Wrapping up his junior year at Baylor School, Ryan Thornton announced Friday that he has committed to join the Vanderbilt University golf program in 2009.

Thornton had a 69.3 scoring average for the Red Raiders last fall and won the prestigious Lew Oehmig Award after recording four consecutive top-five finishes on the Future Collegians World Tour, according to a news release. He has already been on three state-champion Baylor teams and played No. 1 for the Raiders in 2007, when he won the Baylor/Tennessee Golf Association Preview High School Championship.

Thornton is ranked as Tennessee’s No. 2 junior golfer and is 21st nationally for the class of 2009. He finished second each of the last two years in the Wally Tournament at Old Hickory Country Club, which is limited to the top 32 junior amateurs in the state.

“Vanderbilt is the best college for me to pursue a degree and the best overall fit,” Thornton said in the release. “After spending time on campus and meeting the coaches, I knew it was where I wanted to spend my four years of college.

“My plan is to play golf on the PGA Tour, and Vanderbilt is the best place for me to further this goal. Coach (Tom) Shaw, Coach (Justin) Emil and I formed an instant relationship, and I know they will be able to help me achieve success at the next level.”

Thornton follows Luke List and May Wood as Baylor standouts who went on to the Southeastern Conference school in Nashville.

Popp to run for UTC

Baylor’s Colton Popp has signed to join the running programs at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

He was a member of the Red Raiders’ state-championship cross country team and was all-state after a 10th-place finish in the state meet. He also was a two-time state runner-up for Baylor’s Division II champion wrestlers.

“Colton’s work ethic has driven him to enviable heights, including accolades as currently the second-fastest miler in our Tennessee division,” said Baylor cross country coach Van Townsend, who also coaches the distance runners for the track team.

“Despite all his accomplishments, he has always remained a team player and generous leader and captain,” Townsend added.