The Comeback … With Feeling!

Carter, Alcoa relay claim titles at inaugural middle school state championships

Carpenters Middle’s Dylan Carter, right, stands with coach Randall Davis at the distance marker at the Tennessee middle school track and field state championships last weekend at Austin Peay. Carter’s 56 feet, 8 1/4 inches winning throw in shot put is the longest ever recorded by a middle school-aged athlete in Tennessee.

By Stefan Cooper
Editor
Blount Press Row

It’s become a catch phrase around the Carter house.

It isn’t bragging, ego or anything of the like.

“Fifty-six, eight and a quarter,” Dylan Carter said.

That’s the distance of the Carpenters Middle eighth-grader’s winning throw in the shot put at the inaugural Tennessee Middle School Athletic Association Track and Field Championships last weekend at Austin Peay State University.

The Alcoa Middle relay of DeeDee Henry, Jada Johnson, Dasha Tate and Ariya Rice stormed to victory in the 4X100-meter relay.

Carter and the Alcoa Middle 4X100 relay of DeeDee Henry, Dasha Tate, Ariya Rice and Jada Johnson put their names in the record books as the first Blount Countians to be crowned middle school state champions.

The Lady Tornadoes circled the Austin Peay track in a blistering 53.33 seconds.

The statewide meet was the first of its kind for middle schools in Tennessee.

Carter also won the discus in the large school classification with a toss of 148 feet, 6 inches. Considering the Cougars’ sensation qualified for the state meet with a sectional-winning throw of 162-8, with a season-best 175, it raised a few eyebrows on the national AAU national circuit.

Carter owns 14 age-group national records in the discus and shot put.

Carter’s notoriety led to some humorous exchanges with peers unaware he was Carter’s coach, William Blount throwers coach Randall Davis said.

“One guy said, ‘Hey, where’s the kid that throws 160,’” Davis said. “One coach tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Hey, watch this kid (Carter) throw.’”

Carter flings the shot at the state meet.

There was a reason for the subpar day in the discus. It’s why setting a new Tennessee middle school state record with the 56-8 1/4 shot put bomb are more than numbers for Carter.

“It’s a pretty big PR for him,” Davis said. “It’s the first time he’s ever thrown 55 feet. I was ecstatic to see him make that improvement.”

Carter woke with a sore throat and a slight fever last Saturday, the discus competition one of the meet’s first of the day. His winning toss still bested second place by 20 feet, but the outing shook Carter.

After a nap back at the hotel, the Cougars star tore back in the shot put, wowing the crowd with a winning heave that traveled, “Fifty-six, eight and a quarter,” he said.

Carter’s state crowns lifted Carpenters/Union Grove, which competes under the combined William Blount Middle flag, to 12th in the final Class AA team standings, with Maryville 23rd, Heritage 29th. Murfreesboro’s Oakland Middle won the boys Class AA championship.

Alcoa finished 30th in the Class A boys field, with Spring Hill Middle claiming the title.

The Lady Tornadoes were fifth in the Class A girls final standings, with Bellevue Middle the the champions. The Lady Rebels were eighth on the AA table, the Lady Mustangs 23rd, the Lady Wildcats 28th. Mt. Juliet Middle were the girls Class AA state champions.

