Union City High School sprinter Kameron Shade is in the fast lane to something bigger.
School Communications Director Mike Hutchens said Shade, the state runner-up in the 100 meters last year and fourth-place finisher in the 200 meters at the 2023 Spring Fling, has signed a scholarship to continue his track career at the University of Tennessee at Martin.
The Tornado speedster, who was an All-State selection as a junior, picked the Skyhawk program over other offers from Missouri Baptist University and Bethel.
He cited UTM’s proximity to home, the school’s academics, and the desire to participate in Division I athletics as reasoning for his decision.
“Those things were all factors,” Shade said after a ceremony attended by family, teammates, and friends at the high school Thursday morning.
Kameron was recruited by UT Martin head coach Jolyta Henderson, and is expecting to participate in the 100, 200, and as a member of the 4X400 relay team as a Skyhawk.
He credited Union City Head Coach Wade Maddox with his consistent improvement since his freshman year, a fact supported by his time in the 100 going from 12.8 as a freshman to 10.9 as a junior in last season’s state championships.
“He’s pushed me, and he’s believed in me,” Shade said of his coach. “He’s made me believe in myself.”
Maddox spoke glowingly of Shade’s ability to combine his talent with a tremendous work ethic and desire to be his best.
“He wasn’t the most naturally-talented guy coming in, but he’s put in the work, and he’s done it the correct way,” claimed Maddox, who led both the boys’ and girls’ programs to Top 10 state finishes last season and produced multiple All-Stater’s in each of the past three years.
“He has a tremendous work ethic. He leads by example, and he doesn’t let things faze him. I truly believe his best days as a runner are ahead of him, and I’m looking forward to seeing how he closes out his high school career for us and how he performs at UTM.”
Continued improvement is a goal of Shade, who acknowledged his makeup of talent and hard work.
“You can’t win them all, but you can work hard every day to get better,” he said. “No matter what I do, I always want to be competitive. I’ll always respect the competition, and I’ll always trust the process with how I got to where I am.”
