Fisher takes third place at state race

As a team, Mavs runners finish in Top 10

November 10, 2021 by Richard Evans Special to The Courier News

Anderson County High School sophomore Kaitlyn Fisher took third place last Friday at the TSSAA Girls A-AA Cross Country Championship in Hendersonville.

The top-eight finish also made Fisher first team All-State. Anderson County cross-country Coach Derek Wallace noted that the two runners who finished in front of her are both seniors, meaning Fisher will be the top state finisher to return next year.

“She struggled to get out of the start because it [the course] closes down so quickly,” Wallace said. “At the first mile, she was in the teens and had to slowly work her way up. By mile two, she made it up to fifth. She really had to battle to get to third. She wasn’t her usual self where she goes out and takes the lead. She had to fight from behind. I was really pleased with what she did.

“Marley Caldwell had an achilles [tendon] issue from the region [race] and we were missing Megan Haire at the region [race],” Wallace said. “I started not to race Marley, but I let her run. We weren’t where we wanted to be to be honest, and eighth was an amazing finish. But I think we could have pushed it higher if Marley would have been healthy. For the first time there in a long time it was impressive. I can’t complain whatsoever. We had only one senior on either team in Macy Caldwell. The future is bright.”

Samantha Ouellette, a senior from Murfreesboro Central Magnet, won first place with a time of 18:31.37.

The finishers from Anderson County included:

• Macy Caldwell, senior, 21:32.76

• Megan Haire, junior, 21:46.79

● Haley Braden, sophomore, 23:39.86

● Marley Caldwell, freshman, 24:35.69

● Emily Boring, sophomore, 25:34.88

● Morgan Lindsay, freshman, 26:20.09

Murfreesboro Central Magnet won the team championship on the girls’ side. Anderson County finished eighth out of 30 teams across the state.

The order of finish was:

1. Murfreesboro Central Magnet

2. Signal Mountain

3. Hume-Fogg

4. Fred J. Page

5. Gatlinburg-Pittman

6. Munford

7. Obion County Central

8. Anderson County

9. Alcoa

10. Tennessee

11. East Hamilton

12. Fairview

13. Tullahoma

14. Merrol Hyde Magnet