6 local wrestlers All-Americans
Six local high school wrestlers earned All-America honors recently at the national prep championships at Lehigh University. More than 130 teams competed, and nine wrestlers from Tennessee achieved All-America status. That list includes McCallie 126-pounder Alex Whitworth and teammates Christian Morris (106), Emory Taylor (113) and Thomas Sell (170), as well as Baylor’s Andrew Pace (132) and Mason Reiniche (160), who finished second overall in his weight class. McCallie placed eighth in the team points standings, the highest of any Tennessee program.
TRACK & FIELD
› Lee University placed 12 women in 27 events and nine men in 24 events on the USTFCCCA NCAA Division II All-South Region indoor track and field teams announced Monday. Inclusion required top-five region performances in individual events or top-three relays. Emily Buwalda was all-region in five women’s events and Jordan Allison and Charlee Boxall totaled four each, while Harold Smith and Josiah Brooks had five each and Justin Brooks and Christian Noble four apiece for the Lee men. Other multiple honorees were Amy Carpenter (three) and Camilla Sims, Audrey Smith, Becca Umbarger and Caleb Eagleson (two each). The Cleveland school’s other all-region athletes were Mikayla Beeler, Hannah Buttolph, Logan Hernandez, Kendra Irvine, Lynna Taylor, Alex Carter, Jared Herzog, Teagan Lenox and Ben Tabor.
BASKETBALL
› Lee senior forward Carrie Cheeks from Ranger, Ga., and Sonoraville High School was chosen the Gulf South Conference women’s basketball player of the week for her 27 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots in an 84-51 win over Shorter. The 6-foot-3 Cheeks was 12-of-14 from the field and is averaging 11.2 points and 7.1 rebounds in 22 minutes per game for the Lady Flames, who host West Georgia in a GSC tournament quarterfinal tonight at 6. The Lee men host Delta State at 8.
BASEBALL
› Bryan College senior Fernando Garcia
is the Appalachian Athletic Conference’s first baseball player of the week for 2018 after going 7-for-10 with two home runs, a double, four walks, six runs scored and four batted in as the Lions (14-1) went 2-1 against LSU-Shreveport this past weekend. Garcia has a .462 batting average with eight extra-base hits, 11 walks and 13 RBIs.
› Sewanee began Southern Athletic Association baseball play with 7-5, 6-2 and 8-3 losses Sunday and Monday at defending champion Rhodes. Chris McNulty had two hits and
Max Murray scored twice for Sewanee (1-8) in the first game, and Riley Brandvold and
Bryce Benedict had RBIs in game two.
› Cleveland State began and ended its doubleheader Saturday with six-run innings but won 10-6 and lost 11-8 at West Georgia Tech.
Noah Hill was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs and Logan Peterson was 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs in the first game for the Cougars (6-5). Joey Roberson was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored, Hunter Oliver was 2-for-4 with two runs and Brandon Mason was 1-for-2 with two walks, two runs and an RBI. Hooper Mills was the winning pitcher, allowing six hits and two runs in his five innings. In the Cougars’ loss, Peterson was 2-for-3 and homered along with Cameron Payne, while Rhett Baldwin was 1-for-1 with a two-run double and Trey Vanderpool hit a two-run single.
GOLF
› The Lee men’s golf team is in third place in the 12-team Saint Leo Invitational after Monday’s two rounds at the Lake Jovita club in Florida. Led by Scott Odell’s 137 (67-70), the 16th-ranked Flames shot 568, 15 shots behind third-ranked leader Southeastern Nova. Odell is tied for third individually with teammates Evan Spence and Dylan Lillard sharing 11th at 142 and Corey Sheppard at 147.
SOFTBALL
› Brenau senior Kelsey Payne from East Hamilton was 2-for-4 with four RBIs in the first game and 1-for-3 with another RBI as the NAIA’s fifth-ranked Golden Tigers beat Michigan-Dearborn 9-1 and 6-0 Monday in the Fast Pitch Dreams Spring Classic at Myrtle Beach, S.C.