Signal Mountain Girls Win Second Straight A-AA Track Title

Bowman, Ethridge Win Two Events Each As Lady Eagles Soar

  • Thursday, May 21, 2015
  • John Hunt
Signal Mountain's Camryn Bowman receives her first place medal in the discus event at the 2015 Spring Fling in Murfreesboro. Bowman also placed first in the shot put.
Signal Mountain's Camryn Bowman receives her first place medal in the discus event at the 2015 Spring Fling in Murfreesboro. Bowman also placed first in the shot put.
photo by Dennis Norwood

MURFREESBORO – The Signal Mountain Eagles won last year’s Class A-AA state track title by a scant six points, but it wasn’t nearly that close this year.

With Camryn Bowman and McKenzie Ethridge both winning two events, the Eagles had a one-point lead following the field events, but ending up scoring 96 points and winning by 24 over runner-up East Nashville.

While Signal Mountain was dominating the A-AA competition at the Dean A.

Hayes Track & Soccer Stadium, Baylor finished in a tie for fourth with Briarcrest in D-II with 64 points while Ooltewah was sixth in AAA with 34.5 points.

Bowman was victorious in the discus with a best toss of 125 feet, eight inches while she later claimed first in the shot put as well with a longest measurement of 39 feet, 11.5 inches.

It was downright cold when the field event started and it never really warmed up very much, but Bowman looked tense and maybe a bit nervous when her first discus effort traveled only 81 feet.

Her third try was further than her winning effort, but it was about three feet out of bounds and didn’t count.

Then in the shot put, she had her best mark on the first throw as she beat the runner up by more than five feet.

“My first throw was a little rusty, but I was cold and nervous.  I felt a lot better with my second throw and was able to shoot for my personal best, although I didn’t get it.  I finished second in this event last year and felt pressure to do well today, but I feel better now,” the 17-year-old sophomore expressed following the discus.

Ethridge won the 100 and 200 dashes as a freshman two years ago, but was suffering from plantar fasciitis last year and didn’t do as well, although she finished fourth in the 100 while walking to an eighth-place finish in the 200.

As it turned out, those six points turned out to be the margin of victory in 2014.

She was 100 percent on Thursday and ran stronger than ever, winning both of those sprints by sizable margins with times of 11.88 and 24.64 seconds.  She was also the anchor leg on the 400 relay team that also finished first.

Aryn Sanders, Adira Griffin and Katie Lingle took care of the first three legs while Ethridge cruised home with a first-place time of 48.86 seconds.  Tyner was second in that race with a time of 49.75 seconds.

“I had a good start even though I had to hold back a little, but was able to accelerate in the middle of the race.  I didn’t want to jump the gun and get disqualified,” Ethridge explained the win in the 100 with a personal best by seven-hundreths of a second.

“I had to be sure to get warmed up good as it would have been easy to pull something in this cold air.  I still had the nerves as I knew that Tyner’s Alexis Wilson was in the race.  I knew I had to compete well if I planned to win,” she smiled.

Signal Mountain coach Beverly Blackwell was confident in her team’s ability, but she didn’t want them to see that on the outside.  And she was all smiles toward the end of the meet when her team had wrapped up its second team title in two years.

“I felt like we had the total package today as we were well-prepared in every event,” she said while standing along the fence outside of lane eight.

“We’ve had our eye on this week for a long time and we figured we’d have a good day if we could score 78 points.  We’re closer to a hundred, so I’m more than pleased.

“McKenzie Ethridge is an incredible athlete who showed how tough she was last year.  But she’s been healthy this year and has peaked at the right time.  It was nice for Camryn to get those early wins this morning as that sort of set the tone for the day.  When one gets a big win, it rubs off as the others don’t want to let their teammates down.

“I’m sorry this is Mallory’s last meet and we’ll miss her next year, but she too was a big contributor.  And that 400 relay was a pleasant surprise as that was the first time we’ve used that combination this year.  We got disqualified in that event last year, so that was sweet revenge to come back and win this time,” Blackwell nodded.

Young is the only senior on Signal Mountain’s team who finished with 18 points.  She finished third in the 800, 1600 and 3200 runs, but was still all smiles when it was over.

“Those thirds add up, but it was cold today and that was nice,” the senior who’ll be running for Belmont next year said following the 3200.

“I’m not at all upset with the results.  I ran my absolute best today, but it just wasn’t in the cards for me to win, but it’s a nice way to go out with another team title.  I didn’t hold back as I went  for it, but I can’t believe my high school career is over.  It’s gone by so fast, but I’m excited about next year,” Young nodded.

While the Lady Eagles did the best team wise, CSAS sophomore Lennex Walker and Baylor senior Selena Popp both had outstanding days as well.

Walker won the triple jump with a best of 37 feet while finishing second in the long jump (17-8.25), 100 hurdles (15.04 seconds) and 300 hurdles (47.12 seconds).

Popp, who has been a standout for the Lady Red Raiders for the past four years, was third in the triple jump (35-5.75), second in the high jump (5-2), sixth in the 100 hurdles and fourth in the 300 hurdles.  And that was all after finishing fourth in the Pentathlon on Monday.

“I’m exhausted and cold, but I had a really good final meet.  I thought my best chance of winning today was the that last hurdle race, but I was drained.  I got to come as a Pentathlon entry in the eighth grade, but have been back every year since.  I’ve loved every second of it,” she said, saying she’ll be competing for the Samford Lady Bulldogs next year.

“It was a good day,” Walker began.

“I was glad to get a good jump on my first attempt, but I’m just trying to get warm right now,” she said following the 300 hurdle race.

Kiana Davis finished second in the 200 with a time of 25.10 seconds after taking sixth in the 100 with a 12.30.  Teammate Josie Grube was the runner-up in the 3200 whiloe Ashley Price claimed third in the high jump at five feet and Krystal Starling did the same in the shot put with a best of 40-9.25.

Grube is that petite young lady who is the international student from Germany.  She’ll be headed back on Monday, but her time at Ooltewah has been memorable and she had nothing but good things to say about her whole experience in America.

“I’m cold and tired, but I really enjoyed today’s meet,” she said after finishing second to Brentwood’s Hailey Hendry in the 3200 run with a time of 10:55.

“We had a group prayer before the race and that was nice.  We didn’t run as fast as I normally do, so I had a lot left at the end.  Unfortunately, I don’t have a very strong kick, so I wasn’t able to catch her at the end, but I’m happy with second place.

“This has been the best year of my life and I’ve found my second home.  I still have two years of school in Germany, but maybe I’ll come back one day,” she concluded with a smile.

Central’s Sandrea Sylman was another senior who was competing in her final high school event.  She finished second in the 400 dash with a time of 58.23 seconds.

Go to www.TSSAA.org for complete results of Thursday’s meet.

(email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@comcast.net)

Baylor's Selena Popp attempts to better her height of 5 feet two inches in the high jump.
Baylor's Selena Popp attempts to better her height of 5 feet two inches in the high jump.
photo by Dennis Norwood
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