Thornton follows Maryville signing with record achievement

Last Friday, Cocke County senior Mariah Thornton signed with Maryville College to continue her hurdling career after high school.

After signing, she admitted that there was one goal she still wanted to accomplish before wrapping up her CCHS career: to break the school record in the 100-meter hurdle time, which stood at 18 seconds exactly.

On Thursday night, a mere six days after her signing, Thornton accomplished exactly that with a time of 17.84, as confirmed by MileSplit and CCHS coach Daniel Dudley.

In the process, she overtook a record that has stood for more than a decade.

“In typical Mariah fashion, she was very excited and ecstatic,” said Dudley. “She’s a pretty excitable young lady, and she has worked really hard with a lot of hours at her job and a heavy academic load too.”

The feat allowed Thornton to put a bow on her Cocke County career, one that she will look to parlay into success at the next level.

“I don’t think she has reached her full potential,” said Dudley. “She’s just now started picking up on step patterns, and with her consistently focusing on it and getting in a strength program, I think that will be huge for her. Those things pay huge dividends, and getting her in that collegiate atmosphere will be big.”

Along those same lines, Dudley — a Maryville College alum — referred to Thornton as a “diamond in the rough.”

“To see the process of her maturing, it’s been really neat to see,” he added.

And Thornton’s maturation began before she was even on a track team.

Since she was in elementary school at Newport Grammar, Thornton has always possessed a love for running.

“I loved when we did the pace test and the mile run and everything,” she said.

There was just one problem: NGS did not offer it.

“But my gym coach told me to look into track and field when I got to high school,” Thornton said. “So I had it set that I would do it.”

Her freshman year, Thornton did the 100- and 200-meter sprints, along with relays.

But when Thornton was going into her sophomore year, Dudley pulled her aside at practice.

“We needed hurdlers,” he said plainly, “and I asked her to try it.”

So Thornton began working with Shelley Hammonds, who works with that group on the team.

“And she was just a natural,” said Dudley, who was quick to thank Hammonds for her part in Thornton’s success.

Fast-forward two years, and Thornton has been locked in on hurdles each season, tossing in some relay work and middle distance as needed.

“These last two years, she has been really dialed in, focused, and has taken care of her body and done the little things right,” said Dudley. “It’s been pretty impressive.”

As he alluded with Thornton’s potential, she has only recently figured out the different patterns that can be used for the hurdling events.

But she has also developed more confidence, which is an essential part of an activity that requires focus and timing — like knowing how hard to push on a 100-meter hurdle event as compared to a 300-meter event.

“I like the jumping, and it’s just something I do on my own,” said Thornton. “It’s more of a rush, rather than the sprints. I feel like there’s so much that goes into it that people don’t notice. You have to track the steps you’re taking, like a five step, a three step, and whichever step you’re doing impacts which leg you jump off of.

“Most people are scared of it in a way. And don’t get me wrong, I’m scared of falling, but I’m confident l make it over. It’s exciting, and gives that rush of adrenaline.”

Thornton has brought a similar analysis to her college choice, choosing Maryville over her previous pick of Milligan.

“I was first looking at Milligan, but it wasn’t the fit for me,” said Thornton, who mentioned that she felt she connected better with Maryville.

Everything lined up for Thornton, from Maryville’s campus being merely 15 minutes from a relative’s home to the school allowing pets in dormitories — meaning Thornton can bring her cat, Spooky, with her.

There were other factors, of course, as she connected with the Maryville staff during Cocke County’s preseason meet at Vanderbilt’s indoor facility in Nashville.

“I got to talk with them and met their sprints coach, who was a D1 athlete for hurdles,” said Thornton. “They were also really laid back. I mean, we were singing Lady Gaga together after I ran.”

That vibe helped set the tone, as Thornton felt comfortable with the school, campus and her new coaches throughout her recruitment process.

She will be one of two female hurdlers coming into the Scots’ track program, taking the next step in a journey filled with long hours and worthy payoffs.

“You root for a kid that works as hard as she does,” said Dudley. “And she’s always got such a positive and bright outlook on life.”