Recent Chattanooga Christian School graduate Josh Taylor will play baseball for Roane State Community College in Harriman, Tenn.The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's basketball team will host McNeese State to open the 2015-16 season. It was announced last week that the Mocs would tip off in the Preseason Women's National Invitation Tournament for the fourth time in program history - following appearances in 2000, 2005 and 2011 - but their opponent was not announced until this week. Led by Hall of Fame coach Jim Foster, UTC went 29-4 for the third straight time last season, swept the Southern Conference regular-season and tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the 13th time. This will be the Mocs' first meeting with McNeese State, which finished 18-14 last season. UTC returns nine letterwinners from 2014-15, including Aryanna Gilbert, Keiana Gilbert, Jasmine Joyner, Alicia Payne and Chelsey Shumpert, who all saw time in the starting lineup. The season opener is set for 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 13, a Friday, and the Mocs will face either Indiana or Tennessee State in the second round.
Golf
* Chattanoogans Neil Spitalny and Richard Keene teamed for 10 birdies and no bogeys in taking the first-round lead Wednesday in the 2015 Tennessee Senior Four-Ball Championship at Oak Ridge Country Club. They shot a 62 in the 55-over division but have three teams a stroke behind. Jess Voorhies of Winchester and Jim Webb of Brentwood are tied for first in the Super Senior (65-over) division with Nashville's Mike Nixon and White House's Ron Bargatze, each duo at 67, one shot ahead of two third-place teams. After another round today, the event will go to match play Friday morning.
* A Dalton golfer is joining the Dalton State women's golf team. Katie Dalton from Vidalia (Ga.) High School and the national champion Seminole State junior college program in Florida is the latest signee for Roadrunners coach Jim McGrew. Seminole State produced two stars of this past year's Dalton State team, Julia McQuilken and Erika Wardzinski. "We are extremely excited to add Katie to our program," McGrew said in a DSC release. "Spending a year at Seminole State as part of a national championship team that has really been good to us further strengthens her resume. Katie is the type of player that will come in and immediately make an impact." Dalton was a state tournament runner-up her first two years of high school and state medalist her last two, and the schools recruiting her included Wake Forest, Mercer, Furman and Georgia State. She had a 3.7 grade point average as a nursing major in her year at Seminole State.
Auto Racing
* Justin Tipton from Chattanooga won the top prize of $2,300 in the Super Pro class last Saturday at the Brained Optimist Drag Strip. He won with a 4.97 burst on a 4.95 dial in the 540 Chevy-powered dragster built and owned by his stepfather, George Gossett. Kevin Rodden of Cleveland was second with a 4.52-second run on a 4.52 dial, and Cody Holloway was third with a 5.78 on a 5.75 dial in a 1965 Nova. Marty Goldsmith won the Foot Brake class with an 8.02 on an 8.01 in a 1985 Dodge Dart, with David Bigham second with a 7.90 on a 7.90 in 1969 Dodge Dart. Mattie Keener from Dunlap was the Junior Dragster victor with Carson Emmett of Cedar Bluff, Ala., the runner-up. Rodden had the low elapsed time and top speed of the meet, 4.51 seconds and 155.25 mph, in his 576-cubic-inch Chevy dragster.
Baseball
* Recent Chattanooga Christian School graduate Josh Taylor was honored Tuesday at CCS for his recent commitment to play baseball for Roane State Community College in Harriman, Tenn. Taylor was the District 7-AA player of the year this past season, when the Chargers won the district championship. He plans to major in secondary education. "I'm looking forward to growing my baseball knowledge under Coach (Zack) Sterner and his staff," Taylor said in a CCS release. "I like the location of Roane State, and I loved Coach Sterner's coaching style and the players up there. This is a great opportunity for me."
Diving
* Natalie Smallen of the Baylor Diving Club will be competing today and Saturday in the 2015 USA Junior Olympic Zone Championships at the Huntersville (N.C.) Aquatic Center. The top 12 will advance from there to the JO nationals Aug. 1-6 in Orlando, Fla.