University of Tennessee at Chattanooga runner Kennedy Thomson set a Samford Open meet record in winning the women’s mile Saturday in 4 minutes, 53.08 seconds, and teammates McKenzie Jones and Emily Poole were first and third in the 5000-meter run. The Mocs’ Hannah Caldwell and Sophia Neglia were second and third in the 3000; Abby Bateman, Ashlynd Broling and Katie Coker were second, fourth and fifth in the 800; Nicole Buehrle was third in the 1000, and Camille Smith was 10th in the mile. UTC’s John Payne was third in the men’s 3000.
Basketball
» Lee University’s Lady Flames beat visiting West Alabama 77-50 in Gulf South Conference competition Saturday, but the University of West Alabama won the men’s game 70-68 with a 3-point basket at the final horn. That was the fifth 3 in seven tries for LaJuan Hardy, who scored 27 points for UWA (12-5, 7-3). Colton Blevins had 23 plus seven rebounds for Lee (10-8, 7-3), while Ryan Montgomery scored 18 and Michael McGuirk had 13. The first-place Lee women (15-3, 9-1) got 25 points from Abby Bertram, who scored 18 on 6-of-6 3 shooting in the 30-18 first quarter, 11 from Haley Schubert and eight rebounds from Lindsey Roddy.
» The Covenant men rose to 10-0 in the USA South, 11-6 overall, with a 62-59 win at Averett in which Bailey Spragg had 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting, five assists and three steals and Will Crumly, James Mitchell and Mitchell Hollis scored 13, 12 and 11 points. The Lady Scots (5-13, 3-7) lost 64-53 at Huntingdon (14-4, 7-3) but got 15 and 13 points and 10 and 12 rebounds from Raquel Rosa and Joanna Smith.
‘ In Southern States Athletic Conference men’s play, Dalton State lost 98-85 at William Carey (13-5, 9-1), ranked 18th in NAIA Division I, but Elijah Staley scored 30 points and Sean Cranney had 11 assists in defeat. Also for the Roadrunners (10-8, 5-5), Aaron Burress had 12 points and Malik Pugh and Sean Chislom 11 each, Pugh with eight rebounds.
» Cleveland State played two tight TCCAA games with visiting Roane State, the host Lady Cougars falling 63-60 but the Cougars winning 67-65 with Delaino Walker registering 22 points and 10 rebounds, Maurice Dickson 16 points and Jonathon King 12 points and 11 rebounds. They are 7-9, 4-5 in the league. For the Cleveland State women (5-11, 3-5), Jordan Smith scored 16 points and Britnay Gore and Hannah Phillips added 11 each and combined for 12 rebounds and six steals. Michaela Bennefield had seven rebounds.
» In another TCCAA doubleheader, Chattanooga State lost at home 79-76 to the Walters State men and 77-48 to the first-place Lady Senators.
» The Sewanee teams lost their Southern Athletic Association games Friday night at Birmingham-Southern, the women by a 53-50 margin after scoring the first eight points and the male Tigers by 71-64 despite taking a 20-4 lead. Cam Caldwell had 18 points and Luke Smith, Jordan Warlick and Hunter Buescher scored 15, 13 and 12 for Sewanee (13-4, 2-4), Warlick and Caldwell plucking eight and seven rebounds. For the Sewanee women (7-10, 1-5), who scored the first eight points and six of the last eight in their game, Ellie Treanton had 18 points and eight rebounds and Bella Taylor added nine points and seven rebounds.
» The UTC men’s basketball program is having a reunion Feb. 8-9, hosted by the C Club, for all former Mocs players, coaches, managers and support staff. There is no special celebration of specific teams, but this is a 25th anniversary and a 10th anniversary of UTC Southern Conference champions, among other notable achievers. Email mocsclub@utc.edu or call 425-4233 for information.
Wrestling
» Visitation and funeral arrangements have been set for John Farr, the former Baylor School and UTC wrestler, longtime coach and official and Greater Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame president who died Friday morning. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday and 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, where a celebration of his life will be at 2:30. Arrangements for Jim Morgan, who also died Friday, are being handled by Lane Funeral Home on Ashland Terrace.
Tennis
» The UTC women’s team opened its spring-semester season Saturday with a 6-1 loss to Mississippi State at Samford in Birmingham. Lilly Holmes rallied from a first-set loss to win in a super-tiebreaker at No. 6 singles – 2-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-4) – for the Mocs’ point. They host Austin Peay today at 1 p.m. at McCallie’s indoor Strang-Voges center.