Cash helps USA win world title
Wesley Cash of Chattanooga and Mark Vines of Naples, Florida, pulled out two three-set doubles victories Friday to give the United States 60-over men the Von Cramm Cup crown in the 2018 International Tennis Federation Senior World Championships at Ulm, Germany. The second-seeded USA completed a 2-1 semifinal win over third seed France with Cash and Vines rallying for a 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3 victory in a match that began Thursday, and their 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 defeat of Glenn Busby and Michael Ford provided another 2-1 margin over top-seeded Australia. Vines won 6-2, 6-0 over Stephen Myers, and Busby beat Atlanta’s Maxime Buyckx 6-0, 6-1 to set up the final doubles duel for the world championship. The semifinal win was particularly dramatic for Cash and Vines: They were down 5-4, 15-0 in the second set after losing the first but surged to win 7-6, and then they won four of the six service breaks in the third set. In the Alice Marble Cup for 60s women, Girls Preparatory School coach Sue Bartlett lost in singles to Betty Michel as Great Britain fell 2-1 to France in the playoff for third place.
SWIMMING
› McCallie/GPS Aquatics head coach and program administrator Roger Dahlke is now the GPS swimming coach. He succeeds John Woods, who retired from the school this summer after 28 years. A USA Swimming certified coach and the current president of Southeastern Swimming, Dahlke was the head age group coach for the Scenic City Aquatic Club from 2000 until it gave way to McCallie/GPS Aquatics in 2012, and he headed McCallie’s middle school program for more than 20 years, according to a GPS release Friday. “Roger’s enthusiasm is clear, and he has an extensive track record of training some of the top female swimmers in this area for quite some time,” athletic director Jay Watts said in the release. “He knows our community and our school and was the natural choice to lead our program.” Dahlke expressed his gratitude and said, “I am excited and honored to be the next head varsity coach of GPS swimming and look forward to continuing some traditions as well as starting new ones.”
SOCCER
› The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s soccer team got off to a quick and successful start to the 2018 season Friday afternoon, with a 3-0 victory over visiting Alabama A&M at Finley Stadium. The game began at 1 p.m., two hours earlier than originally scheduled, and within two minutes the Mocs led 1-0 on a goal by senior Masey Fox from a pass by junior Bailey Gale. Fox assisted sophomore Lauren Dluzewski on a shot in the box just before halftime, and sophomore Chloe Arnold scored on a double assist by freshmen Maggie Shaw and Samantha Shaw in the 65th minute. UTC outshot the Bulldogs 19-1, with a 7-1 margin in shots on goal. The Mocs play Sunday at Georgia Southern. “To start with the win was exciting,” UTC coach Gavin McKinney said in a school release. “I thought we started the game great. … Then it took us a little while to setting into it, I thought. We probably should have taken our chances on several more opportunities throughout the day.” He particularly praised the team’s defense and Dluzewski. “She did a lot of good things in the match coming off an injury. She gave really good minutes and energy,” McKinney said.
VOLLEYBALL
› After a 15-6 inaugural season in 2017, the Cleveland State volleyball begins season two at 7 p.m. Wednesday at home against Hiwassee, which went 11-11 last year. Cleveland State opened its first season with a 3-0 win over Hiwassee and returns seven players to go with newcomers Aly Lemons, Hailey Galvan and Lady Cougars basketball player Peyton Eads. The returners are Kate Essenberg, Ariana Smith, Kirstie Williams, Savannah Carroll, Amanda Taylor, Reagan Morrison and Caylea Duckett.