Knoxville Catholic star Keegan Smith on Saturday, October 19, 2024 at Sequoyah Hills Park in Knoxville, TN. (Photo by Tanner Walker/5SP)
The 2024 cross-country season crossed the finish line this past week.
And runners from the 5Star Preps coverage stood out — big time — at the TSSAA State Championships on Nov. 7-8 in Hendersonville.
Have a look …
BOYS XC RESULTS
Decorated distance runner Keegan Smith, a senior at Catholic and Colorado commitment, won his final TSSAA state cross country championship. He posted a winning time of 14:59.16 to take the Division II-AA title by 10 seconds. He, junior Radek Molchan (seventh place, 15:43.99) and sophomore Cade Duncanson (11th, 16:03.01) helped the Irish win a team title, as well. Keegan Smith’s title was his second TSSAA XC individual title and his first since 2021. For Catholic, the Irish won their third team title — the first since 2016.
The Hardin Valley Academy boys program won a hard-fought Division I-AAA team title with 88 points, edging out Nolensville (117) and Farragut (127) in the 24-team field. Garrett Hawkins, a senior at HVA, led the way in the win with a fourth-place individual finish at 15:40.34. Gabe Allen, a senior at HVA, placed seventh at 15:50.48. Josh Hunt was 15th. The title was the Hawks’ fourth in program history and first since 2021.
Also in Division I-AAA, Farragut’s Evan Beeler claimed third place with a time of 15:33.82 while Independence junior Asher Oates won it all in 15:03.50. Oak Ridge junior Mason Greenhalgh and West junior Nicholas Burke cracked the top 10 at ninth- and 10th-place, respectively. Farragut senior Tanner Coggin wound up 11th. Karns senior Rowen Moser-Bryan (13th) and Maryville sophomore Tommy Babbit (14th) also snuck inside the Top 15.
Greeneville sophomore Trey Bailey placed third in the boys Division I-A/AA race at 15:53.06, just 10 seconds behind the winning pace of senior Jaden Hillis of Liberty Creek. Anderson County senior Vance Laster placed ninth.
Lakeway Christian sophomore Noah Losacker ran the Division II-A meet in 16:50.86 to finish fourth, helping the Lions claim third place as a team.
GIRLS XC RESULTS
The Webb School of Knoxville absolutely dominated in the girls Division II-AA meet, repeating as state champs and winning by a 69-point margin thanks to three Lady Spartans finishing 1-2-3 individually. Calysta Garmer, a junior at Webb, won gold in 17:46.55. Fellow juniors Jazzlyn Garmer (17:53.37) and Carolina Areheart (17:57.36) took second and third, respectively. Webb sophomore Emma Cissna took 12th place in 19:23.20. Knoxville Catholic freshmen Drew Gerken, Livi Ray, and Caitlin Daniels placed eighth and nine and 14th, respectively, to give the Lady Irish a third-place team finish.
The Webb Lady Spartans have now won 12 all-time state titles in girls cross country.
Anderson County junior Ava Moody smoked the competition in Division I-A/AA, as she won a state title in 18:17.36 — some 17 seconds clear of runner-up Brynn Balturshot from Station Camp. Elizabethton freshman Arvelia Nave was fourth in the Division I-A/AA meet with a time of 18:55.33. Signal Mountain won the girls’ Division I-A/AA team title.
Grace Christian Academy took fifth place in Division II-A while CAK eighth-grader Emery Adams was sixth individually in Division II-A with a time of 20:22.57.