CHICKAMAUGA, Ga. - The Gordon Lee High School golf teams completed a stellar spring for the school's athletic program by winning individual and team state championships this past week.
The boys' team routed the GHSA Class A public field at Landing's Golf Club in Warner Robins with a one-day total of 303 - the second day of the tournament was rained out - that was 42 strokes better than runner-up Drew Charter School. The Trojans' Justin Hickman, Gray Weldon and Tucker Windham tied for medalist honors with rounds of 74, a school scoring record.
"We knew looking at the scoring that winning state was our No. 1 goal," coach Todd Windham said. "We discussed all along a secondary goal of breaking the school record at some point in the season. We didn't know we would have to go to the last day of the season to do that. It was a pretty difficult feat, but they did it."
The girls' tournament at Waynesboro Country Club was also reduced to one day, with the Lady Trojans and Portal earning co-champion status with team scores of 168. Gordon Lee's McCall Miller was the individual champion with a 78, with teammate Jessica Hickman adding a 90.
The Gordon Lee track and field teams also stood out. The boys were the state runners-up, led by individual champions Drew Cobb (pole vault) and Nathaniel Wright (high jump). The girls finished fourth, led by state champions Addison Whitman (pole vault) and Gracie O'Neal (1600-meter run) who also was second in the 800.
The school's baseball team was state runner-up after falling to Schley County in a doubleheader Thursday in Rome.
"We were very competitive across the board, and I think that says a lot about our kids and the way they approach their work," Windham said. "It was a great representation in how much our kids put into their extracurricular activities. Most of these kids play multiple sports, so they've been going all year. It's just a great way to end the school season."
Calhoun girls win state
Calhoun's girls' golf team brought home a first-place trophy with a two-day total of 509 at the Okefenokee Country Club this past week in the GHSA Class AAA tournament.
Kate Mashburn led with back-to-back rounds of 77, with Katie Kaufman adding rounds of 86 and 90. Maddie Crump and Molly Mashburn also scored for the Lady Yellow Jackets.
North Murray was third and led by Savannah Satterfield's rounds of 83 and 79.
LaFayette's boys finished fourth at Columbus Country Club in Class AAAA behind Gage Smith's 71 and Cole Ingram's 72 in another tournament cut to one round by weather. In Class AAAAAA, Dalton's girls were fourth and the boys eighth at Chicopee Woods Golf Club.
Shelton makes choice
Ridgeland standout running back Jalyn Shelton committed to Navy's football program this past week, Panthers coach Wesley Tankersley said.
Shelton, who visited the service academy's campus in Annapolis, Md., last month, is coming off a junior season in which he rushed for 1,432 yards and 23 touchdowns while earning all-state recognition. He had 1,228 yards and 11 scores as a sophomore.
Pair of Generals sign
Two of the key cogs in Heritage's surprise run to the GHSA Class AAAA baseball semifinals signed to continue their playing careers this past week.
Infielder Joseph Hill, who hit .386 with three home runs, 14 doubles, 44 runs scored and 36 RBIs this spring, will play next season at the University of West Georgia. Hill was the region player of the year as a junior and a first-team selection this year as well as a first-team all-state selection.
Pitcher Alex Barbee signed with Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville, Va. Barbee also earned all-region honors after winning eight games with a 1.42 ERA.
CCS relays shine
Despite having one of the youngest lineups at the TSSAA's Class A/AA girls' track and field state meet this past Thursday in Murfreesboro, Chattanooga Christian School had a strong showing in the 4x200 and 4x400 relays.
Freshman Laura Beth Turner, junior Olivia Hoffman and senior Cassie Curry ran in both events, while freshman Anslee McGlocklin began the 4x200 and sophomore Sara O'Shea ran the first leg of the 4x400.
The 4x200 team won state after losing only one race all season. The 4x400 team, which at one point in the season had the fastest time in Tennessee (regardless of classification), finished second at state, just 14 hundredths of a second out of first.
Three of those runners also competed in individual events: Curry in the high jump, Turner in the pentathlon and Hoffman in the 400.
"It was a ton of fun for the coaching staff to see a season of hard work pay off for these young ladies," CCS coach Daniel Russell said. "The (4x400) was a gut-wrenching race. Each girl ran a (personal-record time) in their leg to the very end."
Irish hire Clotfelter
Notre Dame High School has named Dan Clotfelter its new volleyball coach. A former head coach at Emory & Henry College in Virginia, Clotfelter has more than 15 years of experience coaching at the collegiate, high school and club levels.
He spent 10 seasons as coach at The Walker School, building the Atlanta-area program into a perennial state championship contender by guiding the Lady Wolverines to the semifinals four times and amassing 276 wins. At Emory & Henry, he had three straight winning seasons and coached eight all-conference selections.