Bishop wins state championship
Brittany Bishop won the state championship in the pole vault and was unbeaten in the event for all TSSAA-sanctioned meets this season.
Battling rain and wind, Bishop defeated Taylor Pickett of Brentwood Academy, to win the event. The Lady Mavs’ standout was ranked second in the state in pole vault even though she was unbeaten in the TSSAA-sanctioned events this season.
Her perfect record remained intact on Wednesday.
She came in with a vault of 10 feet. Bishop had an early miss of 11 feet, six inches but cleared that height on her second attempt. She and Pickett were the only two remaining pole vaulters to go to 12 feet.
Bishop made her first attempt. Pickett missed her first attempt but made it on the second.
Both missed three attempts at 12 feet, six inches and Bishop claimed Anderson County’s first state track title since Alex Sain in 2007 because Pickett missed on her first attempt.
“Brittany has worked extremely hard this season and she deserves to be state champion. It’s quite an accomplishment for a sophomore,” said head coach Al Rodd.
On Thursday, Bishop ran in the 100 meter hurdles and finished sixth. She did set a personal record in the event with a time of 15.44.
Whitehaven’s Kiara Rhodes won the event with a time of 14.10.
Teammate Maddy Moody medaled in the 1600 meter run, taking eighth place and finishing with a time of 5:23.04.
Addi Coggins of Independence won the event with a time of 5:04.32
Moody, a sophomore, ran in the state cross country championship last fall.