WCHS Athlete of the Week

Emma Woodlee has already established herself as one of the most accomplished cross country runners in Warren County High School history, but the Lady Pioneer junior isn't finished chasing milestones just yet.

Woodlee secured her third consecutive trip to the TSSAA State Cross Country Championships with a career-best performance at the Section 4-3A meet on Oct. 26 at WCHS, earning recognition as the Main Street Journal's Reddick Brown Ford WCHS Athlete of the Week for Oct. 25-31. It marks her second time receiving the weekly honor this season.

The Warren County standout finished third overall at sectionals, completing the 5K race in a personal-best 19 minutes, 55.34 seconds and securing another opportunity to compete against Tennessee's best.

Woodlee remains the only Lady Pioneer in school history to qualify for the state cross country championships, an accomplishment she has now achieved in each of her first three high school seasons.

Her latest qualification came after an impressive regular season that included individual victories at the Coffee County Invitational and Sewanee University 5K Invitational, along with several other top-six finishes.

However, Woodlee saved her fastest performance for the postseason, shaving more than a minute off her previous state championship times while securing a third-place sectional finish.

As a freshman in 2024, Woodlee placed 84th at the Class AAA state championships with a time of 20:56.77. She returned in 2025 and finished 106th in 21:04.53.

Now, with a new personal record under her belt, Woodlee has an opportunity to reach another milestone that has eluded Warren County's cross country program.

Based on finishing times from the previous two state championships, a performance comparable to her sectional run could put Woodlee in contention for a top-50 finish or better. No Warren County runner, boys or girls, has accomplished that feat at the state level.

While times can vary depending on course conditions and competition, Woodlee's recent performance provides an encouraging benchmark heading into her third state appearance.

WCHS coach Kelsea Turner praised Woodlee's determination following the sectional meet, particularly her longtime goal of breaking the 20-minute mark.

"We're really proud of Emma," Turner said. "Going to state three years in a row is something for her to be proud of. She's goal-driven. She was really shooting for the sub-20s. So she got it, and we're happy for her, and she's going to have to run her best whenever it comes down to state next week."

For Woodlee, the personal record was especially meaningful after spending the past couple of seasons trying to improve on her previous best.

"I haven't set a new personal best in a couple of years, so this is really big for me, and I'm really proud to be moving on," Woodlee said. "I hope that I can PR in every meet."

Woodlee will have her chance to build on that performance Thursday, Nov. 5, when she competes in the TSSAA Division I Class AAA State Cross Country Championships at Shelby Farms Park in Memphis.

The girls 5K race is scheduled for 2:50 p.m., where Woodlee will look to turn another state appearance into the best finish of her high school career.