By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City could easily be dubbed as ‘Title Town’ after Friday.
Golden Tornado teams brought home sectional championships in both boys’ and girls’ track in the same year for the first time ever, and also claimed the District 14-2A softball crown for the first time in program history in a memorable day for UC spring sports athletes.
The reigning Class 1A state champion Twister boys’ track squad repeated as West Sectional titlists with a 44-point win over their closest competition in Memphis, while the Union City girls claimed their third sectional title in five years by topping Middle College by 10 points.
Several UC athletes qualified for the state meet (May 19 in Knoxville) with either a first- or second-place finish in their respective events, with a few more earning wildcard spots.
Not to be outdone, the Lady Tornado softball team completed a magical run to its first-ever Double-A district championship with a 14-10 victory over top-seed Ripley to earn a host role in Monday’s regional semifinals.
The historic victory means that UC will be at home to face Region 7-2A runner-up Scotts Hill on Monday with a spot in Wednesday’s regional finals and a Friday sectional berth at stake.
The following are highlights from Friday’s championship efforts:
HIGH SCHOOL TRACK
Led by meet Most Valuable Performer Adrian Crawford – already a five-time state champion – Union City was easily the class of the boys’ field with 131 total points after also winning the event a year ago.
Crawford set new school records in three events, while winning in all four in which he was entered. He won the long jump (24’5”), the 110 hurdles (15.26), and the 300 hurdles (40.40), establishing new UCHS marks in the process. He also took first place in the high jump.
Crawford was not the lone star for the Tornadoes, however.
Kyle Price and Aiden Reid – also defending state titlists – earned a shot to repeat by winning the discus and shot put, respectively. Reid was also second in the discus, while teammate Jaxson Jones placed third.
Tayshun Gentry was second in the triple jump, and Jaedyn Sims was runner-up in the pole vault.
The 4X800 relay team of Owen Waggoner, Andrew Beard, Woodrow McKinnis, and Rushdon Howell set a new school mark (8:28) in a second-place showing. The 4X400 quartet of Waggoner, Beard, Kinydee Taylor, and Gentry also punched their state ticket after placing No. 2.
Union City’s girls were equally impressive, racking up 88 points to bring home gold.
Ca’Lae Ervin recorded a pair of individual first-place finishes and was also a part of the winning 4X400 relay team.
Ervin tied for honors in the high jump and established a new program record with a leap of 5’0”. She also won the triple jump, and joined teammates Madie Theobald, Ainsley Beard, and Hayden Marshall in crossing the finish line first in the 4X400.
Theobald qualified for state by finishing second in the discus, with freshman Kimayah Sneed doing the same in the shot put.
Beard set a new UC record with a time of 51.14 in the 300 hurdles and earned a state wildcard ticket.
Alaja Crawford and Ku’mya Liphford secured wildcard spots in the shot put, while the 4X800 relay team consisting of Beard, Theobald, Ainsley Sadler, and Hadlee Ducan was also awarded a wildcard berth.
Head coach Wade Maddox was understandably pleased with his two teams’ showings.
“Obviously, winning both the boys’ and girls’ in the same year is special – since we’ve never done that before,” Maddox said.
“Our kids battled for every second, every foot, and every inch in every event. We had a lot of personal bests, even from some kids who didn’t win or qualify for the state. All you can ask for at this time of the year is their best. And we got that.”
Crawford will attempt to repeat as state decathlon champion next Wednesday and Thursday in Knoxville before the team competition in 10 days.
HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
UC 14, Ripley 10
Ripley 6, UC 3
The Lady Tornadoes (13-10) rebounded from a tough 6-3 Game 1 loss vs. Ripley to beat the regular-season league champions for the second time in their last three meetings and make history.
“How you bounce back from adversity truly shows what you are as a team, and we answered the bell – both from that first game today and from the rough patch we had early in the year,” said UC head coach Stevie Gossett, whose team has gone 12-4 since a tough 1-6 start. “It was awesome to see the fight in these girls.”
The title-clinching win resembled the Lady Tornadoes’ semifinal victory over Ripley four nights earlier. Union City worked 14 walks from a trio of Lady Tiger pitchers – creating constant traffic on the base paths – and came up with a handful of timely hits to build a big lead, fight off a rally, and finally put away the host team.
Mattie Smith, one of three seniors on the team, was a true warrior for the Twister girls.
Smith went 4-for-5 with six RBIs, twice lacing doubles that brought home multiple runs in big innings. She also re-entered the game in the circle in the third frame after Addison Carr got four outs, and worked the last 5 2/3 frames, several times escaping trouble spots after Ripley had closed the gap and shaking off a line drive that hit her squarely on the knee.
Kylee McClure went 2-for-4 and scored four runs to serve as a perfect table-setter atop the UC lineup. Hadley Smith and Averi Riley each drove in a pair of runs, while Carr tallied three times. Maddie Steward and Kylie Mayes scored twice apiece for the winners.
Eight of the nine batters in the Lady Tornado order collected at least one hit.
Union City got off the deck after suffering a bitter defeat in Game 1 when JaHailey Bonds cracked a 3-run homer – her second of the game – in the top of the seventh that broke a 3-all tie.
“The grit of everybody – from our players to our coaches – was just absolutely fantastic,” insisted Gossett, who won his first district championship in five seasons with the program.
The Lady Tornadoes led 3-2 from the third inning until the fifth when Ripley knotted the count.
McClure went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored, while Mattie Smith drove in a pair of runs. Hadley Smith had two hits in three at-bats, and Carr stroked a double, scored, and had an RBI.
Mattie Smith, who threw 193 pitches in the two games, went the distance in the circle.
Several Lady Tornadoes were recognized in postgame ceremonies, with Carr, McClure, Mattie Smith, and Annalece Morton chosen for the all-tournament team. Smith, Carr, Mayes, and McClure earned all-district honors for their regular-season play, while Carr earned a spot on the all-academic squad.