Jr. Cyclone track team charges toward sectionals with records, rankings and relentless spirit
Published 1:01 pm Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Photo contributed Rylan Garland of T.A. Dugger broke a 31-year-old record in the 400 meters this season for the Jr. Cyclones.
Photo contributed Praylynn Hooper sends the shot put to its mark. Hooper ranks fifth in the conference in the discus with a throw of 67-5 and has a mark of 24 feet in the shot put.
Photo contributed Legend Pate takes flight in the long jump for the Jr. Cyclones.
Photo contributed Pictured are the top girl sprinters for the Jr. Cyclones. From left, Harper Collake, Aubrey Szabo and Samantha Beplay.
Photo contributed Eli Whitaker soars as he clears the bar in the high jump for T.A. Dugger.
Photo contributed Members of the 4x400-meter relay team include, from left, Max Fields, Rylan Garland, Tyson Elliott and Holston Cole. The team posted a 4:00.36 — besting a school record set in 1990 — and has taken first place in four consecutive meets.
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Star Correspondent
With school records falling, personal bests stacking up and more than a dozen athletes ranked among the top 10 in East Tennessee, the T.A. Dugger Junior High Cyclones track and field team is surging into sectionals with momentum, confidence and a strong sense of team identity.
Led by head coach Michael Wilson and supported by assistant coaches Leah Moore, Susan Frickel, Nakisha Campbell, Samantha Maney, Autumn Thomas and Kiana Bowen, the Cyclones have turned in a standout season built on dedication, steady growth and teamwork.
Among the most notable accomplishments, Rylan Garland broke a 31-year-old school record in the 400 meters with a time of 55.20. Garland also anchors the 4×400 relay team with Tyson Elliott, Holston Cole and Max Fields. Together, the team posted a 4:00.36 — besting a school record set in 1990 — and has taken first place in four consecutive meets.
“Garland started the season with a two-second PR from his seventh-grade year and then knocked off another two seconds,” said assistant coach Nakisha Campbell. “He’s worked hard and pushed his teammates to get better too.”
First-year athlete Max Fields is showing strong promise in the 400 meters and is ranked 11th with a time of 1:00.54. Cole, who also competes in the 110m hurdles, has embraced a team-first mentality, choosing to focus on his leg of the 4×400. Elliott, meanwhile, brings discipline and determination to the sprint squad, excelling in the 100, 200 and relays in his debut season.
The boys also boast strong showings in other relays: the 4×100 squad (Elliott, Fields, Nolan Smith and Garland) ran 52.36, while the 4×200 team (Eli Whitaker, Rider Witten, Tristan Cordell and Aiden Lucas) clocked a 1:58.17. Whitaker added an 18.63 in the 110m hurdles to his list of top performances.
On the girls’ side, the 4×400 relay team of Samira Ebanks, Alice Hackett, Samantha Beplay and Harper Collake has emerged as a force, entering sectionals ranked third in the region with a time of 4:45.60. Each athlete brings a unique strength to the lineup.
“Hackett rides her bike to school and practice every day and still gives everything she has on the track,” Campbell said. “Collake is always smiling and always competing. This team pushes each other every step of the way.”
Campbell also noted the steady rise of three-sport standout Aubrey Szabo, who ranks in the top 10 regionally in three events: 13.92 in the 100 (eighth), 29.06 in the 200 (seventh) and 1:08.45 in the 400 (seventh). Szabo and Collake have placed first and second in the 200 in two consecutive meets.
Assistant coach Samantha Maney, who has long favored middle-distance races, said she’s seen major growth in athletes who initially resisted longer events.
“At the beginning of the season, many of our kids didn’t want to touch the 400, 800 or 1600,” Maney said. “Some just ran without any plan. Now, they’ve learned their race strategy, how to motivate themselves and what leadership looks like on and off the track. Most are PR’ing at every meet.”
Hackett, who also competes in the 1600, is currently ranked 10th with a time of 6:27.36. Additional contributors include Kyrah Campbell, who shaved more than a second off her 100m time, and Heather Meier, who remains actively involved with the team despite suffering a season-ending injury.
Assistant coach Autumn Thomas, a former T.A. Dugger track athlete herself, returned to her hometown and embraced the opportunity to mentor the next generation.
“Coming back to coach at TAD, where I once ran, has brought the sport I love full circle,” Thomas said. “It’s been such a gift to help these athletes learn, compete and grow. They’re not just learning track — they’re learning life lessons.”
In the field events, the Cyclones’ throwers have made significant strides. Austin Haskill leads the boys’ team with a 36-4 in the shot put (third in the conference) and a 97-5 in the discus (eighth). Brayden Holt (33-0 shot, 66-5 discus), Stokes Powers (30-9 shot, 67-3 discus) and Dawson Ledford (68-10 discus) round out a deep boys’ lineup.
For the girls, Praylynn Hooper is ranked fifth in the conference with a 67-5 discus throw and added a 24-0 mark in shot put. Other contributors include Virginia Scherer, Cheyenne Thomas and Lilli Hardy.
“These throwers have worked hard to refine their form and technique,” Campbell said. “Their effort and progress are a huge part of our team’s overall success.”
As sectionals approach, the Cyclones are focused, motivated and aiming high.
“This team has given their all,” Thomas said. “They’ve earned every mark, every medal and every moment of pride this season.”
