Knoxville Catholic High School cross country runners and golfers competed at the state level this fall.
Junior Keegan Smith finished third in the Division II, Class AA boys 5K run in the state meet Nov. 2-3 at Sanders Ferry Park in Hendersonville. Keegan’s time was 15 minutes, 2.24 seconds.
KCHS sophomore runner Radek Molchan finished fifth in the state meet in 15:19.32. Junior Tony Ortega placed 32nd for the Fighting Irish. Teammate Gonzalo Vela, a junior, was 37th. Sophomore Emerion Woldemichael was 39th, freshman Cade Duncanson 40th, and freshman Tom Namey 48th.
Keegan, Radek, Tony, Gonzalo, and Emerion, as KCHS’s top-five runners, gave the Fighting Irish 116 team points, good for a fifth-place finish in the state meet.
For the Lady Irish cross country team, junior Eileen Loebner was the top finisher in the state 5K meet, coming in 36th. Also placing for the KCHS girls were sophomore Brianna Cisneros in 41st and sophomore Elizabeth Wolski in 49th. Other Lady Irish finishers were freshman Juliet Biden, sophomore Audrey Erwin, sophomore Jillian Barry, and sophomore Placey Thompson.
The Lady Irish finished 11th in the team standings with 318 points.
Lady Irish golfers (from left) Teagan Walker, Linzy Johnson, and Victoria Tampas. (Courtesy Pam Rhoades)
Knoxville Catholic’s girls golf team placed third in the Division II-AA state tournament Oct. 9-10 on the Highland Course at Sevierville Golf Club. The Lady Irish shot 158 in round one and 165 in round two for a two-day total of 43-over-par 323.
Freshman Teagan Walker of the Lady Irish placed 11th in the individual standings with a two-day total of 17-over 75-82—157. Senior Victoria Tampas of KCHS tied for 16th with a pair of 83s for a 166 score. Teammate Linzy Johnson, a freshman, scored 89-94—183 to finish 21st.
Teagan scored a 2 on the par-3 13th hole in round one. She also birdied the par-4 10th in round two. Victoria birdied the first two holes in round one, starting with a par-5 opening hole and a par-4 second, and birdied the 10th in round two.
KCHS boys golf junior Grant Odom finished tied for 21st in the state tournament with a total of 76-75—151, good for 7-over par on the River Course at Sevierville Golf Club. Grant birdied the par-3 fourth hole and the par-4 fifth in round one. He also shot a 4 on the par-5 third hole and birdied the fifth again in round two.
