CHURCH HILL — Expectations are high for Volunteer High School track and field this season. Especially for the Lady Falcons who finished third in the Class AA TSSAA outdoor track and field championships in Murfreesboro.
“This is my seventh year at Volunteer, and this is probably my best track team ever – both boys and girls,” says Volunteer track coach Jim Ailshie.
The girls’ appearance at the state assembly is the highest accomplished in school history by any team of the Volunteers. The Boys finished 11th in the state meeting.
“The goal is to improve on last year’s performances, and I think that is very achievable for both the women’s and men’s athletic teams,” said Ailshie. “In fact, girls have a chance to win it all.”
Ailshie—a three-time state champion as a runner at Dobyns-Bennett—knows what it takes to do that. But he believes his Lady Falcons are capable of winning the Volunteers’ first state championship.
“That is what we have discussed with the team, and they understand our high expectations. We are quite capable. Everything has to come together that day,” said Ailshie.
The biggest meetings on the Falcons’ schedule are the Upper Lakes Conference, Class AA East Sectional, and state championship meetings.
One of the highlights of the 2022 season came at the Upper Lakes Conference meeting, where the Volunteers swept the men’s and women’s team championships.
“We can celebrate as a team as a whole. Looking back on the past year, it was one of the biggest accomplishments. I don’t think the girls winning is a surprise; victorious boy is. It was a big highlight,” recalls Ailshie.
The Lady Falcons went on to finish second in the Class AA Eastern Section, and Ailshie said, “the hope is they will capture that title as we move toward meeting states.”
The pentathlon and decathlon state championships are held the week before the track and field championships. Points for athletes who finish first through eighth in the event contribute to the team’s total score in the Class AA state championship.
“We need to collect more points in the event than we did last year,” said Ailshie. “… We hope to qualify three for that special event and come out of there with lots of points going to Murfreesboro.”
Volunteers will also welcome a pair of athletes from Clinch High School to join. Summer Greene and Aaden Livesay will compete with the Falcons via co-op, which was raised this year to give athletes in the small, isolated school the opportunity to participate in a sport otherwise unavailable to them.
WOMAN BEST WOMANThe best returns for the Volunteer women’s team include:
Taylor Castle senior, school record holder in the 100 and 200 meter dash. He finished third in the number 200 at the TSSAA state track meet and was best in three relay events.
Sophomore Aliah Laster, school record holder in pole vault, who finished third in pole vault at the TSSAA state track meet. He also finished sixth in the 100 hurdles and ninth in the pentathlon.
Senior Sara Winegar, who finished fifth in the 100 hurdles, eighth in the pentathlon and made the state in two relay events.
Junior Jacie Begley, school record holder in the 4×800 and 5k relay. He finished third in the 800 in the TSSAA state meet as well as all-state in the 4×400 meter relay.
Senior Sydney Hamilton, school record holder in the 4×800 meter relay, who became state in the 4×400 meter relay last spring.
Sophomore Belle Fritts, all-state player in the 4×200 meter relay.
Junior Rhyann James, who finished fourth in the high jump in the sectional.
Others to watch include Taylor Boggs, Allie Hostetler, Kadey Brown, Lillie Bullock, Alyssa Burchfield, Cheyenne Smith, Carolina Smith, Emmerson Head, Mattie Crowder, Trinity Trammell, Allyssa Gent, Maci Gladson, Cayden Gent, Jayda Kilgore, Alexus Nelms, Chloe Redwine, Gabriella Ritz, Marley Snapp, Jahnae Ward, Josie Sewell, Anna Houck, Emma Houck, Zetta Smith and Emily McPherson.
BACK BEST BOYS
The men’s team can be led by the throwing event.
“I have four very good pitchers. Interestingly, they all compete with each other and push each other to become better pitchers,” says Ailshie. “That’s going to be an interesting thing to watch this spring.”
Top returns for the Volunteers men’s team include:
Senior Thomas Galloway, who finished fourth in the TSSAA state track meet in the discus.
Cason Christian senior, who finished fifth at the TSSAA state track meet in the high jump.
Junior Grant Winegar, who finished sixth in the state decathlon.
Junior Kasey Brown, who finished sixth in the state indoor meet in shot put.
Senior Charlie Wilson, school record holder in the 4×800 meter relay and state player of the year in the 4×800 last spring.
Sophomore Roman Borghetti-Metz, school record holder in the 4×800 meter relay and state player of the year in the 4×800 meter relay and 4×400 meter relay.
Senior Cayden Cox, who went all-state in the 4×400 relay last spring.
Junior John Ross, who appeared in the 4×400 relay last spring.
Others to watch include Peyton Steele, Jordyn Winegar-Collis, Jackson Clonce, Connor Burns, Evan Glass, Joshua Hathaway, Caden Lafollette, Branson Lafollette, Skylar Cooper, Gunner Ferguson, Daniel Rooker-Melton, Sweet Carter, Kaigan McCloud, Kevin McCurry, Nathan Simpson, Alex Polk, Isaiah Livesay, Brandon Begley, Caydan Hatcher, Christian Bullock, Matthew Carter, Lucas Gilliam and Brett Clark
COACHING THE FALCONS Sam Barton has coached with Ailshie for seven years. A Volunteer graduate who excelled in three sports, she was the school’s record holder in hurdles. He went on to run college at ETSU. “You try to surround yourself with good people, and Sam is up there with the best,” says Ailshie.
Jerry Lawson, whom Ailshie called an “incredible motivator”, and Sarah Clonce, who works with pitchers, complete the coaching staff for the Volunteers program.
