Baylor near national record

Staff Reports

When Baylor's girls captured the Division II-AA golf championship last Wednesday at Old Fort in Murfreesboro, it enabled the Lady Red Raiders to add to their record of most consecutive team championships in any TSSAA sport. It also put them within one of tying a National Federation of High Schools record.

Baylor's 15-year stretch began with Class AAA titles in 1995 and '96 at Henry Horton State Park in Chapel Hill before the TSSAA's public-private split. Phoenix Xavier College Prep in Arizona owns the national record of 16 from 1980 through '95.

The Lady Red Raiders have won state championships on nine courses -- the last three at Old Fort, where they posted their streak-best lowest winning total of 280 in 2006. They've also had the medalist 11 times, from Elizabeth Hallman in 1997 to Sofia Hoglund in 2008. In between were four-time winner Brooke Pancake (2004-07), three-time winner May Wood (1998-2000) and two-time winner Beth Felts (2001 and '03).

"That is the epitome of a program, not just a team," TSSAA executive director Bernard Childress said. "To take it a step further, they've done it in golf. You're talking about young ladies that have been able to play that game consistently, and when the pressure is on.

"The Baylor family and girls have built a solid program and I'm sure one they take pride in. Now each group that comes along doesn't want to be the one that ends the streak."

Ezell-Harding's softball program was the previous TSSAA record holder, winning 1990-95 titles in Chattanooga during a stretch in which it won 12 Class A titles in a 14-year span. Baylor had a run of six consecutive boys' golf team championships halted this year, and its wrestling team has an active five-year streak.

Lord second in Shootout

Baylor cross country runner Brandon Lord finished second in the All-American division of the Southeast Shootout 5K meet Saturday at Veterans Park in Hoover, Ala. Lord covered the 5-kilometer course in 15 minutes, 45.40 seconds, five seconds behind the winner.

Baylor's Hannah Jumper was eighth among the girls in 20:04.54.

Lady Owls in the pink

Ooltewah's volleyball players paid tribute to their coach last Tuesday when they showed up to host Bradley Central on Senior Night wearing new jerseys.

The team hit the court wearing pink jerseys with white numerals on the front and back. Across the bottom front the jerseys read "Ooltewah Volleyball"; across the back of the shoulders was "Team Peigen." There also was an insignia of an awareness ribbon on the front.

Coach Elaine Peigen, whose team plays in a District 5-AAA semifinal tonight at 7:30 at Cleveland, is a breast cancer survivor.

"I was surprised," she said. "I felt honored that they were thinking about me."

ALL-DISTRICT VOLLEYBALL TEAMS

5-A: Kellie Kellogg, Tennessee Temple; Mallory Payne, Copper Basin; Sarah Bates, Vanessa Silvers, Silverdale Baptist Academy; Katie Dean, Joy Owino, player of the year Kayla Kelley, Arts & Sciences; Caitlin Bodey, Brooke Calhoun, Amy Lyons, Grace Academy; Maggie Brown, Rachel Harper, Stephanie Silvers, Boyd-Buchanan; Co-coaches of the year: Shana Iverson, Grace Academy; Amber Nolen, Boyd-Buchanan.

6-A: Kashae Reddicks, South Pittsburg; Whitney Merritt, Whitwell; Meghin Clark, Van Buren County; Tae Standokes, Richard Hardy; Paige Durham, Marion County; Kristy Newman, Sale Creek; Chandler Brooks, Hannah Walraven, Caroline Ware, Lookout Valley; Andi Abbajay, Callie Hildebrand, Georgia Paturalski, Signal Mountain.