Central Magnet wins First Tennessee All Sports Award

Central Magnet athletes Claudia Smith and McKenzie Jackson accept the First Tennessee All Sports Award from First Tennessee vice president John Allen on Friday.

Central Magnet athletes Claudia Smith and Sophie Fielder hold the First Tennessee All Sports Award presented Friday.

MURFREESBORO – Central Magnet showed it is more than a school for high academics this past school year.

The fifth-year Rutherford County high school won The Daily News Journal’s second annual First Tennessee All Sports Award, which is awarded to The DNJ’s area high school that has the best school year of athletics.

Central Magnet won with 153 points — nine more than last year’s inaugural winner Siegel. Central Magnet was second to Siegel in 2014.

“We’re not just a bunch of nerds,” said Central Magnet junior Zavior Phillips, who was The DNJ’s 2015 Boys Soccer Player of the Year. “We also can play sports too.”

The award began a year ago as a way to honor the school that has the best overall athletic school year. A point system was developed by The DNJ.

A trophy will remain with Central Magnet during the school year, honoring the school’s achievement with its name engraved.

“This is just awesome to see that,” said John Allen, First Tennessee Bank vice president of community banking, of Central Magnet’s achievement. First Tennessee is the title sponsor. “We are just happy to be a part of it.

“To see these student athletes work hard in the classroom and on the athletic field is just awesome.”

Teams receive points for their achievements in all TSSAA-sanctioned sports along with swimming.

In the majority of sports, teams are awarded points to where they finish in their district during the regular season. In cross country, swimming and track and field, the respective county meet is used to award points. The district tournament is used to determine points in golf. In wrestling, teams receive a point for each athlete who qualifies for the state tournament.

A team receives five bonus points by reaching the state tournament. Ten bonus points are awarded for a team sports championship, while five are given for an individual state title.

Central Magnet’s victory came despite not offering football or wrestling.

“We’re down two sports, and we still contend with these bigger schools like Siegel and Blackman,” said Central Magnet baseball player McKenzie Jackson said. “We’ve been in the running for this both years.”

Central Magnet Principal John Ash boasted about his school’s strong academics. The school averaged a 29.3 on the ACT. The seniors on the school’s girls basketball team averaged a 31 on the ACT.

“We want to turn out well-rounded young people,” Ash said. “I think the greatest thing about these kids isn’t necessarily their athletics or their academics, it’s their character. They are such good quality people.

“But we want them to be good, whether it’s chess, robotics or baseball. We want to be good in everything. I think these kids reach any goal they set for themselves.”

Central Magnet trailed Siegel by 11 points entering the TSSAA’s Spring Fling. However, the school’s girls track and field team recorded four individual state titles to overtake the defending champion.

“I was confident going in (to Spring Fling),” said Central Magnet two-sport athlete Claudia Smith, who anchored the Lady Tigers’ 4×800-meter relay state championship team. “I knew Taylor (Cuneo) was going to do well. We were just focused on finishing strong that last day.”

Cuneo, a freshman, won three state track titles and a cross country championship in the fall for the school

Central Magnet’s boys and girls cross country teams, baseball team and boys soccer team all advanced to their respective state tournaments.

“We already have a reputation for academics,” Smith said. “To be able to be recognized with all of the other schools in the county is really cool.”

Contact Tom Kreager at 615-278-5168 or tkreager@dnj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kreager.

FINAL STANDINGS

Central Magnet edged defending winner Siegel to receiv the First Tennessee All Sports Award.