By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Having conquered the competition in Tennessee, Union City High School track standouts Adrian Crawford and Aiden Reid recently held their own against some of the best in the nation.
The two rising Tornado seniors – state champions in their respective fields at the 2025 Spring Fling in May – measured their talents against other standouts from across the country in prestigious big-time events on opposite ends of the United States.
Crawford, already a five-time state champion in Tennessee and the most decorated track and field athlete in UCHS history, competed in the Adidas Track Nationals at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro in Greensboro, NC.
He placed eighth out of 31 competitors in the high jump with a leap of 6’6” in the Championship Elite Division – the top level of four in the competition. Crawford then finished 14th out of 46 entries in the same division of the triple jump, posting a leap of 45’7”.
Crawford has won the state high jump championship in Tennessee the last two years and also claimed the gold medal in the triple jump as a sophomore and the long jump as a junior. He showcased the totality of his many skills by winning the Class A state decathlon over two days in Clarksville.
Reid, who won the Class 1A Tennessee state title in the shot put, finished 20th in a field of 48 in the Nike Nationals in a star-studded field on the campus of the University of Oregon.
Reid competed in the Emerging Elite Division, the second-highest class of four.
To qualify for inclusion in either event, athletes had to have competed in their respective state meet. Specific benchmarks then slotted the competitors into divisions.
“Obviously, it was a huge honor and great experience for both of them to compete in events like this against the elite from across the country,” said Union City head coach Wade Maddox, who directed the Tornado boys’ team to the Class 1A state championship last month after a runner-up finish in 2024.
“It’s a testament to their continued work ethic that they held their own against such great track and field talent.”