your eye on Senior Josh Jaynes, of Elizabethton High School.
Under the guidance of Coach Jim Presnell, Jaynes is coming off of an impressive win at the Tennessee A-AA State Cross Country Championship in 2005. Jaynes captured Elizabethton's first individual state cross country title, at a school that is rich in distance running tradition.
"I took off and I knew I wanted to be in that front pack," said Jaynes reflecting on his state championship victory. "I wanted to keep myself in contention for the race. I would say about 800 meters in, I had taken the lead. Nobody else wanted to take the lead so I decided to set the pace. I came through, about a mile into it, I saw Coach Presnell and he is standing along side the course and he told me just go. I just kept going and about 1200 meters left, they started catching back up to me and then I started my kick and put on the after burners."
After burners indeed. Try 52 quarter leg speed, last spring!
It is not every day you see a runner who competes on his team's 4X400 relay at the state track meet in the spring and win the Tennessee State Cross Country Championship in the fall. It may be a first.
The little known Jaynes has been compared to former East Tennessee State standout, Kevin Johnson, a 3:54 miler who was blessed with a combination of endurance and great leg speed.
Not since Danny Sexton of Sullivan South, who won the Tennessee State Meet in the 800 and the Tennessee State Cross Country Championship in the early 90's, has there been a guy with such range in Northeast Tennessee.
"I think my foot speed is a little bit quicker now," said Jaynes. I'm going to try to run 50 flat or maybe even break 50 this season."
With such talent, why is this guy relatively unknown across the state?
"His junior year he might have won the state cross country championship but was involved in a car wreck," said Coach Jim Presnell. "Last year he was off to a great start in the 2 mile and mile and broke his rib and a lot of people didn't know he had a broke rib. We were at a track meet at Appalachian State and Josh started complaining, "my back is killing me." Come to find out after going to the doctor several times and taking x-rays that he had a broken rib. It was probably caused by the car wreck and was not broken completely in two, until the stress of the race, when it completely popped."
With Jaynes now healthy, he has his sights set on Elizabethton's school record in the mile run, which was set in 1985 by Chris Jenkins, with a time of 4:17.
He is also contemplating the rare distance triple at state but is aware of one major obstacle in front of him.
"Well G.J. Hudgens ran 1:52 sometime last year," said Jaynes. "I don't think he runs any other events. I will already have 3 miles under my belt. My main goal is to win the two mile and the mile. Then in the 800, I'm just going to go out there and give everything I got and try to beat him at the end."
There are even thoughts of running the 4x400 once again at state.
"If he's got anything left and we could get a relay team together, I told him he could still run the 4X400,"said Coach Presnell.
Several colleges are looking at Jaynes at this time: East Tennessee State, Middle Tennessee State, UT-Chattanooga and King College.
If Jaynes were to achieve his goals, college recruiters from across the country will be clamoring at his doorstep.
In my view, this could be the story of the upcoming track season in Northeast Tennessee.
You take a guy who won the state cross country meet and combine that with sub 52 quarter leg speed and watch out!
Jaynes appears to be set to run a tremendous mile. Lets hope he faces Zach Moss, of Jefferson County High School, whose school is in a different classification from Elizabethton.
Moss ran a 4:18 mile at the Tennessee State Meet last year and will be the top returning miler from Northeast Tennessee this upcoming season.
Its track time in Tennessee and let the racing begin.