Wilson County sends large delegation to Spring Fling XXIX

May 24—The 2021-22 high school athletic year comes to a climax this week with Spring Fling XXIX in and around Murfreesboro.

The TSSAA's Olympic-style championship of its spring sports brings thousands to Rutherford County the week before Memorial Day every year, with some spillover into Wilson County.

A look at the sports with Wilson County participation:

BASEBALL

Watertown makes its second straight state tournament appearance. The Purple Tigers will take on Loudon at 4 p.m. today at Riverdale. Win or lose, the Purple Tigers will take on Adamsville (24-6) or Loretto (23-10) in the 10 a.m. loser's bracket game tomorrow or the 12:30 p.m. winner's bracket contest.

The double-elimination bracket will run through Thursday. The one-game championship is set for 1 p.m. Friday at Blackman's David Price Field. Pigeon Forge (37-3), White House Heritage (19-10), Forrest (25-9) and Riverside (25-13) are in the other bracket which will play at Stewarts Creek.

Though there are no local teams involved, Wilson Central will again host the Division II-AA tournament, where a champion will be crowned Thursday.

Lipscomb Academy will take on Knoxville Catholic at 4 p.m. today, followed by the battle of Chattanooga rivals McCallie and Baylor at 6:30. The tournament will continue until Thursday when a champion will be crowned at 1 or 3:30 p.m. This is a departure from past years when the final two teams went to Middle Tennessee State for the final round.

SOFTBALLBecause several sectionals across the state weren't played until Saturday evening, brackets weren't posted until Sunday.

Wilson Central (37-10) will take on Summit (20-12), which rallied to stun Beech last Friday at 5:30 p.m. today at McKnight No. 1.

All four first-round games will be played simultaneously at McKnight. Daniel Boone (35-8), one of just two non-midstate teams in the eight-team field, will take on Clarksville (32-10) in the other half of Central's bracket. Win or lose, all will play at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at either Starplex 1 (loser's bracket) or 3 (winners).

Coffee County (24-14), Springfield (29-4), Farragut (39-3-1 and the other non-midstate team) and Stewarts Creek (28-10-1) are in the other bracket.

The tournament will wrap up Friday with the championship round at 3:30 p.m. and the "if necessary" game at 5:30, both at Starplex No. 4.

TRACK & FIELDAction goes off today at Middle Tennessee State's Dean Hayes Stadium for the first time since 2019. COVID canceled the 2020 season and pandemic restrictions at MTSU prompted last year's event to be held at Rockvale High School.

Watertown will compete in the Class A meet today.

First up will be junior Noah Clemmons in the shot put during the 9 a.m. session. He is seeded fifth out of eight competitors based on his 43-1 toss during the regional. Freshman Shayla Allison will compete in the girls' high jump during the 10:30 a.m. session.

Senior Grace Riddle is seeded third with a distance of 33-04 (the top seed turned in a 34.06.5 in the regional) in the girls' triple jump which should lead off the noon session. Later in the hour, sophomore Joe Allison is seeded fifth in the boys' discus.

Girls' discus action will be held during the 1:30 p.m. session. Sophomore Jaleigh Robertson is seeded fifth and junior Rilee Jo Gardner sixth.

In the evening session, Watertown's boys' 4-by-100-meter relay team is seeded eighth which begins at 4 p.m.

Division II will take center stage Wednesday. Mt. Juliet Christian senior Ja'Marion Thomas is back for the triple jump where he is seeded fifth for the 10:30 a.m. session. The Saints will be represented in the 4-by-100 boys' relay were they are seeded sixth during the 4 p.m. running session.

The busiest day will be Thursday as Lebanon, Wilson Central, Mt. Juliet and Green Hill will compete in Class AA.

Action begins at 9 a.m. as Green Hill senior Chantelle Muller is seeded eighth in the girls' shot put. Boys' discus will begin at the same time as Mt. Juliet junior Ayden Bussell will compete in the boys' discus. Wilson Central senior Blake Hobbs is seeded fifth in the boys' long jump.

Wilson County's best shot at a championship, at least on paper, is in the boys' pole vault where Green Hill junior Kyler Nichols is the top seed (the only No. 1 in the county) after turning in a 16-0 (almost 21/2 feet higher than the No. 2 seed) during the regional at GHHS earlier this month. Senior teammate Jacob Cannon is seeded fifth.

Girls high jump action will begin at 10 a.m. with Mt. Juliet teammates Julia Pitt and Dymond Howard and Green Hill's Cameron Bryan entered.

Lebanon senior De'Wayne Brown is seeded third in the boys' triple jump at 11 a.m. Classmate Brandon Martin is No. 7 while Green Hill senior Mo Ruttlen is 10th. Mt. Juliet's Bussell and Green Hill senior Levi Oates will compete in the boys' shot put at 11.

Pitt is the No. 2 seed in the girls' triple jump, which is also scheduled for the 11 a.m. session. Green Hill's Angela Hoover is fifth.

Green Hill junior Carolina Banuch is seeded fourth in the girls' pole vault at noon. At the same time, Lebanon teammates Connor McDermott, Daymian Walker and Jarred Hall are seeded 9-11 in the boys' high jump.

Running events will get under way at 4 p.m. with Green Hill's boys leading off in the 4-by-800 relay.

Wilson Central junior Maya Follmer is seeded sixth in the girls' 100-meter ru. Green Hill's Dailin Siggers and Wilson Central's Aden Bryan 11th in the boys' 110 hurdles immediately afterward.

Both Wilson Central teams will compete in the 4-by-200 relay with Green Hill and Lebanon joining the Wildcats in the boys' race.

Wilson Central will also run in both 4-by-100 relays with Lebanon also competing in the boys' race.

Mt. Juliet's Jessy Pitt and Wilson Central's Sterling Webb will run in the girls' 400-meter dash while Green Hill's Siggers runs the boys' race.

Finally, Wilson Central's Bryan will run in the 200 meters.

The girls' pentathlon was held late last week at Brentwood where Watertown's Madison King finished third in Class A. Her best finish was second in the 800 meters in 2:48.34. She was third in the 100 hurdles in :17.47.

In AAA, Wilson Central's Maya Follmer was seventh and Mt. Juliet's Julia Pitt was 10th.

TENNISWilson Central, Watertown and Green Hill will be represented in the individual tournament which serves off Thursday at the Adams Tennis Complex.

WCHS' Anindita Das will take on fellow sophomore Riley Cassity of Farragut during the 9 a.m. session in the Class AA girls' singles quarterfinals. In AA girls' doubles, Green Hill junior Ava Trahan and freshman Kate Shamblin will take on Houston's Caroline Jeter and Kife Onyeagocha at the same time. the winners will advance to the 2 p.m. quarterfinals. The finals are set for 11 a.m. Friday.

Watertown will swing into action at noon with seniors (recent graduates, actually) Ian Fryer and Jackson Thomas taking on Milan's Carson Pruitt and Hunter Lawson in Class A boys' doubles. Girls doubles will begin at 12:30 p.m. with senior Blake Griffin and junior Summer Sesnan taking on Madison Magnet's Mitzi Castro and Leigh Baldwin. Lady Tiger senior Morgan Brown, in her third state tournament (with COVID denying her an opportunity as a sophomore) will try to break through the semifinal ceiling after facing Unicoi County sophomore Lily Mefford in the 12:30 girls' seniors quarterfinals.

Winners will advance to the 4 p.m. semifinals with the finals set for 11 a.m. Friday.