Lee’s Clark in U.S. Amateur

Lee University sophomore Brian Clark from Knoxville qualified Wednesday in Brockport, New York, for the 2018 U.S. Amateur Championship next month at Pebble Beach Golf Links in California. With a second-place 2-under-par 142 in the sectional qualifier at Deerfield Golf and Country Club, Clark became the second Lee golfer to make a U.S. Amateur field. The Flames’ Matt Emery reached match play in 2013 at Brookline Country Club in Massachusetts. “This opportunity means the world to me. I can go play two world-class golf courses against the best amateurs in the world, which is just an amazing experience to say the least,” Clark said in a Friday release from Lee. “Qualifying for the top amateur event in the world is a big deal, and it’s going to be a great experience for him,” coach John Maupin said. “This accomplishment is a testament to the hard work and effort he’s been putting in.”

› Two-time champion David Noll Jr. of Dalton moved up into a tie for seventh place with a second-round 67 Friday in the 97th Georgia Amateur Championship at Athens Country Club. Noll was at 1-under-par 139 with three others, while Grant Sutliff used a 64 to create a three-way tie for first at 135 with fellow Cumming resident Brady Keran (69) and Augusta’s Jeff Knox (66). Blairsville’s Beck Burnette shot 68 and was in a six-pack sharing 12th at 141, and Lee University’s Scott Odell of Claxton was in the group at 143 after a 71. Calhoun’s Mike Nance (73) was at 145 and Dalton’s Vance Embry (74) also made the midpoint cut at 147.

SOCCER

› Mats Pokela and Eemeli Makela of state champion Baylor and Ben Brock and Jonah Bryan of runner-up McCallie made the 2018 Tennessee Sports Writers Association Division II-AA boys’ soccer all-state team, and Joseph Galea and Max Gray from Class A runner-up Signal Mountain were all-state in that classification. East Ridge forward Rijad Kasic was a Class AA selection. In a Tennessee High School Soccer Coaches Association listing that was unavailable when other THSSCA all-state teams were released, Boyd-Buchanan’s Berkay Dean and Hayes Wood made the 19-player Division II-A group.

VOLLEYBALL

› Bryan College opens its third volleyball season with Jessica Day as head coach in the Faulkner Invitational Aug. 24-25 at Montgomery, Alabama, and will play the next weekend in the Milligan Mountain Madness with four conferences represented. Then on Sept. 6 the Lady Lions will begin their home and Appalachian Athletic Conference schedule with a match against Tennessee Wesleyan, followed on Sept. 8 by a visit from Bluefield. Bryan also will host Piedmont International on Sept. 15, Milligan on Sept. 18, Martin Methodist on Sept. 25, Union College on Sept. 28 and Truett-McConnell on Sept. 29. After an Oct. 2 short trip to TWU, the Lady Lions’ remaining home matches will be Oct. 5 against Point, Oct. 6 against Reinhardt and — after seven consecutive road contests — Nov. 1 against Montreat.

CROSS COUNTRY

› Coach Katie Stanford’s Covenant College cross country teams will begin their 2018 seasons by hosting the Mountaintop Invitational on Aug. 31, starting with the women’s 2-mile race at 6 p.m. The men will run a 5k. The Covenant teams will compete in meets Sept. 8 at Huntingdon, Sept. 15 at Furman, Sept. 29 at Maryville and Oct. 13 at Berry. They will return to Maryville for the USA South meet Oct. 26 and to Berry for the NCAA South/Southeast regional Nov. 10. The Scots and Lady Scots both finished second in the conference and 12th in the region last fall.

RODEO

› Hunter Middle School eighth-grader Bree Roark of Georgetown finished fifth in pole bending in the recent National Junior High Finals Rodeo at Huron, South Dakota. The two-time Georgia champion in pole bending improved her national finish by 18 spots from 2017, and she was 23rd in this year’s barrel racing competition. The nationals included participants from Canada, Mexico and Australia as well as the United States.