Tennessee
A tradition like no other: Tennessee man carries Olympic torch in France
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Konstantin Kondylis was the first to ever carry the Olympic torch back in 1936.
The tradition of the Olympic torch relay continues on nearly 100 years later, with relays happening across France in preparation for this year’s Paris Olympics.
Rutherford County’s Andre Hillsman was chosen alongside 19 of his colleagues at Bridgestone to run a part of the relay in France.
“We always focus on dignity and respect,” Hillsman said. “I come to work every day, my thought process is to follow that.”
Hillsman joined the Bridgestone family 25 years ago at their La Vergne plant, which employs nearly 1,000 people.
Now in a position of leadership, he says he oversees the same quality control labs he trained on when he started.
“Even though I’m in leadership, I’m not one of those people that goes looking for accolades,” Hillsman said.
Hillsman says he never wants the spotlight, but the spotlight would find him a year ago. He found out a peer had nominated him to carry the torch for the 2024 games.
Even with that nomination, he’d have to be voted on globally in a company of nearly 120,000 people. It all became real when he found out he was 1 of 20 chosen.
“We have roughly over 120,000 employees worldwide,” Hillsman said. “To be considered in that top 20 is an amazing feeling.”
It’s truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.
With over 8 billion people estimated living in the world, and with 11,000 torch bearers between the Olympic and Paralympic games, Hillsman’s chance to carry sat at 0.0001375%.
He has a better chance statistically at winning the lottery.
“It’s going to be surreal, without a doubt,” Hillsman said.
Hillsman’s relay was a 200 meter stretch in Rouen, France. That’s about the length of half of a track.
“First thing I asked, I said, ‘How far is this thing we’re going to actually be running?’”
Two weeks ago, before his relay, his teammates in the La Vergne plant had a celebration to send him off and wish him well before the big trip.
One of his peers even 3D printed a model of this year’s torch design.
”God has always had a hand on me, I feel like that,” Hillsman said. “I’m blessed beyond belief, and I’m blessed to be able to touch these peoples’ lives everyday as well.”
Hillsman says when the relay is said and done, he’ll be spending time over in Europe with his family, making a trip of the opportunity.
“To have this honor, it’s quite high on my list of things in life,” Hillsman said.
Bridgestone is an Official Worldwide Olympic Partner. The company sent 20 employees over to be torch bearers for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
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Entering a three-game series at Kentucky, it appeared as if Tennessee baseball’s offense had turned a corner.
After scoring at least six runs in all but two of their last nine SEC games, there was reason to believe the inconsistencies that had previously plagued the Vols’ offense had been remedied.
But in their first two games at Kentucky (29-15, 11-12 SEC), both lopsided losses, those offensive woes returned at Kentucky Proud Park in Lexington. Tennessee (30-17, 10-13) has managed just four total runs in the series, dropping the first matchup on May 1, 9-2, and Game 2 on May 2 in eight innings, 12-2.
As it prepares for the series finale on May 3 (1 p.m. ET, SEC Network+), UT finds itself needing an offensive spark to avoid being swept.
“A lot went wrong again,” first-year UT coach Josh Elander said on May 2. “Not a good approach by our guys, swinging at too many pitches out of the strike zone. Good stuff by (Kentucky starter Jaxon Jelkin) today, but we didn’t get out of the gates. … Not a good formula in any capacity today.”
Tennessee has had to play from behind in both games
Slow starts have become a dangerous habit for the Vols through two games against the Wildcats. Their two runs in the series opener didn’t arrive until Henry Ford hit a home run in the eighth inning, the team by then already down 9-0.
They generated a few opportunities before but weren’t able to cash in on three separate chances with a runner in scoring position — once seeing a potential Jay Abernathy RBI single prevented by a full-extension diving catch in shallow left field.
In the second game, Tennessee didn’t manage a baserunner off Jelkin until the fifth and were caught trying to make up an early deficit again. During a mid-game flurry that saw the deficit lessened to 4-2 by a Blaine Brown home run, Tennessee worked the tying run to the plate in the sixth with the heart of the order up.
