Sherry Callihan Thacker

High school students in Fannin County began competing in school-sponsored athletics around 1920. Between that time and the county-wide school consolidation that resulted in the creation of Fannin County High School in Blue Ridge in the fall of 1976, only one athlete or team was able to capture a state championship. In the spring of 1975, Sherry Callihan Thacker of East Fannin High School won the Class B state title in the discus throw with a then-record throw of 96 feet, 10 inches, surpassing the previous record by more than five feet. Sherry also competed in basketball at East Fannin. In recognition of her singular accomplishments, Sherry was inducted into the Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame in the induction class of 2024, accepting her plaque from her East Fannin track coach, Buzz Quintrell.