Nolensville’s Claire Stegall races toward history in state meet

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Claire Stegall is in a category of her own in distance running.

The Nolensville High School junior track star has been racking up track and field state titles and records ever since her freshman year. In an already-individual sport, Stegall is often competing with herself to be her best.

“Honestly, a lot of times motivation comes from yourself,” Stegall said. “On a day, you want to beat everyone, but also you want to do the best you can do for yourself, so just having internal motivation to try to do my best and beat my past best times and keep doing that.”

Stegall comes from a family of runners, but she may have the most potential and skill of the talented Stegall bunch.

“It’s just, wow, that’s just God-given ability,” Joseph Stegall, Claire’s father and assistant Nolensville distance track coach, said. “But I’m still surprised when I look at these times. I’m just like, ‘Goodnight!’”

Claire Stegall’s endurance and drive elicit a similar response from anyone who watches her compete, including the Knights’ head track and field coach, Kyle Manderfeld.

“I don’t know if I’m even a good enough athlete to fathom how often she PRs (posts a personal record time) if I’m going to be honest,” Manderfeld said. “I try not to take it for granted, because what she does on the track is amazing.”

Stegall has garnered numerous Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) state titles. In outdoor track alone, she earned a pair of titles as a freshman with winning times of 4:50.40 in the 1,600 meters and 10:36.16 in the 3,200-meters. Then, she took home the 1,600-meter outdoor title in her sophomore season with a top mark of 4:41.40.

This spring in her junior season, she’s posted personal bests, and state record times, in two distances. Stegall ran 2:05.51 in the 800-meters and 4:35.36 in the 1,600-meters. She accomplished those times in the same day at the Great Eight Invitational in April. That 1,600-meter time of 4:35.36 is the second-best mark for that race in the country this year.

With all of that success, Stegall attracted the attention of one of the sport’s top brands.

She is one of only a handful of high school athletes to sign a name, image, and likeness deal (NIL) with New Balance.

Stegall now sets her sights on the TSSAA Spring Fling state championship meet Thursday, May 23 at Dean A. Hayes Stadium in Murfreesboro, and hopes to build on her already-impressive records and titles.

“It gets better each time,” Stegall said. “The feeling, it’s just so great, PR-ing, because it’s not going to happen every meet. Year by year, there’s going to be stuff that’s not going to allow it to happen, so on any given day if that happens it’s super special. Just to see the time get faster, yeah, it’s a great feeling.”

And her coach said this is just the beginning for the rising star of Claire Stegall.

“I don’t there is a ceiling for Claire going forward,” Manderfeld shared. “I’ve coached a lot of talented people in football and track and she is as talented at her craft as anyone I’ve ever seen, and I think the sky’s the limit for what she can do.”

After the state meet, Stegall will tackle two postseason meets of high caliber, in close order. She will participate in the Brooks PR Invitational June 12 in Renton, Washington. She’ll have a short turnaround as she’ll then fly cross-country to compete in the New Balance Outdoor Nationals in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 13-16.

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