Maryville’s Georgie McDevitt excelled at the TSSAA state track and field events took place at Deana A. Hayes Track and Soccer Stadium in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on Thursday, May 23, 2019. (Photo by Danny Parker)
By Mike Blackerby
Maryville High School standout Georgie McDevitt, the 5Star Preps Female Track and Field Athlete of the Year, has always been the consummate team player.
That’s why McDevitt eschewed the open sprint events in favor of running on the Lady Rebels’ relay teams.
Until her senior year.
“I always thought it was better to focus on the relays and triple jump because I didn’t have really good technique in the sprints,” said McDevitt.
Plus, she enjoyed the camaraderie of running with her teammates in the relays.
“We’ve always just loved the relays,” added McDevitt.
“All of us agree that you run faster when you have somebody else to run for besides yourself.”
At the prodding of coach Nick White and first-year assistant Will Jay, McDevitt agreed to finally give the open sprints a shot heading into her senior year.
“I’ve always worked with him (Jay) over the summer, but to be able to have him at practice every day and work one on one really helped me to continue to get faster,” McDevitt explained.
As McDevitt’s technique and confidence improved, her times in the 100 and 200 plummeted this season.
She dominated in the sprints at sectionals, posting what proved to be the fastest time in the state this year in the 100 (11.73) and coasting to a win in the 200 (24.17).
“I never thought I’d be able to get an 11.73,” said McDevitt.
That set the stage for a showdown in the sprints at the Large school state meet between McDevitt, a Wofford signee, and Ole Miss signee Kirstin Jones of Whitehaven.
The 100 resulted in a near photo finish with McDevitt (11.89) edging Jones (11.90).
“I was like really nervous – she’s really fast,” said McDevitt.
“I’m slow to start and was like fourth or fifth out of the blocks. I started to take off after about 20 meters and we were neck and neck the rest of the time.”
Then came the rematch.
Jones answered by winning the 200 in 24.05 with McDevitt (24.19) close behind in second.
“I came around the curve first, but I kind of lost energy,” explained McDevitt.
“She caught me the last 50 meters.”
Maryville also squared off against Whitehaven in the 4×100 relay.
Olivia Scott ran the opening leg, followed by Madge Matzek, Rylee Jorgensen and McDevitt on anchor as the Lady Rebels won in 47.06 to Whitehaven’s 47.74.
It was the fastest time in the state this year in the 4×100 and just off the state record of 46.92 by Memphis East set in 2000.
As it turned out, McDevitt found out you could excel individually and still be a force in the sprint relays.
And despite her busy day of jumping and running, don’t forget McDevitt still managed to finish second in the state in the triple jump with a mark of 38-07.
“It was a pretty daunting task for her to do as well at state as she did,” said White.
“It was a big step for her, and showed it’s OK to do things for yourself.”