Recent Grace Academy graduate Lacye Walker has been chosen the Gatorade Tennessee softball player of the year. This is Gatorade's 26th year honoring each state's top high school athletes who also achieve in the classroom and are involved in civic activities. "The Grace Academy family is proud of Lacye and all of her accomplishments," athletic director Les Compton said in a school release, "and honored to have one of our students chosen for this distinguished award." The left-handed pitcher and right-handed batter was 31-5 and hit .486 with 19 home runs and 67 RBIs for the Lady Golden Eagles (41-9-1), who were TSSAA Class A runners-up for the second consecutive season. Walker had a 0.66 earned run average with 15 shutouts and 326 strikeouts in 203 innings pitched. She had a 3.05 grade point average and has done volunteer work with her church's youth group and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The Chattanooga State signee is Grace's second Gatorade honoree, joining Brendan Murphy (baseball, 2003). The last area softball player to receive Tennesee's Gatorade award was Ooltewah's Holly Thomas in 2008.
Tennis
• Top three seeds Brian Baker of Nashville, Robbye Poole of Charlotte and Benjamin Rogers of Kingsport were among the round-of-16 men's open winners Thursday in the first full day of the 2011 Tennessee Valley Open Championships at the Manker Patten Tennis Club. Other quarterfinalists are four No. 5 seeds - Hunter Reese of Kennesaw, Matthew Brewer of Louisville, Jarryd Chaplin of Lexington, Tenn., and former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga player Peter Sauska - and 9 seed Ian Chadwell of Franklin, Tenn. The fourth seed withdrew because of illness. Caroline Price of Duluth, Ga., and Alexandra Clay of Grayson, Ga., led the women's open round-of-16 winners, and UTC signee Kaylene Chadwell of Franklin beat fourth seed Emily Zabor of Marietta, 7-6, 6-3. They were joined by Cameron Hubbs of Nebraska, Patricia Zerdan of Texas, Courtney Griffith of Johns Creek, Ga., and Maria Sorbello of Knoxville with wins over Chattanooga-area players.