Cash helps U.S. reach semifinals
Chattanooga tennis pro Wesley Cash went to 3-0 in doubles with Houston’s Ross Persons in the World ITF Team Competition for men’s 60-over players Wednesday in Miami, and their 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 defeat of Great Britain’s Paul French and Russell Howatt put the United States in a semifinal today against No. 1 seed Australia. Earlier, Persons won in singles over Steve Garman but French prevailed 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 over Atlanta’s Max Buyckx.
BASEBALL
› Longtime Lookout Valley coach David Dinger is one of three newly chosen members of the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association. He, Mack Hawks from Murfreesboro Oakland and Clark Wormsley from Knoxville Webb will be inducted in conjunction with the TBCA Coaches Clinic on Jan. 13 at the Cool Springs Marriott in Franklin. In 22 years as baseball coach at his alma mater, Dinger compiled a 513-249 record with nine district championships, four region titles and four state-tournament appearances. He also has coached football and softball at the school.
BOXING
› Gene Reese of Harrison, who won the most famous boxing match held in Chattanooga and toured the world as a highly regarded amateur boxing referee and judge, has died at the age of 86. Visitation is set for 3-7 p.m. Friday at the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home and 10-11 a.m. Saturday at Bayside Baptist Church, where a celebration of his life will be held at 11. Reese was a Southern Golden Gloves light heavyweight champion in 1950 but then devoted himself to military service and starting a family. He came back to the sport and upset bodybuilder Richard Bachus in the famed fight at Memorial Auditorium in January 1960. Two years later he became a referee/judge.
BASKETBALL
› Cleveland State began its basketball season Wednesday with a doubleheader sweep of visiting Snead State, 57-50 in the women’s game and 78-75 in overtime in the men’s. Abby Hubert had 19 points and nine rebounds and Julia Gaither had 12 points, seven steals and five assists for the Lady Cougars in Evelyn Thompson’s coaching debut. Tevin Olison scored 27 points for the Cougars, including a tying shot with seven seconds left in regulation, and Victor Curry and Cam Copeland scored 10 each. Curry had 10 rebounds and Copeland had four assists. All eight of Domont’a’ Wright’s points came late in the game.
› Georgia Northwestern’s men scored the last seven points and edged the visiting Hiwassee junior varsity 71-67 in their season opener Wednesday. Bryce Waters scored the final five points, with a defensive rebound in between, and totaled 17 points with four assists and four blocked shots. Davian Wheeler and Kolbi Suttles scored 11 and 10 points and Tyler Phillips and Micah Wheeler added nine and eight and eight rebounds apiece.
Aloy Ufere scored 18 points for Hiwassee,
Rasheed Michel adding 14.
SOCCER
› Covenant College junior Carl Simakoff received honorable mention in the USA South men’s soccer all-conference awards released Wednesday, and senior Nate Mackey was the Scots’ all-sportsmanship representative for the second year in a row. They play a USAS tournament semifinal against North Carolina Wesleyan on Friday at noon at Rocky Mount, N.C.
RUNNING
› Freshman Alison Anderson from Hixson and Baylor School had the fifth counting time for Centre College’s champion women’s team with her 13th-place finish in the Southern Athletic Association cross country meet last Saturday at Hampton, Ga.
SWIMMING & DIVING
› Sewanee’s Paisley Simmons and Jed Henrichsen were announced Wednesday as the SAA divers of the week after their success in the Sewanee Invitational last weekend. Simmons, a freshman, tied teammate Noel Whitlock for first place in the women’s 1-meter event. Hendrichsen won both men’s events.