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Jack Bowen '24 & Hugh Carlson '23 running in the McCallie Invitational

Blue Tornado Cross Country

 

McCallie's Cross Country program was officially established in 1954, and the team has a 70-year history of success, winning at the Mid-South level in the 1950s and 1960s and in the current era of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association. Early yearbook photos from 90 years ago depict young McCallie distance runners competing in local races.

McCallie won the 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 TSSAA Division II-AA State Championships, the first state program to win five consecutive titles. The 2023 squad was led at the state meet by three All-State runners - junior Jack Bowen, who raced to a second-place finish, and seniors Evan Simpson and Grady Outlaw, who placed seventh and 13th, respectively.

The 2022 team had six All-State runners, led by Bowen, who ran to a second-place finish. Senior Hugh Carlson finished third, followed by Simpson (sixth), Outlaw (11th), Harry Carter (12th), and Nate Armstrong (12th). McCallie tallied 34 points, and McCallie’s top five runners had the fastest average time of 15:47 among all divisions on the rolling 5K Sanders Ferry Course. The 2022 team placed third at Nike Regionals and finished the season ranked 17th in the nation.

McCallie has had 78 All-State Cross Country runners. Since 2001, the Blue Tornado have won 10 team TSSAA state titles (2001, 2005, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023) and been runner-up seven times. The 2018 team was state runners-up, with five athletes earning All-State honors. Mike Wood led the program as the head coach since 2001 before turning over the reins to top assistant Rodney Stoker in November 2023. Coach Wood was named the National Federation of State High School Association’s Tennessee Coach of the Year in 2008 and the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Association Coach of the Year for Tennessee in 2021.

Blue Tornado runners have captured the Chattanooga Area Championship in the last nine seasons and 15 of the past 18 years. McCallie has never had a losing season in dual meets.

McCallie cross country team posing with their state championship trophy

 

Dylan Carmack '15 won the 2014 TSSAA Division II-AA Individual Cross Country State Championship and went on to set school records for Davidson College.

McCallie distance runners have been highly coveted by college programs through the years. Blue Tornado standouts have continued their running careers at schools such as Yale, Cornell, Virginia, Georgia Tech, Davidson, Williams, Samford, Tennessee, Alabama, Ole Miss, Sewanee, Wyoming, East Tennessee State, Washington & Lee, Bryan, and Millsaps.

We are fortunate to have a 70 year tradition of winning Cross Country at McCallie and tremendous support from the school community. We have five experienced coaches who work with the upper school athletes and three in the middle school. Our team has boys who are very fast and some who are not as fast, but each boy receives individual attention and the opportunity to improve as runners and matures as young men and achieve our goal of having fun. 
Coach mike wood

Program Offerings

  • Middle School
  • Upper School JV
  • Upper School Varsity
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Cross Country Alumni in College

McCallie alumni continue to pursue their athletic careers at multiple colleges and universities across the country and nationally. McCallie distance runners have been coveted by college programs and multiple athletes have continued their running careers into college. 

 

McCallie Cross Country changed my life. I didn't run before attending McCallie, but I've been a part of four state championship teams nad I will be running for a D1 program next year.
Carlson '23 

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