That was the closest they would get; the next nine batters went down in order and Kentucky pounced on the Vols’ bullpen to run-rule them.
Postseason stakes put extra importance on series finale
In Tennessee’s first 12 SEC matchups, it averaged 5.7 runs per game, contributing to a 4-8 start in league play. But in the nine following conference games, beginning with a sweep of Mississippi State, that number jumped to 7.3 runs per game and included two series wins, boosting the Vols’ SEC record to 10-11. That stretch removed doubt from their NCAA Tournament resume and put them in position to earn a bye in the single-elimination conference tournament.
Now, Tennessee enters the series finale needing a result before facing No. 4 Texas next week – which owns arguably the most feared pitching staff in the SEC.
“At this point, there needs to be more sense of urgency and a little bit more pride,” Elander said. “Very, very frustrating day all the way around, especially after the performance last night. We have to come into tomorrow and basically throw this game in the trash and reset and be ready to go and salvage the weekend tomorrow.”
Emmett Siegel covers Tennessee baseball for Knox News. Email: emmett.siegel@knoxnews.com; X: @EmmettSiegel_
Tennessee is recruiting toward its 2027 football signing class.
Three-star defensive back Carter Jamison committed to Tennessee, according to Chad Simmons of On3.
The 5-foot-10, 180-pound prospect is from Creekside High School in Fairburn, Georgia. Former Vols Eric Berry, Evan Berry and Elliott Berry are also from Creekside.
247Sports ranks Jamison as the No. 101 safety in the class and No. 115 player in Georgia.
Tennessee was the first school to offer him a scholarship on Feb. 17. The 2027 prospect unofficially visited the Vols for a spring practice on April 2 and will officially visit Tennessee on June 19.
Other schools to offer Jamison scholarships include USF, Charlotte, UNLV, Western Michigan, Liberty, Colorado State, Eastern Kentucky and East Carolina.
Tennessee has six other commitments in its 2027 football recruiting class: linebacker JP Peace, offensive tackle Princeton Uwaifo, defensive lineman Kadin Fife, quarterback Derrick Baker, athlete Jaden Butler and wide receiver KeSean Bowman.
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At the behest of President Donald Trump, Tennessee’s Republican supermajority is returning to Nashville next week to redraw the state’s congressional maps, carving Memphis into multiple safe-Republican seats.
The session is made possible by the Supreme Court’s decision ending protections in the Voting Rights Act, made April 29.
Gov. Bill Lee issued a call for a special legislative session to approve new redistricting maps on the evening of May 1, one day after Trump announced on social media that Lee had promised to do so.
Lawmakers will return to Nashville on May 5.
“We owe it to Tennesseans to ensure our congressional districts accurately reflect the will of Tennessee voters,” Lee said.“After consultation with the Lt. Governor, Speaker of the House, Attorney General, and Secretary of State, I believe the General Assembly has a responsibility to review the map and ensure it remains fair, legal, and defensible.”
Once in Nashville, the Republican supermajority legislature will have the votes to crack Memphis and draw nine new safe-Republican congressional seats in Tennessee and eliminate the last remaining Democrat-held seat.
Candidates are already campaigning in the 9th Congressional District — which will likely be redrawn during the special session. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, and state Rep. Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, have both gathered and filed qualifying signatures and have been actively campaigning.
Redrawing maps would suspend those campaigns and require candidates in every congressional district to gather new signatures and re-qualify for their races.
“Donald Trump wants an extra seat. And he wants to get it by directing how the districts are drawn and to say they should not be drawn as they are now — they should be drawn the way he wants to draw them to give him the vote,” Cohen said on May 1.
“Civil rights are being attacked through this Supreme Court case. It’s taking away potentially a goodly half of African American and African American-chosen representation in the United States Congress,” Cohen said, pledging to launch a legal fight.
Lee’s call came hours after Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey called a special session to redraw the maps there, as predominantly Republican Southern states begin to take political advantage of the Supreme Court’s decision to roll back protections for Black voters in the Voting Rights Act.
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