Farragut youth XC teams claim region titles
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The Farragut Midde School cross country team notched finishes of first place (boys) and third place (girls) in the region championship Saturday, Oct. 3. Now the team will move on to the state championship race Saturday, Oct. 24, at Victor Ashe Park in Knoxville. - Photo submitted
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The Farragut Intermediate Girls team won the elementary regional championship for the second year in a row on Saturday, Oct. 3. Pictured in the back row left to right: assistant coach Ali Martin, head coach Jeff Martin, assistant coach John-Mark Chesney. Next row/group from left to right: Charlotte Steely (visible writing on arms), Rama Nimbalkar (dark hair, taller), Riley Powell (bib with 366 visible), Carolina Dunehew (bib 3646), Bridget Leiser (immediate right of 3646), Lenabell Chesney (eyes closed), Tina Liu (tallest runner in the back), Autumn Mahoney (3658), Annie Brahlek (between 3658 and 3650), Rosemary Gouge (3650) and Cecilia Gouge (3649); front row left to right: Rosie Rudolph, Lilah Rickerson, Aubrey Martin and Isabella Barczak. - Photo submitted
On Saturday, Oct. 3, the Farragut Intermediate and Middle School cross country teams put together top finishes at the Knoxville area regional cross country championships.
The Farragut Intermediate girls won the elementary title for the second consecutive year, as the Lady Admirals’ top five runners took home awards for top-40 finishes. The Farragut Middle School boys won the middle school title with their girls team taking third overall.
Also, the Farragut Intermediate boys team saw two state qualifiers in Robert Dunehew, who finished fifth overall, and Nicholas Pacitti, who took 43rd.
With the state championship meet set for Saturday, Oct. 24, at Victor Ashe Park, both teams’ coaches detailed how their programs reached this point.
“Coming into the race, to be honest, the way we trained all year — it’s been so hot,” Farragut Middle School cross country coach Kevin McDonnell said. “And every day after school, these kids would show up with atrocious heat indexes, ready to push themselves. And breaking down the pain of a race into those bite-sized chunks helps you become battle-tested, like you’ve done that 100 times. The key to running is getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.”
“The people we raced, it’s basically the same 500 kids every week,” he added. “On the girls side, it’s Hardin Valley and West Valley, and on the boys side, it’s been the (homeschool team) Knoxville Ambassadors. It’s been a dogfight with them all year, and the boys just barely beat them at regions. We’re pushing each other as a team and as a region, too.”
That approach continued during Fall Break, as McDonnell noted his runners continuing training away from school.
“They’re taking it seriously,” he said. “Then the next two weeks back at school, we’ll have one hard week of practice then taper off a bit and do some fun things to take our mind off it, too, like running into Turkey Creek with $5 each for candy.
“I think that’s going to be something special, trying to lighten the mood and take the anxiety off them.”
The FMS boys program is looking for its first team
title since 2023, per McDonnell, and will face off with the Ambassadors, as well as
Houston and McCallie, among others.
“It’s going to be a photo finish to see who will win,” McDonnell said. “Between first and our fifth runner, that differential needs to be 45 seconds or less, and Victor Ashe is a championship course.
“We run this race three times a year here, and knowing where the hills are, the mud pits, when to make a move, and having your friends and family and other local competitors there, that’s really beneficial.”
The Farragut Intermediate girls team will take the
course that same day as head coach Jeff Martin noted the response he’s seen from both squads.
“Obviously we’ve got two teams, the boys and the girls, third through fifth graders,” he said. “The boys team was very young, had some tough luck with illness and injuries and didn’t have the performance they wanted at regionals — and not for a lack of effort. They have a solid foundation for next year”
“The girls team has been pretty strong all year long,” he added. “We were down two of our top five runners going into regionals, along with a couple more who are typically in the top 10.”
Even so, the FIS Lady Admirals found a way to defend their region title and move on to the state round.
“This was a chance for us to see what we were made of and an opportunity for our depth to step up,” Martin said. “And it was one of the most fun races I’ve ever watched. Just about all the girls took that opportunity and literally ran with it.
“We were down a few key contributors, but we had built so much depth, and they answered the call for sure. It gives me a lot of optimism for states. Hopefully we’re whole and stay healthy, and if so, I’m pretty confident we’ll be competitive.”
Martin reinforced his pride in both teams now that the season is winding down, and the sentiment certainly could apply to each Farragut cross country program competing this season.
“We’re incredibly proud of both of our teams and what they’ve been able to accomplish in this program,” Martin said. “It’s one thing to run, but it’s another to dedicate yourself and put forward the guts and effort to do it day in, day out. I’m proud of this group. It has been a special year.”
