Each weekend, The Warren County Way will be selecting a Pioneer of the Week. That honor is sponsored by R3 Logistics. Be on the lookout for the Pioneers of the Week throughout the 2026-27 school year.
Emma Woodlee, WCHS Cross country
Emma Woodlee knows what it takes to run at the state cross country meet. Now the Warren County junior is starting to believe she can get herself back there again.
Woodlee delivered one of her strongest performances of the season last week, racing to a sixth-place finish at Meet in the Middle in Bell Buckle with a time of 21:21.
It was more than two minutes faster than the time Woodlee posted just one week earlier at the Burnett Invitational and another indication that the two-time state qualifier may be rounding into form at exactly the right time.
The performance earned Woodlee The Warren County Way's R3 Logistics Pioneer of the Week honor. For Woodlee, however, the biggest difference between the two races wasn't necessarily physical - It was mental.
"I feel like I'm starting to get back to where I need to be this season, but I feel like I need to have more confidence in myself as my confidence was one of my big issues," said Woodlee. "The differences I felt between the courses was honestly kind of like a mental switch between the two because sometimes I'm more confident at some meets than others."
There is plenty of evidence for what Woodlee can accomplish when that confidence is there.
"It's been really impressive to watch Emma battle through this year, especially after making it to the state meet two years in a row," said coach Kelsea Turner. "She knows what it takes to get there, and even though this season hasn't always gone exactly how she wanted, she's continued to work and compete.
"Hopefully, we're seeing her round into form at the right time. We're excited about what she can do in October and hopefully get her back to the state meet for a third straight year."
Last week's race provided plenty of reason for optimism. She entered this season as a two-time state qualifier and started the year by showing she was still capable of running at the front, finishing second at the Coffee County Invitational. Injuries forced a pair of DNF-results before she returned at Burnett with a time of 23:28.
At Meet in the Middle, she crossed the finish line in 21:21, cutting 2:07 from her previous performance and placing sixth.
More important than the stopwatch may have been the confidence that came with it. October is when Woodlee's previous two seasons have turned into trips to Hendersonville for the state championships. If she wants to make it three straight, she'll have to navigate the postseason again.
After last week's performance, Woodlee appears to be finding both her speed and her confidence at a pretty good time. And if that mental switch stays flipped, the two-time state qualifier may have another trip to state waiting at the finish line.
