By Maurice Patton<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three local teams and six individuals will be among the athletes participating in the TSSAA Cross Country State Championships beginning Thursday at Hendersonville\u2019s Sanders Ferry Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of those, Columbia Academy junior Connor Henson may have the best chance of bringing home a title. Henson won last week\u2019s Division II-A Middle Region meet, posting a time of 16 minutes, 57 seconds over the same 5K course he\u2019ll encounter Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a big race. It\u2019s what we\u2019ve prepared for all season,\u201d he said. \u201cMy only goal is to go out and win. I could care less, if I go under 16 or if I run 18. Whatever it takes to get the win, I\u2019ll be satisfied.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a sophomore, Henson ran a 17:00.63 at the Iroquois Steeplechase to place sixth in DII-A, after finishing 10th<\/sup> in the Small Class state meet his freshman year with a 17:51.25.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat was my worst performance (of the year); I\u2019ve learned a lot from it,\u201d Henson said of his 2019 state competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis will be my third time on this course. I ran a 16:24 the first time. I know I\u2019m in shape to run under 15:40. I\u2019m not saying that means I\u2019m going to do that, but I have my race plan my coaches and I have discussed. I\u2019m out there on my own. I just have to be ready for anything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Henson and Zion Christian senior William Craig, who placed seventh in the DII-A Middle Region meet with a 17:58, will run at 2:40 p.m. Friday in the final race of the two-day championships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Columbia Academy\u2019s girls will run at 2 p.m. Friday, after the Lady Bulldogs finished third in the regional with three Top 10 runners \u2013 junior Annabelle Cothran (third place, 21:15), eighth-grader Presley Miller (fourth place, 21:16) and sophomore Jaelyn Hickerson (ninth place, 22;24).<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Thursday, Independence\u2019s girls will run in the 10 a.m. Division I Large Class meet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s hard to get a read on the field, but we\u2019re glad to have the opportunity to compete,\u201d veteran Lady Eagles coach Luke Finley said. \u201cWe haven\u2019t seen a lot of the teams from East or West Tennessee; a lot of teams haven\u2019t been 100 percent when they\u2019ve gone out and run. They haven\u2019t had their full seven together. It\u2019s kind of a Pandora\u2019s box. We know a little less than we typically do, so you expect a little unpredictability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll you can do is go run your race.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Freshman Jayne Halterman will set the pace for Independence, coming off a second-place regional finish at Sanders Ferry with an 18:09.33. Junior Julia Halterman finished fourth (18:23.62), with senior Emma Wilson (19:34.03) placing 10th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur freshman has moved into that No. 1 role,\u201d Finley said. \u201cShe\u2019s running with some confidence. Freshmen, feeling their way into high school competition, have a pretty big learning curve, but she\u2019s handled it well. She\u2019s been consistent, pretty even keeled. Julia\u2019s the older sister, she\u2019s been around. Emma\u2019s our only senior; she\u2019s that \u2018maternal\u2019 figure. She\u2019s been around a bit longer, she\u2019s seen all this before. She holds it all together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spring Hill\u2019s Michael Gerhart (16:37.50) and Independence\u2019s Nate Martinez (16:38.00), who placed eighth and ninth in last week\u2019s regional meet, will run in the 10:40 a.m. boys Division I Large Class race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At 2 p.m. Thursday, Summertown\u2019s Alivia Riggs and Claire Woods will be among the girls Division I Small Class competitors, with Santa Fe\u2019s boys team in the 2:40 p.m. competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Riggs finished sixth at Henry Horton a week ago, running a 22:55, with Woods finishing in 23:25 for 10th<\/sup> place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ryan Seltz (19th<\/sup>, 20:08) and Josh Martin (20th<\/sup>, 20:10) led the way for the Wildcats in the boys regional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thursday:<\/strong> 10 a.m. \u2014 Division I Large Class Girls; 10:40 a.m. \u2014 Division I Large Class Boys; 2 p.m. \u2014 Division I Small Class Girls; 2:40 p.m. \u2014 Division I Small Class Boys<\/p>\n\n\n\n Friday:<\/strong> 10 a.m. \u2014 Division II Class AA Girls; 10:40 a.m. \u2014 Division II Class AA Boys; 2 p.m. \u2014 Division II Class A Girls; 2:40 p.m. \u2014 Division II Class A Boys <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Cross Country state championships set for Thursday, Friday at Hendersonville’s Sanders Ferry Park<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":184945300,"featured_media":3223,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Cross Country state championships set for Thursday, Friday at Hendersonville's Sanders Ferry 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