A pair of Knoxville athletes remain in contention for big prizes at the end of the season following strong performances at the 2025 Drake Relays.

Koby Higginbotham highlighted the two days of appearances for the Panthers, placing 3rd in the 110 Meter Hurdles (14.15) and qualifying for those finals. Higginbotham was just behind Spirit Lake’s Cooper Winkel in that event, a fellow Class 3A competitor.

Higginbotham placed in a t-18th in the high jump on Thursday after clearing the 6-2 bar. Teammate Kaiden Smith tied-for-4th, hitting the 6-4 mark. Both are strong contenders to return to Drake Stadium in May.