State champions Keegan Smith in cross country and track and Lillie Murphy in tennis are among 10 who commit
By Dan McWilliams
Ten students from Knoxville Catholic High School officially committed their athletic futures to colleges and universities at a National Signing Day event on Nov. 13 in the St. Gregory the Great Auditorium.
Amaya Redd had plenty of company on hand, including (seated) brother Amare Redd and mother Tiffany Williams, as she signed with Tennessee Tech in basketball. (Photo Dr. Kelly Kearse)
Two student-athletes who have earned individual state championships and who have been part of team state-title winners were among the signees. Keegan Smith signed in cross country and in indoor and outdoor track and field with the University of Colorado, and tennis player Lillie Murphy signed with Furman University.
Also signing were Amaya Redd in basketball with Tennessee Tech, Karenna Thurman in tennis with Centre College, Alex Mendillo in volleyball with Belmont University, Kameron Mayfield in lacrosse with the University of the Cumberlands, Natalie Stobb in soccer with Belmont Abbey College, Cooper Williamson in baseball with Charleston Southern University, Nick Turner in baseball with Johnson University, and Tinsley Walker in basketball with Maryville College.
Family members, friends, and coaches joined the students, who also took the microphone and spoke to the audience before posing for a group photo and then signing the official papers as their parents looked on. Athletics director Jason Surlas welcomed the gathering to the signing.
Keegan recently became the first two-time cross country individual state champion for Knoxville Catholic, winning the crown as a senior after capturing top honors in his freshman season. He also helped the Fighting Irish to a team state title, the third in school history. Earlier in the fall, Keegan won his fourth straight Knoxville Interscholastic League championship.
Each Irish athlete who signed, including Cooper Williamson (above), addressed the audience in the KCHS auditorium. (Photo Dr. Kelly Kearse)
Keegan is a two-time Gatorade player of the year and has won eight cross country and indoor and outdoor track state championships. He has been named all-American four times and all-state 11 times, and he holds four national records for high school freshmen in the 3,000-meter outdoor, 2-mile outdoor, 1,500 indoor, and 1-mile indoor.
He finished sixth in the Nike Cross Nationals on Dec. 7 in Portland, Ore., which earned him first-team All-American honors. Keegan ran again Dec. 14 in the Foot Locker Cross Country National Championships on Dec. 14 in San Diego.
Seeing National Signing Day arrive was “just a blessing,” Keegan said.
“I mean, honestly, I thank God so much for giving me all these gifts and talents,” he said. “I go out there every single day running to glorify Him. I go with the motto of ‘audience of one.’ As long as I go out there and glorify Him, days like this become all the more special.”
Keegan’s parents, Deacon Sean and Melissa Smith of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Lenoir City, joined him for the signing as did many of Keegan’s coaches and teammates as well as priests and other “close family friends who have been working with my parents or whom we’ve met over the years—people who are really there for me in my running. They go to meets. They support me on and off the track.”
Keegan also had “honorary grandparents” present for the signing.
“I like to say that family is not determined by genes. It’s determined by the building and maintaining of love, and every single one of these people love me incredibly, and I love them back,” he said.
KCHS state champ Keegan Smith signed in cross country and in indoor and outdoor track and field with the University of Colorado alongside parents Deacon Sean and Melissa Smith. (Photo Dr. Kelly Kearse)
Choosing Colorado was love at first sight, and the seed for his selection was planted several years ago, Keegan said.
“I saw it in seventh grade, and I’ve loved it ever since then,” he said. “Running out there is beautiful—I feel free, and I’m in God’s creation in the beautiful mountains. It’s been No. 1 in my heart since the beginning.”
Knoxville Catholic prepared him for his collegiate career in more ways than one, Keegan said.
“Catholic High teaches student-athletes to not only be good athletes but also good students,” he said. “In everything that we do, we excel to glorify God. Especially here, the atmosphere and environment that teachers and coaches surround you with is one of praise but also one of immense support, so I’m super thankful for them.”
Keegan also offered his gratitude to Fighting Irish cross country and track-and-field head coach Sean O’Neil, KCHS assistant coach Mike Spooner, former Irish assistant coach Erin Chady, KCHS sprint coach Shane Begnaud, Knoxville Youth Athletics coach Brent Smith, his private coach and 2000 Sydney Olympian, Tony Cosey, longtime AAU track-and-field president Charles Oliver, and New Balance sprint recruiting director “Auntie” Madge Anderson—“so many coaches and people who have influenced my career and life inside and outside of running,” he said.
Lillie won her first singles state championship last spring as a junior and was part of the Lady Irish’s fourth consecutive team state title and sixth overall. She also combined with Eleni Liakonis to win consecutive doubles state titles in 2022-23.
Signing day was “a long time coming,” Lillie said.
“I’ve been committed since January, so I’ve been ready,” she said. “I’m really excited. It’s been a lot of hard work, a lot of sacrifice. It’s great to see the result pay off.”
Alex Mendillo signs with Belmont University in volleyball as her parents, Kate and TJ Mendillo, look on. (Photo Dr. Kelly Kearse)
The choice of Furman came down to “the mix of the academic aspect as well as the coaching staff and teammates—it’s just a great environment on the team and the entire school overall,” Lillie added.
Knoxville Catholic readied her well for the next stage of her athletic career, as did Lady Irish tennis head coach Rusty Morris and her personal coach, Dave Thornton, Lillie said.
“I think Catholic prepares you great: how to go into the world, how to hold yourself, how to carry yourself. And then academically, I think they’ve done a great job teaching,” she said.
“The Catholic tennis team, the coaches, Rusty and then my coach, Dave—they’ve both prepared me well in the tennis aspect, so overall they’ve done a great job. I feel ready. Dave has been my coach for about 10 or 11 years at Knoxville Racquet Club.”
Parents Paul and Whitney Murphy and Lillie’s sister and teammate, Lauren, of Sacred Heart Parish in Knoxville joined her for the signing.
Karenna has also been a part of the Lady Irish’s tennis team state champions, and Cooper and Nick were on the 2023 KCHS baseball state-title team. Amaya won consecutive state titles in 2023-24 with the Lady Irish basketball team, which captured the crowns each year on Tennessee Tech’s home court, where she will be playing in college.
