TSSAA state tournament: Jackson area top performers
The TSSAA spring tournaments are here, and West Tennessee’s best are taking aim for a state championship.
Here are top performers throughout the week at the 2024 TSSAA spring state tournament.
NOTE: This story will be updated throughout the week.
Friday
Softball
Natalie Kreuziger, Huntingdon: Kreuziger pitched her fourth and final game of the tournament, allowing one run on one hit in the Fillies' 1-0 loss to Liberty Creek in the Class 2A state championship game.
Baseball
Silas Sharp, Huntingdon: Sharp drove in two runs in the sixth inning of the Class 2A championship game against Loretto to pull the Mustangs to within a run. However, the Mustangs' rally fell short in a 4-3 loss.
Tennis
Jack Veazey, Jackson Christian: Veazey won the DII-A tennis singles championship, beating his opponent, 6-0, 6-2.
Preston Miller and Jack Wilkerson, USJ: The Bruin duo won a second straight DII-A state championship, beating their teammates Andrew Lawrence and Tristian Scallion in the final.
Thursday
Softball
Madison Holder, Bruceton: Holder hit a walk-off, two-run home run in a Class 1A semifinal elimination game against Jo Burns.
Katie Beth Caldwell, Dyer County: Caldwell drove in two runs and had two hits in two Class 3A semifinal elimination game victories against Lexington and Knoxville Carter.
Natalie Kreuziger, Huntingdon: Kreuziger pitched a two-hit complete game with eight strikeouts to help guide the Fillies to their first state championship appearance in school history.
Josie Stokes, Huntingdon: Stokes had two RBIs on two hits to help the Fillies defeat Riverside in a Class 2A semifinal game and advance to the state championship.
Emerson Fair, USJ: Fair threw 238 pitches in two elimination games, 144 of them were strikes as she had 11 strikeouts in the two complete game efforts.
Taylar Shands, USJ: Shands hit a two-run triple in the Bruins' Division II-A semifinal game against Lakeway Christian and two doubles, including a first-inning two-run double in the state championship game against Silverdale.
Sarah Beth Byars, Westview: Byars had three hits and a RBI in the Chargers' Class 2A elimination game against Alcoa and added another hit and two RBIs in the first semifinal game against Liberty Creek.
McCall Sims, Westview: Sims racked up 25 strikeouts in three complete games on Thursday against Alcoa and Liberty Creek.
Baseball
Gray Eubanks, Huntingdon: Eubanks hit a two-run home run as part of a five-RBI game in the Class 2A semifinals against Riverside.
Braylon Rich, Huntingdon: Rich hit a third-inning grand slam against Riverside in the Class 2A semifinals and totaled six RBIs to put the Mustangs in the state championship game for the first time since 2008.
Track
Kaleb Williams, TCA: Williams won the Division II-A 400-meter dash with a time of 48.92 and set a new school record. He was also part of the state champion 800-meter relay team.
Owen Atwood, Zane Atwood, Brayden Waller, TCA: Along with Kaleb Williams, the Lions won a state championship in the 800-meter relay with a time of 1:28.95, a new school record.
Wednesday
Softball
Madison Holder, Bruceton: Holder racked up 10 strikeouts for the Tigers in their Class 1A win over South Fulton.
Anna Kee, Bruceton: Kee delivered a pinch-hit, two-run, walk off double for the Tigers in their Class 1A losers bracket game against South Fulton.
Natalie Kreuziger, Huntingdon: Kreuziger struck out 16 batters in the Fillies' 2-0 win over Meigs County in the Class 2A winners bracket.
Lilly Wortham, Huntingdon: Wortham knocked around two hits and drove in a run for the Fillies.
Lauren Ruehl, Riverside: Ruehl struck out nine batters in the Panthers' 3-2 win over Westmoreland in the Class 2A losers bracket.
Addie Roberts, Westview: Roberts hit a three-run home run and totaled five RBIs for the Chargers in their win over Cheatham County.
McCall Sims, Westview: Sims had four hits and scored three times in the Chargers' 9-2 win over Cheatham County in the Class 2A losers bracket. Sims also had nine strikeouts in a complete game effort.
Baseball
Gray Eubanks, Huntingdon: Eubanks hit a three-run home run to help guide the Mustangs to an 8-1 win over Riverside in the Class 2A winners bracket.
Braylon Rich, Huntingdon: Rich drove in three runs on two hits, including a double, in the Mustangs' win over Riverside.
Jake Cassidy, McKenzie: Cassidy drove in three runs with two hits, including a double, in the Rebels' 7-4 win over Gordonsville in the Class 1A losers bracket. Cassidy also picked up the win on the mound and struck out six in a complete game.
Tate Surber, McKenzie: Surber knocked around three hits, including a double, in the Rebels' win over Gordonsville.
Braidan Gonzales, Milan: Gonzales drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh to lead the Bulldogs to a 6-5 win over White House Carriage in the Class 2A losers bracket.
Tuesday
Softball
Natalie Kreuziger, Huntingdon: Kreuziger struck out 17 batters in a two-hit, 2-0 victory over Westmoreland in the Class 2A quarterfinals.
