Claiborne County was well represented during the recent Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) championships held on May 23. Six Claiborne High School track & field student athletes participated, representing an elite group of the top 16 from across the state for their specific event.

The sport of track & field allows student athletes to compete in a variety of events from sprinting to distance running, from relays to hurdles and from jumping to throwing.

“I’ve been blessed this year to coach and to be a part of their lives. Track and field allows my student athletes different opportunities to compete. They have the opportunity to find just what they excel at,” said Amy Munsey, Claiborne High School track & field coach. “What I like most about this sport is that individual effort and motivation can carry a student athlete very far. We coach our kids to succeed and to push themselves to improve and break personal records day by day, track meet by track meet.

“At the end of the season, if one kid qualifies to go to state – that one kid gets to go. It doesn’t matter what the 30 kids on the track team does. If they put in the effort, they can be successful as individuals.”

Munsey said she had never before seen so many student athletes representing the county at the TSSAA Track & Field Championships. Not one, but six students competed during the 2018 event, she said.

Munsey introduced the four of the six students that were present last week, during the Claiborne School Board meeting.

CHS senior Zach Fejeran competed in two events. Fejeran placed eighth overall in the discus and 11th overall in the shot put competitions.

Sophomore athlete Tyler West placed 13th overall in the 110-meter high hurdles.

Claiborne junior Taylor Chittum placed 10th overall in the 100-meter high hurdles.

Sophomore Cydney Russell finished in 14th place during the discus competition.

Also competing in the state discus championships were CHS junior Bryce Laws, who placed ninth overall, and junior Spencer Fejeran.