Freshman Tyler gets win, sets course record
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Anderson County’s Cameron Hardy runs with the front pack during The Mounds Invitational on Saturday in Oak Ridge. Hardy finished second in 16 minutes flat, leading the Mavericks with a strong showing on the challenging course. - Tony Cox
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Anderson County freshman Ella Tyler begins to pull away from the lead pack during the Mounds Invitational on Saturday in Oak Ridge. Tyler went on to win the girls race in 18 minutes, 47.80 seconds, setting a course record in just her second high school 5K. - Tony Cox
Anderson County cross country runners left their coach “blown away” after the Mounds Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 19.
Especially, a freshman who is supposedly still getting used to running the longer high school distance of roughly 5 kilometers.
Freshman Ella Tyler not only set a personal best on the challenging Mounds course — she won the race.
“And won it by setting a course record (18:47.80),” Anderson County Coach Harrison Calhoun said.
“I really was blown away,” he added. “I really didn’t know what to think when it originally happened. You know, I had a lot of emotions. But at the end of the day, you know, it’s just like, ‘Wow, you know, I had a freshman who had run only her second high school 5K ever.’
“It came against some of the best schools in Knoxville and East Tennessee,” he said. “We had Farragut there. We had (Knoxville) Catholic there. Oak Ridge was the one hosting it. And, not only did she win the race, she got the course record.”
Not too far behind Tyler was Jordan Walker, who finished fifth in 19:26.30.
“My fifth-place girl, Jordan Walker, she’s a junior,” Calhoun said.
The pair led Anderson County to a third-place team finish.
Other Lady Mavericks finishers were freshman Daisy Dyer (30th), Lilah Sharon (50th), junior Emma Owens (58th), freshman Jenna Meadors (64th), junior Cassie Newman (67th), sophomores Charley Sparks (70th), Lily Franklin (74th) and Rachel Garbes (82nd), and freshman Harper Beck (121st).
ACHS boys sixth
Calhoun was equally impressed with the Mavericks, who finished sixth.
“I mean, same thing, just equally amazed,” he said. “My two seniors, Cameron Hardy (finished second, 16:00.00) and John Cutler (finished eighth, 16:49), and when you look at where they started as freshmen and to see where they’ve come now, I mean, that’s exactly how you want your athletes to progress throughout their high school careers.
“And I couldn’t be prouder,” he added. “Cameron came in second. He hit a 16 flat, and on a course like that, that’s really impressive.
“And my other senior, JJ, he has consistently been top 10, top 20 in every single race that he’s run (as a senior), which he’s never done so far in his high school career,” he said.
Other Mavericks finishers were sophomore Rylan Vanlandingham (65th), senior Tanner Warman (88th), junior Avian Laster (116th), sophomore Dane Templin (143rd) and freshman Kason Hansard (173rd).
