George Patrick, Tyra Gittens win 5 apiece

State Meet Highlights

The Tennessee (TSSAA) track and field championships are conducted as part of the state's five-sport Spring Fling, all of it held in Murfreesboro. Track, baseball, softball, tennis and soccer championships all coincide together. Tennessee separates private schools (Division II) from public (Division I). And the Division I schools are separated by size for the track championships (D1 AAA for the large schools, D1 AA/A for the smaller ones). Tennessee includes a multi in its state championships.

Top Performances:

 
- Senior Adam Barnard of Daniel Boone repeated as the state champion in the D-I AAA 1600 finals (4:13.97) and also won the 3,200 meters in 9:11.05.  

  
- Maia McCoy of Whitehaven won the D-I AAA 200 meters in 24.55 and placed second in the 100 (12.02). She was also on the winning 4x200 and 4x400 relay teams to help push Whitehaven to the team title.

 
- Janel Pate of Hillsboro repeated as the D-I AAA champion in the 400 with 57.15 but was also sensational in the 100 meters, where she won in 11.79. She was also second in the long jump.

- Sophomore Kiara Rhodes of Whitehaven won the D-I AAA 100-meter hurdles in 14.16 seconds, while teammate Taejah Robertson was second in 14.38. Rhodes also won the pentathlon title with 3,387 points.

- Ravenwood junior Amber Tanner won the D-I AAA 300 hurdles in 42.90.

- Tamia Crockett of Hardin Valley scooped up the D-I AAA titles in the shot put (42-4.25) and discus (143-11).

- Brothers Brett Neelly and Adam Neelly of Gallatin went 1-2 in the D-I AAA boys discus. Brett, a senior, threw 183-11 and Adam, a junior, went 166-5. Brett was also second in the shot put (61-9.75), while Adam was sixth (51-6.25).

- Evan McCracken from Cherokee won the D-I AAA boys shot put with 62-8.50 and placed fourth in the discus.

- Jacob Patten of Southwind edged Joseph Hall of Centennial in the D-I AAA high jump by winning the tiebreaker (fewest misses) after both cleared 6-10.

- Weldon Wright from Hardin Valley won the D-I AAA long jump with 23-7 and he also won the triple jump with 47-5.50.

- Matt Rainey of Ravenwood won the D-I AAA 800 meters in 1:53.64.

- Terry Wright from White Station won the D-I AAA boys 100 meters in 10.62 seconds.

- Junior McKenzie Ethridge from Signal Mountain won the small-school girls sprint titles with fast times of 11.88 in the 100 meters and 24.64w in the 200.

- Freshman Taylor Cuneo of Central Magnet swept the small-school titles in the 800 (2:18.17), the 1,600 (5:10.87) and the 3,200 (11:01.51). Fellow freshman Rebecca Story of Knoxville Christian Academy was second in the 1,600 (5:12.16) and the 3,200 (11:03.73).

- Grenetria Shell of East Nashville won the small-school pentathlon with 3,242 points and also won state finals in the 100 hurdles (15.01) and 300 hurdles (44.07).

- Jalen Marshall from Jackson Central Merry won the small-school 100 meters in 10.79 and also took second in the 200 with 22.07.

- Luke Meade from Sullivan East, a junior, won the small-school 3,200 meters in 9:26.66 and also placed second in the 1,600 (4:14.97).

- Zach Long of Grainger, a senior, won the small-school 1,600 with 4:13.33 and also placed second in the 800 with 1:56.33.

- Darryl Harris from Pearl Cohn won the small-school long jump with 23-1.25. He also won the 400 meters (49.01) and placed second in the decathlon (5,618). He also helped Pearl Cohn win the 4x200 and 4x400 relays on the way to the team championship.

- Carlton Orange from Memphis University powered his team to the victory in the 4x800 relay and also won the 400 meters in a school record time of 48.07.

- Senior Ben Weisel of Father Ryan won the D-II titles in the 1,600 (4:19.07) and the 3,200 (9:30.82).

- George Patrick of Brentwood Academy, a junior, scored 6,882 points to win the D-II decathlon. – 61 points better than his runner-up score in 2014. He also won individual titles in the triple jump (47-3.25), long jump (23-8.25), 300 hurdles (39.24) and 110 hurdles (14.24) – for a total of 50 points.

- Sophomore Tyra Gittens of Ensworth carried her team to the D-II title and won five events. She repeated her title in the five-event pentathlon with 3,681 points, including a 19-11.50 long jump and 5-8 high jump. She also won the 200 meters (25.33), the 100 hurdles (15.01), the long jump (19-5.50) and the high jump (5-7).

Top Teams:

Memphis Central won the D1 AAA boys title with 61 points. On the girls side, Whitehaven was the big winner with 84 points.

In the smaller AA/A division, Darryl-Harris led Pearl Cohn scored 96 points to dominate the team competition. Signal Mountain also scored 96 points to retain the girls title.

And in the private schools competition, Brentwood Academy scored 151 points and ran away with the boys title. Ensworth, thanks to 50 points from Tyra Gittens, squeaked by Harpeth Hall 125.5 to 124 to win the girls team crown.

Top Competition:

The D-II girls 3,200 meters final was about as close as it gets for an eight-lap race. Sophomore Niamh Schumacher of King’s Academy won by inches, in 10:59.50. Senior Peighton Meske of Webb School (Knoxville) ran 10:59.53 for second. Meske did win the 1,600, though, while Schumacher was third in that one. … The boys sprint races in D-II were also incredibly close. In the 100 it was Darius Morehead of Ensworth taking the win in 10.875, JJ Lewis of McCallie second in 10.879, Michael Callari of Father Ryan third in 10.89 and Calvin Austin III fourth in 10.90. In the 200, it was even closer. Austin III won it in 21.902 and Morehead was second in 21.905.