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Season Recap: Track & Field

The pressure externally was not greater than the pressure the TFS track and field teams put on themselves. They knew this was set to be a special kind of year that could result in history. To that end, the teams never buckled in achieving what has never been done at Tallulah Falls School.

All told, the boys brought home hardware in the way of a 3rd-place finish at the GHSA 1A Private State Championships, with multiple athletes earning podium finishes. The girls also shaved off times and scores by historic margins in coming in 15th overall. The boys' finish was the best in school history, as their Area 6-A Championship was also a first.

"The goal from the getgo on the boys side was to bring home a state trophy, the first on in school history," says coach Scott Neal. "On the girls side, it was to set personal records, get in the State Sweet 16, move up on the famous TFS Legacy List, get on the podium, and prepare through experience and confidence a future on the upper podium with a trophy."

For the Indians, it was Grey Bourlet, Evan Prince and Simeon Respress who accumulated the highest point totals at state. Bourlet was the State Runner-Up in the pole vault and 110 meter hurdles. He finished third in the 300 meter hurdles. Respress was the State Runner-Up in the long jump, and placed 6th in the high jump. Meanwhile, Prince was 4th in the 800 and 1600, and 10th in the 3200. The 4x800 Relay group was 4th, and the 4x400 came in 5th. Walker Bailey also individually qualified for state in the 800. Prince and Bourlet both won three area titles, as did the two relay groups.

The Lady Indians, who finished 5th within the area, qualified in eight events at state. Macy Murdock paced the team with a 5th-place finish in the 300 meter hurdles and 6th in the 100 meter hurdles. Lucy Ladd was 9th in the long jump, Lucy Alexander 10th in the 3200, and Julianne Shirley was 13th in the high jump. The 4x800 Relay team was 6th, while the 4x100 and 4x400 groups both finished 7th. 

"The season will last in legacy with a third place trophy, with school records (five on the boys side, two from the girls), with the first Area Championship trophy, with indelible relationships, with standards and expectations and principles of significance, and with a new level of confidence, preparation, and thinking," states Neal. "The boys pursued the trophy as a forever bearer of a new standard of performance; the girls pursued relentless bonds created by sacrificing for each other, by running through intense discomfort for the deep satisfaction of coming through for each other. I am so proud of the trophy achievements the boys earned as a symbol of connectedness and the Legacy List advancements and togetherness mindset displayed by our girls."