Shay Hollingsworth, Lexington: Hollingsworth had the Tigers’ lone RBI in the Tigers’ win over Dyersburg County.
KK Simko, Lexington: Simko knocked around two hits to help the Tigers to a 1-0 win over Dyersburg County in the Class 3A quarterfinals.
Taylar Shands, USJ: Shands hit a two-run home run in the Bruins’ 9-7 win over Knoxville Grace in the Division II-A quarterfinals.
McCall Sims, Westview: Sims struck out 11 batters but took a 3-0 loss to Liberty Creek in the Class 2A quarterfinals.
Baseball
Jon David Binkley, Dyer County: Binkley had three RBIs in an 11-1 win over White House in the Class 3A quarterfinals.
Kole Fenton, Dyer County: Fenton had three hits, including two doubles in Dyer County’s 11-1 win over White House.
Brady Warbritton, Huntingdon: Warbritton had three RBIs in the Mustangs’ 5-1 win over Smith County in the Class 2A quarterfinals.
Cary Allen Burke, Milan: Burke totaled three RBIs and three hits in the Bulldogs’ 11-0 win over Alcoa.
Rye Maxwell, Milan: Maxwell recorded three RBIs with two hits in the Bulldogs’ win over 11-0.
Stone Wallace, Riverside: Wallace threw a complete game with 13 strikeouts in the Panthers’ 5-3 win over Sweetwater in the Class 2A quarterfinals.
Cade Allen, South Gibson: Allen struck out 10 in a three-hit complete game as the Hornets beat Staton Camp. 5-1, in the Class 3A quarterfinals.
Boys tennis
Preston Miller, USJ: Miller won both of his matches, singles and doubles, to help USJ defeat Middle Tennessee Christian School and advance to Wednesday’s championship match. Miller won his singles match, 6-1, 6-1.
Jack Wilkerson, USJ: Partnered with Preston Miller in doubles, Wilkerson won both of his matches, as well, winning his singles match, 6-2, 6-2, and winning the doubles match, 8-2.
Girls tennis
Madeline Craig, USJ: Craig swept her match, winning 6-0, 6-0, to help USJ sweep over Christian Academy of Knoxville and advance to the Division II-A championship match.
Boys track
Pete Douglas, Camden Central: Douglas finished second in the Class 1A state finals of the 3,200-meter run with a time of 10:12.05.
Tavon Benton, Haywood: Benton finished third in the Class 2A high jump with a mark of 6-feet, 2-inches.
Ja’Den Lee, Ripley: Lee won the Class 2A state championship in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.04, winning the race by three-hundredths of a second. He also finished second in the 200 with a time of 21.95.
Keaton Brown, Union City: Brown won a Class 1A state championship in the discus with a throw of 146-feet, 2-inches. Brown also finished third in the Class 1A shot put with a throw of 43-feet, 8-inches.
Adrian Crawford, Union City: Crawford won the Class 1A state championship in triple jump with a mark of 44-feet, two inches. He also won the state championship in high jump with a jump of 6-4 and finished second in the decathlon with a total of 5,590.
Kameron Shade, Union City: Shade finished third in the Class 1A state finals of the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.23 and second in the 200 with a time of 22.44.
Jack Mantooth, Westview: Mantooth finished third in the Class 1A state finals of the 3,200-meter run in 10:13.48.
Girls track
Alana Perkins, Haywood: Perkins finished third in the Class 2A discus throw state finals with a throw of 123-feet, 3-inches.
Camarya Woodland, Haywood: Woodland finished in a tie for second in the Class 2A high jump with a mark of 5-feet, 2-inches.
Ximena Acosta, Madison: Acosta finished second in the Class 1A state championship of the 800-meter run with a time of 2:27.62.
Lola Greenway, Madison: Greenway finished third in the Class 1A state championship 400-meter dash with a time of 58.53.
Kyla Hawkins, Madison: Hawkins finished third in the Class 1A pole vault state championship it’s a final mark of 9-feet.
Raven Milan, Milan: Milan won the Class 1A long jump state championship with a jump of 16-feet, 11.75-inches.
Debrionna Jones, Union City: Jones finished second in the Class 1A shot put state championship with a throw of 34-11.75 and third in the discus throw with a mark of 106-02.
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Soccer
Damien Mayo, Chester County: Mayo made five saves in a 3-2 extra time loss to Millington in the Class 2A quarterfinals.
Jossemar Marcos, Madison: Marcos scored the game-winning goal with 4:11 left in the Mustangs' Class 1A quarterfinal win over Westview.
Austin Willett, Madison: Willett scored a key first goal in the opening seconds of the second half in the Mustangs' Class 1A quarterfinal win over Westview.
Gabirel Gilliam, Westview: Gilliam made seven saves, including several dramatic saves, in a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Madison in the Class 1A state quarterfinals.
Austin Chastain is a high school sports writer covering West Tennessee. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ChastainAJ and reach out via email at achastain@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: Jackson area top performers at TSSAA state tournament
