Moody triumphs
AC runner wins at Ashe Park Fall Classic
Anderson County’s Ava Moody took the lead early in the 2024 Victor Ashe Park Fall Classic and never surrendered it. (photo:Tony Cox )
Moody, a junior at Anderson County High School, won the Victor Ashe Park Fall Classic in Knoxville, completing the three-mile course in 19 minutes, 2.15 seconds. Her winning margin was over 19 seconds, and she shaved nearly 22 seconds off her 2023 time at the annual fall race.
Moody, who helped the Lady Mavericks finish 11th in the team race, won the region championship in 2023 and placed third at the state championships in Hendersonville last season.
She followed up with a pair of state track titles at the Spring Fling in Murfreesboro, winning the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs.
Rebekah Berg finished 38th with a time of 22:29.42. Morgan Haire was 73rd (23:53.17).
Sydney Day came in 109th (25:06.17), and Cindle Justice was 110th (25:06.67). Marley Caldwell finished 127th (26:08.92), Cate Clotfelder was 171st (28:50.43), and freshman Emma Owens, making her high school debut, was 173rd (29:01.92).
The ACHS boys finished 20th as a team.
Senior Vance Laster, who won the 3,200-meter run at the 2024 state track meet, was the Mavericks’ top finisher, placing 23rd with a time of 17:11.72.
John Cutler was 30th (17:30.65). Avian Laster finished 157th (20:44.53), Michael Mattson was 160th (20:51.03), Toby Day came in 176th (21:21.42), and Ethan Bolton was 183rd (21:44.03). Franklin Downs finished 206th (22:26.03), and Zander Vo was 231st (23:45.02).