The Webb School of Knoxville girls track & field team won its third consecutive state championship on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at Tom Black Track at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. (Photo by Elliot Walker/5Star Preps)
BY DEAN FOX
KNOXVILLE — When state championships start rolling in annually, it’s OK to wonder if the Lady Spartans’ titles might run together.
Rest assured, Wednesday’s championship in the Division II-AA meet will stand out.
The Lady Spartans overcame a nearly two-hour weather delay and what, at one point, was a 47-point deficit in the standings to bring home another title, their third straight and fourth overall.
When asked if he was worried when his team trailed by 47 points after the field events, Webb coach Jerome Romain said “not necessarily.”
“When we came here,” said Romain, “I told them we just have to keep doing what we’ve been doing — and maybe a little better, and let the chips fall where they may.”
Webb won the girls team championship with a broad, distance-and-sprint-powered performance, scoring 101 points to hold off Harpeth Hall’s 89 and Brentwood Academy’s 86. Ensworth was fourth with 76, while Knoxville Catholic placed fifth with 71 after a strong all-around meet.
“We don’t necessarily talk about titles,” Romain said. “We just want to enjoy the process.”
Webb’s title was built around two dominant event groups. In the sprints, Lacy Young won both the 100 and 200, running 11.59 in the 100 and 24.40 in the 200. Simone Romain added key points by finishing fifth in the 100 and third in the 200, while Denice Gaston placed fourth in the triple jump.
The distance races were just as important. Calysta Garmer won the 1,600 in 4:49.30, finished second in the 800 and took second in the 3,200. Jazzlyn Garmer gave Webb another distance title by winning the 3,200 in 10:23.48 and finishing second in the 1,600. Webb also won the 4×800 relay in 9:34.40 with Carolina Areheart, Jazzlyn Garmer, Emma Cissna and Bennie Diddle, giving the Spartans major points in one of the meet’s most valuable races.
Knoxville Catholic’s fifth-place finish came with several high-end performances. Chloe Truss was one of the meet’s top sprinters, finishing second to Young in both the 100 and 200, then adding a third-place finish in the 400 in 57.78. She also anchored Catholic’s winning 4×200 relay, joining Juliet Biden, Zymie’Rah Givens and Sarah Salsberry to run 1:40.47.
Charlotte Fowler was Catholic’s standout in the field events, placing second in both the shot put at 39-1 and the discus at 120-1, while also finishing fifth in the long jump at 17-5.5. Caitlin Daniels added distance points with a fifth-place finish in the 3,200, and Catholic also scored in the 4×100, 4×400 and 4×800 relays.
CAK boys finish runner-up
The Christian Academy of Knoxville (CAK) boys track & field team finished as state runner-up in Division II-A on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at Tom Black Track at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. (Photo by Elliot Walker/5Star Preps)
CAK put together a runner-up boys finish built almost entirely on high-value event execution from Owen Fulford, strong pole vault depth and key distance points from Graham Karnes.
The Warriors scored 75 points, finishing just six behind team champion BGA, which won with 81. Boyd Buchanan was third with 61, followed by Harding Academy at 56.5 and Davidson Academy at 56.
Fulford was the centerpiece of CAK’s night. He won both hurdle races, taking the 110 hurdles in 14.28 and the 300 hurdles in 39.00, giving the Warriors two individual state titles. He also finished third in the 200 in 22.74 and placed second in the pole vault at 13-6, making him one of the meet’s most productive athletes.
“Owen did an amazing job … he really gave it all for the team,” CAK coach Gina Rouse said. “Everyone had to be at their best to get where we are tonight. I’m just proud of the kids. They gave it all they had.”
CAK’s pole vault group delivered major points. Fulford and Devin Young both cleared 13-6 to finish second and third, while Luke Hayes added a seventh-place finish at 11-0. That kind of event-group depth was a major reason CAK stayed within striking distance of BGA.
Karnes also had a strong distance night, finishing second in the 1,600 in 4:24.30 and fourth in the 800 in 2:01.31. CAK added relay points with a third-place finish in the 4×800, a fifth-place finish in the 4×100 and a sixth-place finish in the 4×400.
Fowler wins shot put, discus
The circumstances would have been enough to scare most athletes. Not J.R. Fowler.
The Knoxville Catholic senior fouled on his first three attempts at the Class AA state shot put title, then blew past the field with a throw of 57-foot-2 to claim the crown.
