Fitting with his engaging personality, Adrian Crawford did a back flip at the urging of others as he left the medal stand at Kirkwood High School on Thursday.
It was an appropriate celebration for a state champion.
School Communications Director Mike Hutchens said the Union City junior proved himself as the best Class A decathlete in Tennessee over a two-day period, breezing past 11 competitors to win his third state title in two years.
Crawford, who was a state champion last year in the high jump and triple jump at Spring Fling and the runner-up in the decathlon in 2024, totaled 6,166 points and won four of 10 events in this year’s competition.
He joined Tom Jernigan as the only Union City High School athletes to win the rigorous series of contests, some 61 years after Jernigan accomplished the feat.
Crawford’s point total was 392 more than his closest rival, Darius Smith of Memphis Academy of Science and Engineering. He’d held a 222-point lead over Smith heading into Day 2 after taking first place in three of five events on Wednesday.
His final point total was well above that of his sophomore year (5,590) and would’ve also made him the state champion in the Class 2A field.
Understandably, his head coach Wade Maddox had nothing but praise for his multi-talented standout.
“He obviously did a great job of being steady, if not spectacular, in every event,” said Maddox, who now has coached six state track champions in five years with the chance for more in next week’s Spring Fling 32. “I was really happy with how he surpassed what he did last year, not only by winning, but by piling up significantly more points. I believe seeing the MASE kid at the sectionals last week and having him push him at that level helped him understand it wasn’t going to be a breeze here.
“We put him in some different events during the season to help him get some experience and prepare for the decathlon, and he’s just a natural athlete when it comes to track. He doesn’t have an event in which he’s going to have a drastic fall off, and he puts in work every day in practice.”
Crawford won the long jump on Thursday, was second in the 110-meter hurdles and the high jump, and placed fourth in the shot put. He capped off the day and his championship performance with a strong showing in the 1500 meters, finishing third.
On Wednesday, he accumulated 3,106 points by winning the triple jump, the discus, and the 400-meter run. He was third in the pole vault and placed fourth in the 100-meter dash.
“With Adrian and the rest of our kids, we try to push them to do a little better every time out, in every meet,” Maddox added. “He’s like most of his teammates; he does a good job of not being satisfied. He’s constantly figuring out how to get better and how to win, not settling.”
Crawford and several of his Union City teammates will seek more gold on Tuesday when they compete in a number of events in this year’s Spring Fling 32 in Murfreesboro.
The Tornado boys were state runners-up last year in the team competition, while the girls posted their third consecutive Top 10 finish.
(photos: Mike Hutchens – School Communications Director)
