The next stop on King John’s adventure was the University of
Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. He travelled there with McKenzie and her
fellow track mates. McKenzie, SIUC athletes, and of course King John left early
in the morning on a Thursday, and headed 378 miles southeast. It took around
six hours to get there. We could all see the wonderful Appalachian Mountains
when we were headed into town. The first stop was the track meet! The annual
SeaRay Relays were going on and the SIU Track and Field team was competing in
them. The track stadium was named after Tom Black who generously paved the way
for the development. The stadium is called LaPorte Stadium after the LaPorte
family, who made lots of contributions in building the facility.
After McKenzie was done competing, her and King John went
around the campus on a fun-filled adventure. They first stopped at Neyland
Stadium where they both climbed up many flights of stairs to reach the top.
King John loved the view, but was a tad bit scared being that high. Heights are
not his strong point. Neyland
Staduim is where the UT plays all their football games. The stadium is the
third-largest non-racing stadium in the US and was completed in 1921. The
stadium was named after UT’s most winning coach, General Robert Neyland.
Continuing on, the two then walked up the street and ran
into UT’s official symbol, the Torchbearer. The statue holds up the torch of
enlightenment in his right hand. He wears a sword as a symbol of security and
holds his left hand a globe with Winged Victory, a symbol of success and the
individual’s ability to make the most of his opportunities despite the world’s
challenges. The final design modifications were finally cast and unveiled in
Circle Park on April 19, 1968.
It was getting late out, so the two walked back to the hotel
and had a good nights rest. The next day, McKenzie and King John went back to
the track meet and spotted the infamous Smokey the Hound! Smokey is UT’s school
mascot. Smokey is a coonhound and a native breed to the state. The Pep Club
held a contest in 1953 to select the a coonhound mascot and at half time at the
Mississippi State game, multiple hounds lined up, and the crowd roared for
Brooks’ Blue Smokey to win and that is how UT got their mascot’s name. Smokey is famous for leading the
Volunteers on the run through the T before each home football game. He is known
to sport a tuxedo, overalls, or a Big Orange jersey. He is a top collegiate
mascot and a star on a off the field.
Our adventures were finally coming to an end and we all got
on the bus to head back home to Carbondale. It took another 378 miles to get
back, which brings a total of travelling 756 miles all together.
Latitude/Longitude: 35 degrees 57’3.3480 N, 83 degrees
55’55.6860 W.
King John's total miles = 2,094.4 miles
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