Fowler also won the discus with a throw of 181-3, which was more than 35 feet ahead of every else.
“I wasn’t worried because I knew I could get in done on the fourth one,” Fowler said. “It wasn’t really even my best throw.”
Busy days marked by runner-up finishes
• The Kings Academy senior Lutor Tive finished second in the triple jump, hitting a final jump of 42-9.25 to grab second place. Tive also placed sixth in the long jump with a distance of 19-7.
• Kayla Underwood, a Lakeway Christian junior, finished with a high jump of 5-4, claiming second place. Underwood was also fifth in the 400 with a time of 1:00.44, and sixth in the long jump at 15-9.
• Another CAK freshman, Emery Adams, finished second in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 11:33.28. Grace freshman Sophie Lee was fourth at 11:46.82. Adams and Lee were third and seventh, respectively, in the 1600.
DIVISION II, CLASS AA
BOYS
DISCUS—1. JR Fowler, Knox Catholic, 181-3.
SHOT PUT— 1. JR Fowler, Knox Catholic, 57-2.
HIGH JUMP—4. Radek Molchan, Knox Catholic, 6-2; 5. Warren Brown, Knox Catholic, 5-10.
400—7. Quentin Smith, Knox Catholic, 50:03.
800—5. Reid Bannister, Knox Catholic, 1:54.30; 8. David Gaston, Webb, 1:59.50.
3200—2. Cade Duncanson, Knox Catholic, 9:20.53
300 HURDLES—3. Chandler Thompson, Knox Catholic, 40.61.
4X400 RELAY—5. Knox Catholic (Reid Bannister, Quentin Smith, Chandler Thompson, Dean Hamilton), 3:25.43
GIRLS
TRIPLE JUMP—4. Denice Gaston, Webb, 35-7.
SHOT PUT—2. Charlotte Fowler, Knox Catholic, 39-1.
DISCUS—2. Charlotte Fowler, Knox Catholic, 120-1.
LONG JUMP— 5. Charlotte Fowler, Knox Catholic, 17-5.5.
HIGH JUMP—8. Jillian Hurley, Knox Catholic, 4-10.
100—1. Lacy Young, Webb, 11.59; 2. Chloe Truss, Knox Catholic, 11.91; 5. Simone Romain, Webb, 12.19.
200—1. Lacy Young, Webb, 24.40; 2. Chloe Truss, Knox Catholic, 24.74; 3. Simone Romain, Webb, 25.40; 6. Zymie’Rah Givens, Knox Catholic, 25.83.
400—3. Chloe Truss, Knox Catholic, 57.78; 6. Juliet Biden, 1:00.05; 7. Gideon Bradford, Webb, 1:01.37.
800—2. Calysta Garmer, Webb, 2:13.82; 6. Gideon Bradford, Webb, 2:20.97
1600—1. Calysta Garmer, Webb, 4:49.30; 2. Jazzlyn Garmer, Webb, 4:55.33
3200—1. Jazzlyn Garmer, Webb, 10:23.48; 2. Calysta Garmer, Webb, 10:43.93; 5. Caitlin Daniels, Knoxville Catholic, 10:59.25.
4X100 RELAY—4. Webb (Simone Romain, Caroline Dye, Landree Horner, Lacy Young), 48.75; 7. Knox Catholic, (Zymie’Rah Givens, Jillian Hurley, Sarah Salsberry, Giselle Zayas), 49.26.
4X200 RELAY—1. Knoxville Catholic (Juliet Biden, Zymie’Rah Givens, Sarah, Salsberry, Chloe Truss), 1:40.47; 3. Webb (Simone Romain, Caroline Dye, Lexi Wiles, Lacy Young), 1:44.78 .
4X400 RELAY—6. Knoxville Catholic (Juliet Biden, Zymie’Rah Givens, Payton Sipos, Giselle Zayas), 4:12.46.
4X800 RELAY—1. Webb (Carolina Areheart, Jazzlyn Garmer, Emma Cissna, Bennie Diddle), 9:34.40; 7. Knoxville Catholic (Caitlin Daniels, Drew Gerken, Olivia Garcia, Livi Ray), 10:01.30.
DIVISION II, CLASS A
BOYS
HIGH JUMP—7. Owen McGoldric, Lakeway Christian, 5-10
LONG JUMP— 6. Lutor Tive, TKA, 19-7;
DISCUS—7. Pryor Davidson, Lakeway Christian, 116-0.
