Full results will be included in next week’s edition.
Cherokee – Murphy track and field senior Chase Pierce said the Bulldogs had one goal in mind for the Smoky Mountain Conference championships on June 9: win.
He and his teammates worked hard all season, and now it was time to execute. By the end of the meet, Murphy achieved its goal and was celebrating a conference championship for the fourth straight season.
“We just came in here with the mindset to just come and win again,” Pierce said. “As cocky as it sounds, it’s really important to us, and we work really hard.”
Pierce played a big part in the Bulldogs’ triumph, taking first in both the 800 and 1,600-meter runs and anchoring the first place 4x400 and 4x800 meter relays. For his performance he won Boys Most Outstanding Track Athlete.
Murphy trailed Hayesville after the field events but dominated on the track, taking first in four individual events and sweeping all four relays to best the Yellow Jackets by 24 points. Besides Pierce’s two wins, junior Chandler Wood took first in the 100-meter dash, and senior Caleb Jones had a strong last two laps to cross the finish line first in the 3,200-meter run.
“Honestly, it’s great to have the kids here,” Murphy boys track and field coach Davis Bryant said. “They’re not in school, but they’re showing up to practice. They’re just doing what we needed them to do, and we did it today.”
In other action, Kabe Ellis was the only Andrews boy at the meet, but made the most of his opportunity. In his final track meet, Ellis placed first in both the long jump and triple jump. It was a nice way for Ellis to end his Wildcats athletic career, as he returned to graduate from Andrews after playing basketball in Georgia.
“It feels good,” Ellis said. “It’s definitely what I wanted. It’s what I wanted to finish my senior year with.”
All four Cherokee County teams that competed in this meet had smaller teams than usual this year due to the late season and COVID-19 pandemic.. Michael Simms was the only boy to compete for Hiwassee Dam, finishing sixth in the discus. For Tri-County Early College, junior Derek DiCicco finished seventh in the 400-meter dash, while the Jaguars finished sixth in the 4x100 and 4x200-meter relays, and seventh in the 4x400-meter relay.
In the girls meet, Murphy saw its three-year conference champion streak end, finishing second behind Swain County. Murphy had only 12 girls at the meet and couldn’t match Swain’s depth across the board.
However, the Lady Bulldogs still had a few standout performances. Senior Grace Nelson won the 100-meter dash, and teamed up with Calista Adams, Faith Ann Revis and Leah Moses to set a new conference record in the 4x100-meter relay. Revis also added an individual win in the 400-meter dash.
Murphy senior Sarah Pullium was the Lady Bulldogs’ top performer, winning the shot put and smashing her own school discus record by 7 feet to set a new conference record and win Girls Most Outstanding Field athlete. Despite the big day, Pullium is still focused on bigger goals, like chasing a third straight state championship in the discus Friday, June 25.
“I gotta keep pushing,” Pullium said. “There’s no way that I can let up now. Some people get this far and they can turn on autopilot, but that’s just not the case (for me). I have to keep grinding everyday.”
Andrews finished in fourth place, led by junior Mackenzie Stalcup, who won the high jump and finished second in the long jump. Hiwassee Dam and Tri-County both had only had three girls competing. Eagles senior Kiara Anderson finished third in the long jump, while Jaguars sophomore Ever Joy Templeton finished fifth in the 3,200-meter run.