Senior student-athletes at Tennessee high schools are balancing hope with uncertainty when it comes to closure on an important chapter of their lives.
Earlier this week, the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association’s Board of Control unanimously approved continuing the suspension of postseason basketball, which maintains the possibility of awarding state championships for public school boys’ and girls’ programs this year. The TSSAA also is open to having the Spring Fling – where state titles are decided for baseball, soccer, softball, tennis and track and field- in early June instead of late May as usual.
Arts & Sciences track standout Brevin Sims, a nine-time state champion who has never lost a race with a state title on the line, isn’t giving up on the chance for more high school accomplishments before beginning his college track career at Syracuse.
“I am continuing to wake up every day and give 110% in practice without knowing if I am going to get a chance to display all my hard work,” Sims said. “Knowing that I might not get a chance to accomplish some of my goals is discouraging but also has taught me to not take any accomplishment for granted and embrace all that I have accomplished up to this point.”
Sims recently became the first athlete to win the 60-meter hurdles title four years in a row at Tennessee’s high school state meet for indoor track, which is not sanctioned by the TSSAA. His time of 7.76 seconds broke the meet record he already held and is the fastest indoors in that event for a high school athlete in the nation this season.