MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – After helping Cleveland’s Lady Blue Raiders to their first relay state title last year, Janisa Ryan found herself in a new position during Thursday’s TSSAA Class AAA track and field meet at Middle Tennessee State University.
Ryan stepped into a leadership role for the 2022 season as the junior speedster was the lone returner from the 4×100-meter title team, which included her older sister Janay. Ryan ended her time at this week’s Spring Fling having climbed the all-state podium three times, helping lead the 4×100 team to a third-place finish in 48.57 seconds while also being part of a fourth-place finish in the 4×400 and taking eighth as an individual in the 100-meter dash.
Cleveland coach Lonnie White was pleased with Ryan’s performance and the one by senior Katie Moore, who improved her ninth-place seeding in discus to a fourth-place finish with a throw of 107 feet, 7 inches despite fighting against nasty, wet weather. There were several delays at the meet, which included nearly a two-hour wait on the bus for Cleveland athletes.
“The weather was awful early in the meet, and it was slowing a lot of the jumpers down among other athletes,” White said. “Katie had to battle the weather early and really had a strong finish in the discus. Janisa was our leader today. She comes from a really great track family, and she helped lead a really young group who will be back strong next year.”
Walker Valley sophomore Liz Lannom tied for third in the high jump at 5-2 – she was also all-state in the 100-meter hurdles, placing eighth – and Ooltewah’s Sabrina Oostberg took sixth in the shot put at 35-6 1/2.
Ooltewah’s Chance Underwood set a school record with his time of 4:21 while finishing fifth in the 1600, and Cleveland’s Ryan Lovelace finished sixth in the 800 (1:58) and 1600 (4:22).
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @PMacCoon.