Well, it’s official now – there are no chicken legs on the CCHS track team, only lean, mean, running machines.

They took their act on the road twice this week. First up was Roane County. It was an eight team matchup that was going to be a tough road and their Wheaties would have had to be ate that morning to have any chance to survive. Like a 56 T-bird, the CCHS track team only gets better with age.  Roane County is home to several meets throughout the year. It is a good place to work out the bugs in the pistons before the big invitationals. Both the girls and the boys teams placed 2^nd overall in the meet.

Unfortunately, the power went out for the boys, and they couldn’t run their last couple of events that may have just put them on top.  At the top of the food chain for the boys were  Earl Jarrett 3^rd in the 200 meter dash,  Nate Canfield 2^nd in the 400 meter dash, David Tanner took 1^st place in the 800 and the 1600 meter runs and 3^rd in the long jump, and Garrett Quinn was 2^nd in the 110 hurdles and 300 meter hurdles.  The 4×800 meter team took 1^st place.  In the spot light on the girls team was Madelyn Kilpatrick 3^rd in the 400 meter dash, Sharina Ratliff took first in both the 800 and 1600 meter runs, Celina Humphrey was 2^nd in the 1600 meter run, Lexi Ramsey was 3^rd in the 100 meter hurdles and Hannah Casto was 3^rd in the 300 meter hurdles.  The 4×200 meter team was 3^rd and the 4×800 was 1^st.  Katie Payne was 1^st in the shot put and 5^th in the discus throw.  Then it was off to Independence High School for the 4^th annual Dickey’s Barbecue Invitational.  In this event, there are some of the best teams in the state competing; it’s the who’s who of track. Nobody gave the CCHS teams much of a chance at this meet due to the level of competition.  However, the CCHS track team listens to none of the hype, and they laid it all on the line. Clay boys placed 7^th overall and the girls placed 6^th overall – a top of the line effort.  I will admit some of the events was tougher than throwing and sticking potato chips on a dart board.  Getting top honors for the boys was the 4×800 team placing 2^nd.  Garrett Quinn was 2^nd in the 300 meter low hurdles and 4^th in the 110 meter high hurdles.  Nate Canfield was 7^th in the 400 meter dash.  The shuttle hurdle team placed 2^nd and are now in the top ten in the state.  David Tanner jumped to a CCHS school record 18 feet 7 inches in the long jump, and Logan Vance placed fourth in the high jump, clearing the bar at 5 feet 8 inches. For the girls, it was Celina Humphrey placing 3^rd in the 1600 meter run.  The 4x 400 meter team was 3^rd, and Katie Payne was 4^th in the shot put, throwing her personal best of 31 feet, 4 inches. She also placed 3^rd in the discus.  The Panthers and Lady Panthers will be back in competition on Tuesday at Roane once again and again at Roane on Saturday for the Lindsey Mann Invitational.