POLE VAULT—2. Owen Fulford, CAK, 13-6; 3. Devin Young, CAK, 13-6; 7. Luke Hayes, CAK, 11-0.
TRIPLE JUMP—2. Lutor Tive, TKA, 42-9.25.
100—4. Amare McKenzie, Concord Christian, 10.94.
200—2. Dasani Moulden, Concord Christian, 22.27; 3. Owen Fulford, CAK. 22.74; 8. Kohbe Ward, Concord Christian, 23.86.
400—1. Kohbe Ward, Concord Christian, 48.72; 6. Owen McGoldrick, Lakeway Christian, 51.33.
800—4. Graham Karnes, CAK, 2:01.31; 5. Duncan Tarayia, TKA 2:02.58.
1600—2. Graham Karnes, CAK, 4:24.30; 4. Duncan Tarayia, TKA, 4:36.16.
3200—3. Duncan Tarayia, TKA, 9:38.89; 5. Noah Losacker, Lakeway Christian, 9:54.21
110 HURDLES—1. Owen Fulford, CAK, 14.28.
300 HURDLES—1. Owen Fulford, CAK. 39.00.
4X100 RELAY—5. CAK (Cole Henrie, Jacob Haig, Liam Turner, Hunter Bennett), 43.67.
4X200 RELAY—2. Concord Christian (Reese Franklin, Amare McKenzie, Kohbe Ward, Maurice Smith), 1:30.06.
4X400 RELAY—6. CAK (Hunter Bennett, Cole Piers, Talan Sturdevan, Baker Sterchi), 3:32.21; 8. Concord Christian (Reese Franklin, Rush Mills, Dasani Moulden, Kohbe Ward), 3:37.85
4X800 RELAY—2. Lakeway Christian (Noah Losacker, Eli Mathews, Judah Graham, Gideon Vance), 8:22.74; 3. CAK (Cohen Flatt, Trevor Smith, Talan Sturdevan, Graham Kines), 8:33.74.
GIRLS
LONG JUMP—6. Kayla Underwood, Lakeway Christian, 15-9.
HIGH JUMP—2. Kayla Underwood, Lakeway Christian, 5-6;
TRIPLE JUMP—5. Lily Knight, TKA, 33-1; 7. MJ Brooks, Clayton-Bradley Academy, 31-6.5.
POLE VAULT—3. Mary Taylor Many, CAK, 8-6.
DISCUS—7. Olivia Huntsman, Lakeway Christian, 93-3.
200—8. Annie Von Hagen, Concord Christian, 27:50.
400—3. Baylor Kohlbusch, Concord Christian, 59.54; 5. Kayla Underwood, Lakeway, 1:00.44;
800—6. Abby Roberts, CAK, 2:26.11.
1600—3. Emery Adams, CAK, 5:25.97; 7. Sophie Lee, Grace, 5:39.74.
3200—2. Emery Adams, CAK, 11:33.28; 4. Sophie Lee, Grace, 11.46.82.
100 HURDLES—7. Piper Coffey, Grace, 17.92.
300 HURDLES—8. Piper Coffey, Grace, 50.95
4X100 RELAY—3. Concord Christian (Emory Thomas, Annie Van Hagen, Lydia Kohlbusch, Baylor Kohlbusch), 50.39; 5. CAK (Abigail Stolt, Ali Wilkinson, Victoria Carter, Averie Slowik), 51.07.
4X200 RELAY—2. Concord Christian (Presley Horst, Baylor Kohlbusch, Lydia Kohlbusch, Annie Von Hagen), 1:46.57; 8. CAK (Abigail, Stolt, Ali Wilkinson, Victoria Carter, Averie Slowik), 1:51.56.
4X400 RELAY—1. Concord Christian (Presley Horst, Baylor Kohlbusch, Lydia Kohlbusch, Emory Thomas), 4:07:33; 3. CAK (Laura Harris, Ali Wilkinson, Olivia Law, Lindsay Loyd); 8. Clayton-Bradley (Mia Adkins, MJ Brooks, Ali Daniels, Stell Prudente), 4L18.99.
4X800 RELAY—1. CAK (Carlie Rouse, Olivia Law, Lindsay Lloyd, Emery Adams), 9:48.47; 2. Grace (Ellia Cox, Sammie DeWitt, Sophie Lee, Abby Roberts), 9:48.49.
MIXED RESULTS
CLASS A
4X400 RELAY—1. Concord Christian, 3:49.53.