As 2018 draws to a close, Thunder Radio Sports looks back at some of the highlights of the calendar year for each of the more than 40 prep teams we follow and report on. Today we look back at the year for the track teams of Coffee County CHS and the Coffee County Middle School. Both teams sent athletes to the state track meets. The Coffee County Middle School track team sent 5 athletes to the state meet as 4 of them brought home medals. Thunder Radio reported on their success in a story we brought to you on May 21st.
Ethan Welch of CCMS track at the TMSAA state track meet on Saturday[Photo provided]
Ethan Welch led the Raider harriers as he medaled in the high jump and the discus. Welch cleared a personal record of 5’6” in the high jump in finish in a tie for 1st place. Welch also captured a 5th place medal in the discus as he had a throw of 116’ 04”.
Marley Perry grabbed an 8th place medal in the shot put with a throw of 34’ 2 ¼”. Perry also competed in the discus as she finished in 13th place with a throw of 64’ 10”.
Jayda Wright just missed the medal stand in the discus throw. Wright finished in 9th place in the discus as she had a throw of 72’ 11”.
Greenlee Woods and Jacob Rutledge each competed in the 1600M run in the afternoon session. Woods grabbed a 3rd place finish as she posted a time of 5:46.58. That time represented a new personal record for the 6th grader. Jacob Rutledge, who won the state title in 2017 in the 1600, ran a new personal record on Saturday as he broke the 5 minute mark. Rutledge’s time of 4:59.15 was good enough for a 3rd place finish for the 8th grader.
In the team standings, the Red Raiders finished in 12th place(out of 37 teams) with 15.75 points. The Lady Raiders finished in 22nd place(out of 38 teams) with 7 points.
Coach Travis O’Kelley and members of the Raider track team will be guests on Saturday’s Coffee Coaches Show. The Coffee Coaches Show is broadcast live each Saturday at 10 AM from the showroom of Al White Ford/Lincoln. The Coffee Coaches Show is heard exclusively here on Thunder Radio.
For the high school team, Sarah Pearson competed for her 4th straight state meet as the Coffee County track program qualified an athlete for the 27th straight season. Thunder Radio reported on Sarah’s last race in a story we brought to you on May 25th.
Sarah Pearson clears a hurdle during the state track meet on Thursday at MTSU
Entering the final race of her high school career on Thursday, senior Lady Raider track athlete Sarah Pearson admitted to being scared. The stage did not faze her; this was her 4th straight trip to the TSSAA state track meet. The race did not scare her; Sarah competed in 2017 in the 300M hurdles. Here is Sarah Pearson talking about her fear and her finish.
Pearson just missed a season best time as she ran a 50:59 to finish in 15th place. The race caps off a career that saw Sarah compete in the state pentathlon in her freshmen, sophomore and junior years while also qualifying in the 300M hurdles last season. Pearson’s bid to compete in 4 straight pentathlons was cut short by a torn ACL in the fall culminating in surgery on November 17th. Through it all, Pearson maintained a healthy attitude about competing and overcoming adversity.
CHS track coach Coach Nathan Wanuch was effusive in his praise for Sarah following Thursday’s performance.
2018 marks the 27th straight appearance in the state track meet for a Coffee County athlete.