Area Medalists
	Athlete: Sarah Steele School: Alcoa Middle School Grade: Eighth Event: Long jump Classification: A Place: 7th Distance: 13-11
	Athlete: Jada Johnson School: Alcoa Middle School Grade: Eighth Event: 100 meters Classification: A Place: 8th Time: 14.14
	Athlete: Lea Massie School: Alcoa Middle School Grade: Sixth Event: 1600 meters Classification: A Place: 6th Time: 5:54.71
	Athlete: Shelby Knight School: Alcoa Middle School Grade: Seventh Event: 1600 meters Classification: A Place: 7th Time: 5:58.86
	Athlete: Ariya Rice School: Alcoa Middle School Grade: Sixth Event: 200 meters Classification: A Place: 6th Time: 27.88
	Athlete: Hunter McCoy School: Alcoa Middle School Grade: Seventh Event: 1600 meters Classification: A Place: 7th Time: 5:16.88
	Athlete: Brooklin Richardson School: Maryville Junior High Grade: Eighth Event: Long jump Classification: AA Place: 8th Distance: 14-1
	Athlete: Zoe Payne School: Heritage Middle School Grade: Eighth Event: Discus Classification: AA Place: 4th Distance: 82-8
	Athlete: Caroline Malone School: Maryville Junior High Grade: Eighth Event: Discus Classification: AA Place: 8th Distance: 72-4
	Athlete: Riley Colligan School: Maryville Junior High Grade: Seventh Event: High jump Classification: AA Place: 4th Height: 4-8
	Athlete: Ella McCallum School: Maryville Junior High Grade: Seventh Event: High jump Classification: AA Place: 6th Height: 4-6
	Athlete: Anna Richardson School: Heritage Middle School Grade: Eighth Event: 100 hurdles Classification: AA Place: 8th Time: 18.96
	Athlete: Andie Marie Jones School: Maryville Junior High Grade: Sixth Event: 1600 meters Classification: AA Place: 7th Time: 5:46.52
	Athlete: Denae Fritz School: Maryville Junior High Grade: Seventh Event: 400 meters Classification: AA Place: 7th Time: 1:05.67
	Athlete: Jasmine Ervin School: Carpenters Middle School Grade: Eighth Event: Shot put Classification: AA Place: 5th Distance: 33-2
	Athlete: Hannah Belknap School: Carpenters Middle School Grade: Eighth Event: High jump Classification: AA Place: 8th Distance: 4-4
	Athlete: Dylan Carter School: Carpenters Middle School Grade: Eighth Event: Discus Classification: AA Place: 1st Distance: 148-6
	Athlete: Dylan Carter School: Carpenters Middle School Grade: Eighth Event: Shot put Classification: AA Place: 1st Distance: 56-8.25
	Athlete: Will Myers School: Maryville Junior High Grade: Eighth Event: 110 hurdles Classification: AA Place: 8th Time: 17.79
	Athlete: Thomas Roberts School: Maryville Junior High Grade: Seventh Event: 400 meters Classification: AA Place: 8th Time: 56.98
	Athlete: Ethan Pottigier School: Maryville Junior High Grade: Eighth Event: Discus Classification: AA Place: 4th Distance: 123-11

	Team: DeeDee Henry, Dasha Tate, Ariya Rice, Jada Johnson School: Alcoa Middle School Event: 4x100 relay Classification: A Place: 1st Time: 53.33
	Athlete: 4x200 relay School: Alcoa Middle School Classification: A Place: 2nd Time: 1:53.89
	Team: Taylor West, Denae Fritz, Ella McCallum, Katie Cunningham School: Maryville Junior High Event: 4x400 relay Classification: AA Place: 3rd Time: 4:27.24
	Team: Kurt Headrick, Christian Terry, Will Stallions, Jackson Jett School: Heritage Middle School Event: 4x100 relay Classification: AA Place: 5th Time: 49.46
	Team: Brooklin Richardson, McKenzie Wilburn, Madelin Matzek, Elizabeth Nickens School: Maryville Junior High Event: 4x100 relay Classification: AA Place: 6th Time: 54.74
	Team: Brooklin Richardson, Elizabeth Nickens, McKenzie Wilbur, Campbell White School: Maryville Junior High Event: 4x200 Classification: AA Place: 7th Time: 1:56.34
	Team: Will Myers, Sean Ward, Jacob Henneke, Thomas Roberts School: Maryville Junior High Event: 4x200 Classification: AA Place: 8th Time: 1:42.40
	Athlete: 4x400 relay School: Heritage Middle School Classification: AA Place: 8th Time: 4:02.54