Sidnee Stanton competes in the 2022 TSSAA Class AAA state track & field meet at MTSU in Murfreesboro, Tenn. (Photo by Charles Mays Media)
BY MIKE BLACKERBY
They’re almost mirror images of one another in terms of achievement and the events they participated in on the track.
That’s why Hardin Valley’s Brooke Taylor and Sidnee Stanton are the 5Star Preps Co-Track and Field Female Athletes of the Year for 2022.
The point-scoring machines have been staples of the powerhouse Lady Hawks program for the past four seasons in the sprints and jumps.
Between them, they’ve accounted for 624 combined points during their careers and almost countless team and individual honors.
That’s 624 points even with a year lost to COVID.
Brooke Taylor competes in the 2022 TSSAA Class AAA state track & field meet at MTSU in Murfreesboro, Tenn. (Photo by Charles Mays Media)
“They’ve been part of some very good teams for us,” said HVA coach Bryan Brown.
“Both are such great athletes. We’re not only going to miss their production, but we’re going to miss their leadership.”
Taylor and Stanton were at their bests this season during the sectional meet, where both set school records in their specialties.
Taylor won the long jump with an HVA record mark of 18 feet, 9.25 inches while Stanton established a new program standard in winning the triple jump in 38-08.
Both also ran legs on HVA’s sectional champion 400 (48.47) and 800 (1:43.30) relay squads.
Stanton went on to win her second consecutive state championship in the triple jump with Taylor close behind in third.
In the state long jump, Taylor was second and Stanton fourth.
The duo helped HVA’s 4×100 relay team place sixth in 48.91.
“Having Brooke there always has pushed me,” said Stanton, who will go on to a track and field career at Tennessee Tech.
“It is always fun having her around. She has great energy.”
Taylor, who signed to play softball and run track and field at Carson-Newman, said she’ll miss her longtime training partner and competitor.
“It has been so great having (Stanton) with me at Hardin Valley,” said Taylor.
“It was a blessing to have someone close to your skill level. We pushed each other in practice and in meets.”
More often than not with the field events being first on the meet docket, the duo got Hardin Valley off to quick starts.
That’s something both took pride in.
“The last couple of years with me and Sidnee jumping, it’s a good feeling to help the team out early,” said Taylor.
“That event (the triple jump) gets me really excited and pumped for everything else,” said Stanton.
Brown said he expects both girls to continue to grow in their specialties in college – Taylor in the long jump and Stanton in the triple jump.
“They’re in events where technique is such a big thing,” said Brown.
“Both are pretty technical now, but they’ll have more time to work on that (in college).”
Taylor hopes to have an immediate impact at Carson-Newman.
“I’m close now, but I definitely want to break 19 feet (as a freshman),” said Taylor.
“One of the girls at Carson-Newman jumped 19-2 last year and it was the second-best jump ever at Carson-Newman.”
Moving forward, the future looks limitless for both Taylor and Stanton.