McKenzie Ethridge
Signal MountainPersonal records set in last week’s sectionals100 meters 11.87200 meters 24.64Two-time state champion in both the 100 meters and 200 meters.Also anchored state champion sprint relays in the 4x100, 4x200Helped Signal Mountain win team state titles each of the past two seasons.LaQuisha JacksonHowardBroke a 30-year old 100 meters state record in 2010 with a time of 11.46Broke a 32-year old 200 meters state record in 2010 with a time of 23.86Also anchored state champion 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams in 2010.Owns won nine state championships despite being unable to compete as a senior due to a hip injury.Never lost an individual sprint race in her career
Once McKenzie Ethridge crosses the finish line of the 100- and 200-meter dashes at today's Spring Fling track and field championships, the only thing certain is that the state record holder for the fastest female high school sprinter will be from Chattanooga.
Whether those records continue to belong to former Howard star and All-American LaQuisha Jackson or are set by Ethridge is all up to how well the Signal Mountain senior performs this evening.
"The whole goal of the whole season is to break those records," Ethridge said. "I never count out anybody else that I'm running against, but to be honest I'm not looking around me; my eyes are focused on that clock.
"I feel like I'm just racing against LaQuisha."
Ethridge has won two of the past three state titles in both the 100 and 200, with a foot injury her sophomore season preventing her from likely adding to her collection.
After moving to Chattanooga from Mississippi during middle school, Ethridge began to compete in AAU track and idolized Jackson, who ran for the same Chattanooga Jets summer program, won nine state titles, never lost an individual sprint race and, as a sophomore, broke a pair of 30-year-old state records.
Ethridge announced her arrival on the state's biggest stage in similar fashion to her role model by winning both sprint events and anchoring the state champion 4x200 relay her freshman season.
Since then she has steadily closed in on Jackson's records (11.46 seconds in the 100, 23.86 in the 200) and her times in last week's state qualifying meet (11.87 and 24.64) were so much faster than the rest of the field that her only true competition would seem to be the state marks set six years ago.
It's the closest anyone has been to Jackson's times since she set the records, and Ethridge believes the adrenaline from the huge crowd that attends the Spring Fling and a loaded field of fast competition could be the combination she needs to break at least one record.
She has even limited the amount of relay work she'll put in, dropping the 4x200 from the events she'll compete in today in hopes of remaining rested for her charge on the records.
"The 100 is the one I'm really focusing on," Ethridge said. "Her 200 time, I don't want to say it's impossible to get, but it's going to be pretty tough."
Noted as one of the best out-of-the-blocks starters in the state, Ethridge has helped the Lady Eagles win back-to-back team state titles and is a key reason they are favored to make it a three-peat today.
"She's so good at the start and so strong in the back half of both sprints, it makes her really tough," Signal Mountain coach Dustin Carpenter said. "She'll need to run her best, obviously, but I think she'll have a good shot to get at least one of them. She's the type who rises to the occasion. She's not afraid of a challenge."
Ethridge has signed with Mississippi State and said she hopes to finally race head-to-head against Jackson in a college meet next season. In what looks to be an All-Southeastern Conference season this spring for the University of Missouri, Jackson has helped both the 4x400 and 4x100 relay teams break school records and is racing to qualify for the NCAA meet this weekend in the 100 and 200.
"I know every record is meant to be broken, so I would just tell McKenzie good luck and go for it," Jackson said. "I want the best for her because I know she's a hard worker.
"It would be nice to hold on to at least one of my records for a little while longer, but I remember how excited I was to break those records, and if anyone is going to get it, I hope it's another Chattanooga sprinter like her."
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.