Monday Doubleheader At Crossplex In Birmingham Focused On Serving Tennessee Athletes Early In The Day, Additional Participants In The Afternoon

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

With venues shut down across the state and opportunities to compete scarce across Tennessee, meet director Chris Kane had to think beyond state lines to keep his Tennessee State HS Indoor Championships alive in 2021. 

Kane, of Knoxville Youth Athletics, found a willing partner in the operators of the Birmingham Crossplex in Alabama, and set Monday, Feb. 15 as the date to hold the unofficial state high school indoor championships as well as a second meet, the Southeast Showdown. 

"It's the only date that would work," Kane said. "And it happened to be on a holiday (Presidents Day) so kids are off school. If it wasn't on that day, it wasn't going to happen. The people at the Crossplex have been amazing to work with."

Fortunately, that day works, with the Tennessee-only meet occupying the first half of the day with more than 400 athletes and the Southeast Showdown to follow, with athletes coming from 18 states plus the U.S. Virgin Islands, numbering about 230. 

LIVE WEBCAST OF TENNESSEE STATE HS INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS/SOUTHEAST SHOWDOWN

"I'm glad people believed in these events enough to sign up and come to them, and for the Tennessee athletes, that we've provided an opportunity for them to compete," Kane said. 

Other than a smattering of youth age-group competitions, there have been no events open to high school track and field athletes in Tennessee this winter. 

Tennessee State HS Indoor Championships

Athletes will compete as members of clubs or unattached, as indoor track is not an official sport under the auspices of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association. The meet is sanctioned by the USATF.

However, team scoring will be kept and athletes competing on a relay, for instance, must attend the same school. 

The boys mile should be a good one. There are 11 returning all-state runners entered, including seniors Gabriel Robinson and Aiden Britt. Robinson (Ravenwood) won the indoor state 800 meters last year and Britt (Lebanon) won the TSSAA Division 1 Large School cross country title last fall. 

Anna Banovac and Sofia Rutherford, teammates from Brentwood High, are entered in the 800 meters after placing second and third last year when both of them ran 2:13.

Landri Wilcox (Cookeville), a 2019 Foot Locker Cross Country finalist, is entered in the mile and 2-mile and should be challenged by Rutherford (Brentwood) in the mile, and Kaitlyn Vanderkolk (Brentwood), Zoe Arrington (Tennessee) and Leigh Walters (Page) in the 2-mile.

Zachary Jacobs (Wilson Central) heads up strong field in the boys weight throw (63-11) and will take on the top four finishers in last year's competition.  

Hollan Powers (Brentwood) is the top entrant in the girls long jump and triple jump.

Southeast Showdown

Some of the Tennessee athletes are entered in both meets, if only to extend the opportunity to compete. 

They will be joined by athletes from across the Southeast and East coast. 

Robinson, for instance, is expected to double back and try to win the 800 meters in both meets. 

Donsten Brown (McCracken County KY) is US#3 in the high jump with 6-9.50. 

Wyatt Stewart (Madison Central KY) jumped 15-9 in the pole vault in December. 

Milan Fields (Elite Track and Field Training/Hough NC) is one of the top sprinters in the country and tops the entry list in the girls 60 meters. She is also entered in the 200. 

Sydney Harris (Jackrabbit Track and Field Club/Suwanne GA) is a top entrant in the girls 200 and 400. 

Campbell Petersen (Naperville North IL) leads the entries in the girls mile. Miranda Lorsbach (Kent Place NJ) heads the 2-mile field.