Stone Memorial Panthers boys cross country head coach Nichole Barton takes over a Panthers team that gained several new runners heading into this season.
Barton’s only runner that made it to state last season graduated. Barton said her best memories always come when players reach new heights.
“Their excitement in whenever they hit their next milestone, whether it be breaking the 19 minute mark for a 5k [marathon,]” Barton said. “It just makes me excited for them to be excited, so I’d say that’s probably one of my best memories is seeing them be able to set milestones that they set for themselves.”
Barton ran both at high school and at Tennessee Tech, competing in cross country and track. Barton said she did not want to coach cross country until around five years ago.
“My kids started running elementary cross country and so I kind of got back into the sport,” Barton said. “I prayed about [the job at Stone Memorial] and felt it was the right time with my kids kind of in the sport.”
Barton took her kids to see a high school race in Knoxville at a course she used to run. Barton said returning to the sport has been organic.
“I was a little nervous just because obviously I don’t have any coaching experience,” Barton said. “It’s also exciting just to, I kind of knew I had a heart and a passion for the sport and so I figured I didn’t know anything else coaching-wise I could learn but I started up with the right motivation.”
Barton enters her fifth year coaching cross country for the Panthers.