24 Murfreesboro area high school athletes to watch in 2024
Who will be the top Murfreesboro area high school athletes to watch in 2024?
The Daily News Journal has compiled a list of athletes to keep an eye on, beginning with the second half of winter sports through fall sports this calendar year.
Here are 24 high school athletes to watch in 2024:
A.J. Armstrong
Cannon Co., Sr.
Sports: Basketball, baseball
Armstrong, who is also one of the Lions' top basketball players, is coming off a baseball season in which he led Cannon County to the state tournament, hitting .444 with 10 doubles, a triple, five homers, 59 runs and 28 stolen bases.
Brinli Bain
Eagleville, Jr.
Sports: Basketball, softball
Bain is an Arkansas softball commitment and one of the top infielders in the state but is also one of the area's top basketball players, averaging more than 12 points a game.
Brayden Baker
Eagleville, Sr.
Sport: Baseball
Baker, a Murray State signee, was a Class 1A Mr. Baseball finalist last season after hitting .427 with 16 doubles, 39 RBIs and a 10-1 pitching record with 0.62 ERA). He's also the top returning player on a team that has won back-to-back Class 1A state championships.
Chase Bandy
Oakland, Jr.
Sports: Track and field, football, basketball
Bandy missed the 2023-24 basketball season with an injury he sustained in the Class 6A state football semifinals but is expected to be back for track and field, where he placed fifth in the triple jump last year. He is expected to be a key again for Oakland during both football and basketball in the fall and winter.
Jordan Beslin
La Vergne, Sr.
Sport: Soccer
The DNJ 2023 All-Area Player of the Year and District 7-AAA player of the year scored 26 goals to lead the Wolverines to the Class AAA state tournament and their second straight sectional berth.
Judson Bjornstad
Providence Christian, Sr.
Sports: Basketball, baseball
Bjornstad, a Franklin Road Christian School transfer, is averaging 16 points and nine rebounds in basketball while expected to anchor the Lions' staff in baseball. He is a Union University signee for both sports.
Kayte Madison Bjornstad
PCA, So.
Sports: Basketball, volleyball
Bjornstad averages 14 points and 11 rebounds. She will also return as a middle hitter to a Lady Lions' volleyball team that is coming off a DII-A state championship.
Mason Brown
Central Magnet, Sr.
Sport: Basketball
Brown is averaging 18.6 points a game and went over 1,300 in his career as he tries to lead the Tigers to the state tournament after reaching the Class 3A sectional last season.
Landon Bryant
La Vergne, Jr.
Sport: Basketball
The reigning DNJ All-Area player of the year is averaging 16.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game as La Vergne, coming off a Class 4A sectional berth last season, has its sights set on a TSSAA state tournament berth.
Kaelyn Flowers
Blackman, Sr.
Sport: Basketball
The Florida Gulf Coast signee battled an injury early in the season but is one of the top players in the area when healthy, averaging 14 points, four assists and five rebounds.
Isabella Johnson
Providence Christian, Jr.
Sport: Golf
The Tennessee commitment has been part of three consecutive DII-A state team titles and was The DNJ's girls golfer of the year in 2022. She played in the U.S. Women's Amateur last summer.
Sadie Kroeger
Providence Christian, So.
Sport: Volleyball
Kroeger had a big sophomore season, earning first-team DNJ All-Area honors, and should be one of the to Murfreesboro players in the fall. The state tournament finals MVP had 437 kills, 361 digs, 55 aces, 42 blocks and 15 assists in leading the Lady Lions to the DII-A state title.
Leah Krugh
Oakland, Jr.
Sport: Soccer
Krugh is arguably the area's top girls soccer returnee in the fall, coming off a season in which she scored 18 goals and added 19 assists in leading the Lady Patriots to the Class AAA state tournament.
Addisyn Linton
Eagleville, Jr.
Sport: Softball
Linton is a Clemson commitment and has been the ace pitcher and top hitter on a Lady Eagles squad that has been to the Class 1A state title game three consecutive years.
Jake Maddox
Central Magnet, Sr.
Sports: Basketball, baseball
Maddox is one of the area's top basketball players and was a second-team all-area baseball player last season, playing infield for the Tigers.
Brody McLemore
Eagleville, Sr.
Sports: Wrestling, baseball
McLemore has medaled four consecutive seasons in Class A/AA at the TSSAA state individual meet. He's also a starting outfielder on the back-to-back Class 1A state champion Eagle baseball team.
Addison Melton
Central Magnet, Sr.
Sport: Basketball
The Lipscomb signee and five-year starter is averaging 19.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists a game while shooting 80% from the free throw line.
Daune Morris
Oakland, Jr.
Sport: Football
Morris made a massive impact in his first year at Oakland after transferring from Red Bank, combining for more than 2,500 yards and 33 touchdowns in leading the Patriots to the 6A BlueCross Bowl. He was a Mr. Football finalist and has offers from schools such as Tennessee.
FOOTBALL: Andy Bartsch takes over Cannon County high school football program for second time
Zyntreacs Otey
Riverdale, Jr.
Sport: Track and field, football
Otey, a second-team all-area defensive back, has SEC offers from Ole Miss, Kentucky and Arkansas and will be a key returnee on a Warrior team that was hit hard by graduation. He will run track for the Warriors in the spring.
Anna Clay Shirley
MTCS, So.
Sports: Basketball, volleyball
Shirley averages 16 points a game. She is also a returning first-team all-area volleyball player, where she led the Lady Cougars to a third-place finish in DII-A.
Aiden Schwartz
Stewarts Creek, Sr.
Sport: Baseball
Schwartz went 6-1 with a 1.28 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 49.1 innings, earning wins in each the region championship, sectional and state tournament.
TOP PERFORMERS: Murfreesboro area high school basketball Week 8 top performers: Bryant leads La Vergne
Craig Tutt
Oakland, So.
Sports: Track and field, football
Tutt made a big splash during his sophomore football season and picked up a Tennessee offer along the way. The second-team all-area defensive back, who also runs track and field, had 55 tackles, four sacks and four interceptions and added four TDs on offense.
Xarya Udoumana
Rockvale, Sr.
Sport: Track and field
The reigning DNJ All-Area girls track and field athlete of the year medaled at the Class AAA state meet in both field events, finishing sixth in the long jump (18-1¾) after placing first in the sectional (17-11) and taking seventh in the triple jump (36-4.5) after winning the sectional (35-3).
Mackenzie Ventura
Siegel, So.
Sport: Softball
The District 7-4A Pitcher of the Year went 17-4 with six shutouts, a 1.23 ERA and 178 strikeouts in 136.1 innings last season. She also hit .392 with six doubles, three homers and 20 RBIs.
This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: 24 Murfreesboro area high school athletes to watch in 2024 year
