TENNESSEE STATE MEET

Soph Karontae' Cunningham Runs Wind-Legal 10.15 Seconds In 100 Meters; Seventh Grader Runs 11.59 For Girls D2-AA 100 Victory

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Sophomore Karontae' Cunningham of Tyner, who is already receiving scholarship offers to play football, blasted through his D1-A 100 meters final in 10.15 seconds on Saturday at the Tennessee state track and field championships. 

Cunningham, the second-fastest sophomore in the country behind Texan Dillon Mitchell is also the second-fastest 100-meter sprinter in Tennessee history. He also won the 200 meters in 21.03 seconds, won the 400 in 48.20 and ran on the winning 4x100 relay. Tyner won the D1-A team title with 85 points. 

Another sprinter making headlines and leading his team to a title was McCallie School's Andrew Smith, who won the 100 meters in a wind-legal 10.25 seconds, ran a state-leading 20.83 seconds in the 200 and anchored the winning 4x200 relay. 

McCallie won the D2-AA boys title with 131 points. Andrew Beroset made an impact as well with his victory in the 1,600 meters (4:12.32). In the 800 meters, Ryder Ortner from Father Ryan edged Beroset at the line, 1:50.38 to 1:50.39. 

Calysta and Jazzlyn Garmer finished 1-2 in the D2-AA girls 1,600 meters in their final state meet together and helped Webb of Knoxville win the team title. Calysta's winning time of 4:49.30. In the 3,200, the twins finished second and third behind a sensation run by freshman Addy Cotter of Baylor, who won in 10:15.58. 

Webb of Knoxville also had firepower in the sprints. Seventh grader Lacy Young won the 100 meters in 11.59 seconds and also won the 200 in 24.40. She also ran on a pair of top-four relays in the 4x100 and 4x200. 

Miles Nesmith of Mempis Central, the national high school record holder in the triple jump, won the D1-AAA title with a mark of 52-8, slightly off his US#1 53-1 from the Penn Relays.

The Colliersville girls dominated the D1-AAA meet and scored 146 points. Ava Williams jumped a state record and US#6 13-9 to win the pole vault. Kylie Walden won the 200 meters (24.01), finished second in the 100 and fourth in the 400. Khari Webb won the 300 hurdles in 41.98 and also won the high jump with 5-4. (Webb also won the state pentathlon with 3,803 points). 

Brentwood's Lauren Banovac won the 1,600 meters title with 4:44.92 and twin sister Lia won the 800 in 2:11.58.

Darren Ogbonlowo led the Brentwood boys to the AAA team title with his 100/200 double in 10.39/21.47.

Asher Oates from Independence won the 1,600 meters in 4:13.98 and the 3,200 in 9:22.07.

Brody Foster of Knoxville Hall won the TSSAA D1 decathlon with a score of 7,506 points a week prior to the state meet. 

Team Champions 

Division 1-AAA - Brentwood boys 48 points, Collierville girls 146 points - RESULTS

Division 1-AA - Millington Central boys 92 points, Station Camp girls 93 points - RESULTS

Division 1-A - Tyner boys 85 points, Pearl Cohn Business Magnet girls 106 points - RESULTS

Division 2-AA - McCallie School boys 131, Webb of Knoxville girls 101 - RESULTS

Division 2-A - Battle Ground Academy boys 71 points, Franklin Road Academy girls 87 points - RESULTS

Unified - Collierville boys 29 points, Bartlett girls 30 points - RESULTS