Blaze runners make a statement with Fall Classic outing
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Madi Westphal (9066) finished the Victor Ashe Park Fall Classic one-mile run on Saturday with a personal best (PR) of 6:36.22. She finished eighth overall. - Tony Cox
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Clinton City Blaze’s Adah Freels completed the mid- dle school girls two-miler at Victor Ashe Park with a time of 20:14.50 - Tony Cox
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Clinton City Blaze runner Crosby Perry finished the elementary school boys one-mile run on Saturday with a time of 7:49.26. - Tony Cox
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Lucas Metchikoff was the top Blaze finisher in the middle school boys two-miler at Victor Ashe Park on Saturday. - Tony Cox
The Clinton Blaze and Lady Blaze competed in the fall invitational track meet Saturday at Victor Ashe Park in Knoxville.
Clinton’s girls had one of their best meets in the elementary schools division of the event, one of the biggest of the season, which featured elementary, middle and high schools.
The Blaze and Lady Blaze, composed of student-athletes from Clinton, North Clinton and South Clinton elementary schools, had teams in the elementary and middle school divisions.
Clinton cross country Coach Terri Kerley said she was pleased with her teams’ effort, as many of the student-athletes were running at Victor Ashe Park, in northwest Knoxville, for the first time.
“We had a good meet Saturday,” Kerley said. “Our girls finished ninth in a field of 33 teams, and that was probably the best we’ve done since we started the Blaze. We had several (personal records).”
Madi Westphal posted a personal best time of 6 minutes, 33 seconds on the one-mile course. She posted a Top 10 finish as she came in eighth in a field of 459 runners. Lydia Swanner posted a time of 7:13, while Kathryn McKenney finished in 8:29 and Emily Kerr clocked in at 10:31.
Ella Grace Skidmore (8:08); Xnema Rios (9:12) also posted personal records.
The Blaze boys had several athletes compete and set personal records in their first time on the one-mile course.
Oliver Birkbeck finished 58th for Clinton, crossing the line with a personal record time of 6 minutes, 46 seconds.
Several other Blaze runners posted personal bests on the course.
Crosby Perry (7:49), Ben Olds (8:17), Bruce Tupper (9:01) and Conner Warwick (10:01) all recorded their best times Saturday at Victor Ashe Park.
Other Clinton boys in the field included: Jed Deel (7:33); Theo Hill (8:00); Joey Hill (8:23) and Konnor McKenney (8:50).
In the girls’ middle school two-mile race, Alah Freels was the top Lady Blaze finisher as she posted a time of 20:14. Julianna Metchikoff crossed the finish line in 21:13, and Savannah Irwin had a time of 27:17.
In the boys’ middle school race, Lucas Metchikoff finished in 15:42 and Uriyah Pickett had a time of 16:37.