Blue Tornado Cross Country

McCallie won the 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 TSSAA Division II-AA State Championships, becoming the first state program to win five consecutive titles. At the 2024 state meet, the Blue Tornado and Knoxville Catholic tied in the final team point total, but the Fighting Irish took the title on a tiebreaker procedure.

The 2024 season was the first under newly-named head coach Rodney Stoker, who took the reins from longtime head coach Mike Wood. The program continued its success and winning ways. Senior Jack Bowen, the state's individual runner up, was the winner at the prestigious XC Town Twilight meet in Indiana, setting a school record in the process and leading the Blue Tornado to an eighth-place team finish against a national field. He was invited to the Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego, running to a 25th-place time among 40 of the nation’s top runners.

Last fall, the Blue Tornado earned team titles at the Chickasaw Trails and Randolph Invitationals in Alabama, and were team champions for the 10th consecutive year at the Front Runner Area Championship.

The 2023 state champion squad was led by three All-State runners - Bowen, who raced to a second-place finish, Evan Simpson and Grady Outlaw. The 2022 team had six All-State runners. Bowen was joined by Hugh Carlson, Evan Simpson, Outlaw, Harry Carter, and Nate Armstrong. The 2022 team placed third at Nike Regionals and finished the season ranked 17th in the nation.

McCallie has had 81 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 eight 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 10 seasons and 16 of the past 19 years. McCallie has never had a losing season in dual meets.

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.