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Star Correspondent

Elizabethton High School’s track and field program continued its impressive postseason with a standout performance at the Class AA sectional meet, as eight Cyclones qualified for the TSSAA State Championships set for May 20 at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.

The girls team delivered one of its strongest overall efforts of the season, finishing third among 25 teams, trailing only Signal Mountain and Tennessee High. The boys placed 13th out of 23 teams, highlighted by a pair of podium finishes in the discus.

For the Lady Cyclones, junior Camdyn Garland led the way with qualification in the pentathlon and the triple jump. Garland took second in the triple jump with a mark of 34-4.5 and also recorded top-10 finishes in multiple events, including seventh in the 100-meter hurdles (17.10), 10th in the 300-meter hurdles (50.21), and seventh in the long jump (16-3).

Freshman Arvella Nave extended her breakout season by qualifying for state in both the 3,200-meter run and 1,600-meter run. She placed third in the 3,200 (11:23.85) and fourth in the 1,600 (5:15.42), narrowly missing the podium in both races. Nave also took seventh in the 800-meter run (2:33.09) to cap off a strong all-around performance.

In the throws, sophomore Liahna Nave punched her ticket to state with a second-place finish in the discus, recording a distance of 124-4. She also placed ninth in the shot put with a throw of 30-10.25.

Joining her in the shot put at state will be junior Jamira Smalls, who took second place with a mark of 35-9. Freshman Ava Rogers also qualified with a fourth-place throw of 35-0.

Sophomore Chyanne Everett earned her spot at state in the 400-meter dash with a third-place finish in 59.47 seconds. She also placed fifth in the 100-meter dash (13.29) and seventh in the 200-meter dash (26.67), showcasing her range across sprinting events.

On the boys side, Elizabethton will send two throwers to the state meet. Senior Diesel Russell claimed second in the discus with a throw of 162-10 and added a fifth-place finish in the shot put at 47-0.5. Fellow senior Landry Buckles also advanced with a fourth-place discus effort of 156-11 and placed seventh in the shot put at 46-5.75.

Other notable performances from the Cyclone boys included Jerry Behrmann’s sixth-place finish in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:59.27. In the 1,600, Cooper Chinault took 19th in 4:58.29, and William Snodgrass was 14th in the 3,200 at 10:46.30.

In hurdle events, Braxton Avery took 10th in the 110-meter hurdles (19.13) and 18th in the 300-meter hurdles (46.81). Brayden White finished 22nd in the 300 hurdles (47.80). The boys 4×200 relay team placed 14th in 1:39.60.

Colin Miller took eighth in the pole vault (10-6), and Aedin Vandyke led the Cyclones in the triple jump at 21st (36-4.5), just ahead of Miller in 22nd (35-8.75).

On the girls side, Naye Musa was eighth in the 100-meter dash (13.49) and 16th in the 200-meter dash (27.63). In the distance races, Helen Hackett placed seventh in the 1,600 (5:32.48) and eighth in the 3,200 (12:40.91). Jane Hackett was 15th in the 800-meter run (2:39.63). Addyson Merryman took 10th in the 100-meter hurdles (17.76).

In the remaining girls field events, Smalls placed 11th in the discus (89-2), and Rogers was 19th (79-11), rounding out Elizabethton’s complete sectional efforts.

With eight athletes set to compete at the state level, Elizabethton continues to show its depth and promise across a wide range of disciplines as it prepares for the final and biggest stage of the 2025 season.