February 13 Update!

The TCHS Track Team bought three athletes to the University of Tennessee on Saturday to compete in the Volunteer Indoor Classic.  Dale Smith, Darae Gordon, and Derrick Brown competed in a total of 4 events.  Our performances were not very good, but we gained valuable video and team building time.  This meet is one of the better meets in the Southeast with many top teams from Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama.  Many of our performances would have placed in a KY meet, but not placing top 6 in this meet was a disappointment.  It was also hard on me since I was in “whisper mode” due to my absent voice. 

• Dale Smith Competed in the High Hurdles, Long Jump, and triple Jump.  He placed in the middle of the pack in each of his events
• Darae Gordon competed in the Long and Triple Jumps.  This was his first BIG meet.  There were some nerves, but he was able to place in the middle of the pack in the Triple Jump.
• Derrick Brown came to the meet with a pole (in the pole vault) that has never cleared a height.  Well, it still hasn’t cleared a height!  His 7^th place vault of 12 feet in last year’s state meet was his previous best (with a different pole).  In Saturday’s competition, he was well above the 12 foot mark, but he failed to get his feet above his head and consequently didn’t clear his opening height.  He was able to see a vaulter from Georgia who is one of the best in the nation (16 feet 6 inches).

One of the key’s to success is to learn and gain valuable experience from previous marks.  This was a great learning experience!  I have always seen their potential, but Saturday, they saw their potential.  An athlete seeing their potential is very difficult to achieve. 

Pictures can be found Here

Our next meet is this Saturday at UK.  It is the Kentucky Invitational.  We are bringing 9 athletes to this extremely competitive meet.  Teams from Maryland, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Ohio, and Georgia will join an elite group of athletes from Kentucky.  To have 9 TCHS athletes qualify for this meet is amazing!  

Our attendees are:

Ken Vereen, Jamyle Cannon, Quinton Wingate, James Coleman, Derrick Brown, James Johnson, Latonya Buckner, Bridget Stichnot, Laura Futch and possibly Jayme Hawthorne.