By Allen Hamrick
The CCMS track team finished their regular season at the 2024 CWVAC Championship held at Roane County High School this past Saturday. The Mustangs are not a bottle fed team; they came to crush some egos, got down to business and did just that. As a matter of fact, the Mustangs sent some of the other teams home dragging their jaws and wondering what just happened.
These track boys and girls just went out like you would expect them to and gave one hundred and ten percent to win every time they ran, jumped or threw. Did they win it all? Nope, but they sure gave it what they had in pursuit of gold. Under the leadership of coaches Matt Stricker, Scott Bass, Bo Roat and Ron Starcher, the team made great advances this season and set the bar high for next year’s team to reach. When the day was over and the track shoes hung up until next season, the Mustang track team placed 3rd in the girls division and 6th in the boys division. Don’t let the rank sway you, though. This Mustang team went up against some tough competition, and all the events were close.
A championship was what they were looking for, but it was not to be for this year. However, individually, they left that field with one CWVAC champion and one team of champions. Marissa Atha was champion in the 3200 meter run, and the girl’s shuttle hurdle crew also dropped some jaws while running the legs off the other teams to take 1st place and become CWVAC champions. The Lady Mustangs did well as evidenced by their accomplishments. Brooke Cliver took 3rd in the shot and 5th in discus. Natalie Tanner was 2nd in the 100 meter hurdles, 3rd in the 200 meter hurdles and was one leg of the champion shuttle hurdle team. Hayden Rogers was 4th in the 200 meter dash, the 4×200 team placed 3rd, the 4×800 team placed 3rd and the 4×400 team placed 4th. For the boys, it was Bret Smith placing 5th in the 400 meter run, Andrew Tanner placed 5th in the 800 meter run and Cole Boggs placed 4th in the 100 meter hurdles and 4th in the high jump. Tilyr Bird placed 5th in the 200 meter hurdles and 5th in the high jump. The 4×200 team placed 4th, 4×400 team placed 3rd and the shuttle hurdle team placed 2nd. The team did a great job this season keeping the Mustang name high on the food chain. Many of the team will be moving up to the high school, and if they continue to compete, they will make the CCHS track team great. Congratulations to the whole team and their coaches for giving the track fans that showed up their money’s worth and setting the Mustang name in stone as a team to beat.
