Mattie and Eli met at the 2018 state track meet when Eli commented on Mattie's "nice legs." Needless to say, their relationship started off strong. They later hit it off at the annual cross country trip to Gatlinburg and started dating at the end of August of 2018. God has been faithful to them, as he used several mountains and valleys in their relationship to bring them closer to Himself and to each other. After dating for almost 4 years (with about a year and half of long distance), Mattie and Eli decided that they were ready to take the next step in their relationship and get engaged. Eli surprised Mattie at the end of the McKay Hollow trail on Monte Sano mountain, the cite where they had made many sweet memories throughout the years. She said yes!