Four DeKalb County High School students earned their ticket to the Track and Field SubState Meet on Friday after competing in events at Cumberland County High School. The top 4 individuals and relay teams in each event advanced to the TSSAA D1 Large School Section 2 Meet which will be held at Riverdale High School, Friday, May 7.
The meet started with the women’s 4x800 meter relay which left spectators on the edge of their seats. The Warren County High School team: Katie Toney, Cadee Griffith, Emma Randall and Ella VanVranken, found themselves in 2nd place in the last leg of the race. Then Freshmen Phenom Ella VanVranken took over. With a 100 meter lead, Cookeville High School senior and Tennessee Tech commit Maddie Long had a great head start. That start did not intimidate VanVranken as she caught Long. Both runners sprinted to the finish line for a photo finish. VanVranken lead the Warren County team to a victory by one hundredth of a second and a time of 10:40.59. Cookeville High School (10:40.60), Rhea County (11:06.56), and McMinn County (11:06.58) also advanced to substate.
VanVranken also advanced in the women’s 800 meters and 1600 meters. With a time of 2:29.97, VanVranken set the pace in the 800 meter race with a three second lead over her closest competitor, Lyndi Chapman(2:33.66) of Walker Valley High School. Maddie Long (2:38.80) of Cookeville High School and Sydney Judd (2:41.92, Walker Valley) also advance. VanVranken (5:24.76) had a second place finish in the women’s 1600 meters behind Cookeville High School senior and University of Tennessee commit Landri Wilcox (5:16.61). White County High School senior and Arizona State commit, Evan Welch (5:27.59), finished third and Lyndi Chapman (Walker Valley 5:33.17) came in fourth in the field of thirteen runners.
VanVranken and Cadee Griffith paired up again with their Warren County teammates Katie Toney and Madelyn Stubblefied earning a second berth to the SubState Meet. They fell behind Walker Valley (4:19.22) and Cookeville (4:23.58) to finish third with a time of 4:37.37. Rhea County also advances with a time of 4:45.78.
Ally Beneke continues her dominance in the women’s high jump as she captured first place with her 5-04.00 jump. Liz Lannom (Walker Valley5-02.00), Samantha Waller (Walker Valley 4-10.00) , and Sophie Koester (Cookeville 4-10.00) also advance to substate. Beneke also earned a spot in the 4x200 meter relay at the SubState meet placing third with her teammates Sable Winfree, Kyra Perkins, and Savannah Winfree with a time of 1:54.51. The top 4 relay teams included Walker Valley (1:47.76), Cookeville (1:51.27), Warren (1:54.51), and Rhea County (2:01.84).
Aaron Gottlied earned three spots at the SubState qualifying in the men’s 800 meter, 1600 meter, and 4x800 meter relay. In both individual races, Gottlied finished second behind Warren County teammate AlecZander Smith. In the 800 meter race it was a mad dash to the finish line as AlecZander Smith (Warren Co 2:11.14), Aaron Gottlied (Warren County 2:11.30), Sam Sosebee (Rhea Co 2:11.48) and Brandon Nichols (2:11.49) all finished within footsteps of each other. The 1600 meter found a little more space available for the Warren County athletes with Smith (4:56.51), and Gottlied (4:58.67) taking first and second again followed by Jackson Davis(Walker Valley 4:59.26) and Tyler Bowers (McMinn 5:01.47). Gottlied and his Warren County teammates(AlecZander Smith, Kamrin McLaughlin, Caleb Smith) clinched fourth place in the men’s 800 meter relay with a time of 9:05.63 falling behind Walker Valley (8:51.93), Cookeville (9:03.45), and Rhea County (9:04.62).
Maleah Ruch finished thirteenth in the field of 19 runners in the women’s 400 meter setting a new personal record with a time of 1:14.61. She knocked off 6 seconds from her first race of the year in Cookeville (1:22.77).
