'91 State Track champs honored

Long before the 1991 GRC women’s track team became Kentucky state champions, they were already a family.

For head coach Elaine Farris, the bond began years earlier at Odell Gross Elementary, where she first taught many of the girls as a PE teacher.

From kindergarten through high school, she watched them grow, learn and lean on one another, forming relationships that would last far beyond the finish line.

The '91 Class 3A KHSAA state champions were honored with a road sign and banner Saturday during the Fox 56 Home Team Showcase at GRC Arena.

"This is a very special day for us," said Dr. Farris. "I know a lot of people say it's a long time coming, but it happened today and I truly believe that God's plan was for it to happen today."

Dr. Farris's connection to the athletes ran deeper than competition. Two of the runners were her nieces, and the rest became family just as naturally.

“They were kind of like my children,” said Dr Farris, who coached GRC women's track from 1986 to 1991. “We have always been very close and I love them to death.”

Since the team's impressive accolades 35 years ago, Dr. Farris has remained part of their lives, watching each woman build a thriving life. (See below)

“They’ve all just been so very successful,” Farris said. “I’m proud of them like they were my own children.”

The new road sign and championship banner honor more than a title won in 1991. They recognize a team whose legacy was built on trust, family and a bond that started long before they ever became champions.

"What a great privilege it was to welcome back the state 3A girls track champions of Kentucky and their coach after 35 years of being crowned champions," said Superintendent Dustin Howard. "What was even more impressive to me was learning how much greatness these women have accomplished in their lives since the state championship. I thank each of them for what they did in 1991 and for what they have done since to make the world a better place."

Text read at the recognition:

The year 1991 represented far more than medals for Tiffany Davis Williams. It was a testament to resilience, determination, and heart, as she overcame a serious health crisis to rejoin the track alongside her twin sister and teammates under the mentorship of her aunt and coach, Elaine Farris, ultimately contributing to a state championship victory. That same discipline carried into her professional life as she earned degrees in accounting and business administration and now serves as Associate Director of Finance for Fayette County Public Schools while residing in Lexington with her husband, Eric, and two bonus children. 

Her twin sister, Stephany Davis Smith, was deeply shaped by Coach Farris’s mentorship and the lesson that excellence is earned, values she now embodies as an elementary school principal, wife to Joseph Smith, and mother of three — Sydney, Ryan, and Trey — living in the Atlanta-area community of Ellenwood, Georgia. 

Dr. Maisha L. Jack, an international speaker, best-selling author, business owner, and Kentucky Colonel, also excelled academically and athletically in basketball and track, and with more than 20 years of leadership experience and multiple certifications earned from Eastern Kentucky University, Central Michigan University, and Trinity International University of Ambassadors, she now serves as a Special Education Support Specialist with the Georgia Department of Education in metro Atlanta. 

Tara Caywood Warner, a 1993 GRC graduate and former basketball player and track athlete, is a proud mother of two, grandmother of two with a third grandchild on the way, owner of Queen T’s Trucking, Chicago resident, and breast cancer survivor whose life reflects unwavering faith, grit, and a championship spirit. 

Caprice Gay Robinson, who resides in Frankfort with her husband, Bradley, and their children, Khamari and Keahzrah, has earned multiple degrees across computer science, business administration, and public administration and works in education technology for the Kentucky Department of Education while also serving as a pharmacy technician, driven by a passion to inspire others and uplift communities.

Guiding them all is Dr. Elaine Farris, a 1973 GRC graduate, longtime educator, former superintendent of Clark County Public Schools, and dedicated mentor who identified their potential early, recruited them to run track as middle schoolers, and remains immensely proud of the exceptional athletes and accomplished women they became.

We are Cardinal Proud! Congratulations, ladies!

(CCPS photos)