University of Tennessee at Chattanooga senior John Gilpin won the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase Saturday at the Auburn Tiger Track Classic in a personal-best time of 9:26.90. His 0.03-second win led UTC’s 11 top-10 finishes, including Amanda Cotter second in the women’s 1500, Maddison Melchionna and Rebecca Greenwall second and third with Hannah Chamblin fifth in the 800 and Emily Drouin third in her first 3000 steeple.
Golf
* Greg Wyatt of the Golf Capital Learning Center in Crossville, Tenn., is among PING’s Top 100 National Fitters of the Year, as recently announced by the golf equipment manufacturer. Wyatt, who also is very competitive as a player in area and state events, has been a certified PING fitter and technical representative for the past 10 years. The company’s release said the Top 100 awards recognize “exceptional” customer service and custom-fitting expertise. “These fitters can serve an important role, bringing more people to the sport by demonstrating how properly fit equipment helps them play better and enjoy the game more,” PING chairman and CEO John A. Solheim said in the release.
* The Dalton State men’s golf team will test itself against many other high-ranked NAIA teams today and Monday in the NAIA/Golfweek Spring Invitational on the El Campeon Course at Mission Inn Resort in central Florida. Besides the 10th-ranked Roadrunners, the 13 participating teams include No. 1 Oklahoma City, No. 3 and defending NAIA champion Coastal Georgia (including former Heritage player Hunter Cornelius), No. 7 Johnson & Wales, No. 9 USC Beaufort, No. 11 Grand View, No. 13 Northwood, No. 14 Webber and No. 19 Mount Mercy. “This is a very important week for us,” coach Ben Rickett, a former UTC standout and assistant coach, said in a Dalton State release. “We’re playing against another national championship field and the guys need to be ready to play.”
Baseball
* Lee University won 12-2 and lost 11-2 against visiting Delta State in Gulf South Conference baseball Sunday. Andres Nelo was one of six Lee players with multiple hits in the first game and matched Siosi Poti at 2-for-3 with an RBI in the series finale, Poti homering and scoring two runs. Trenton Hill was 3-for-5 with two runs scored for Lee (20-13-1, 10-11-1) in the first game, when Luke Toms was 2-for-3 with three runs and Josh Tate was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs.
* Ryan Tillman and Marshall Ussery combined to pitch a one-hitter and Sewanee pulled out a 1-0 win Saturday in the first game of its Southern Athletic Association baseball doubleheader against visiting Oglethorpe, but the Stormy Petrels responded with a 13-1 victory and won the weekend series. Tyler Minkkinen scored on a wild pitch for the only run in game one. Nathan Warren was 2-for-2 for the Tigers (9-17, 3-12) in the finale, when Keith Dearden was 3-for-4 with three RBIs for the Petrels (17-10, 7-7) after getting their lone first-game hit.
* Caleb Bloye was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and Perry Rigby also had batted in two runs for Covenant College in its USA South baseball game Saturday in Virginia, but host Ferrum won 6-5. Luke Harvey was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Scott Gillespie scored two runs for Covenant (10-17, 7-11), and starting pitcher Spencer Smith allowed only two earned runs in his five innings.
Softball
* After scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Lee University softball team seemed poised to complete its eighth consecutive victory, but visiting Delta State scored seven in the seventh and salvaged the last game of their Gulf South weekend series, 12-9. Mariah Alvarez drove in three runs and Kassidy Tally had three hits for the Lady Statesmen (15-16, 6-11). For Lee (26-13, 14-9), Lexie Dean was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, Emily Dagnan was 2-for-4 with three RBIs, Kaylie Drew was 1-for-2 and scored three runs, Amanda Lynn was 2-for-4 with two scores and NiaRaye Ceasar also was 2-for-4, with an RBI and a run.
* Former East Hamilton standout Shaliyah Geathers was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored and GPS alumna Tory Lewis had a hit and an RBI, but their 11th-ranked Tennessee softball team lost 12-9 Saturday in the final game of its SEC series at No. 7 Auburn (37-5, 10-2). The Lady Vols are 27-9, 7-5.
Lacrosse
* The Sewanee women’s lacrosse team remained undefeated with a 20-10 SAA win Saturday at Millsaps. The victory clinched the regular-season championship for the Tigers (14-0, 6-0), who had edged previously unbeaten Rhodes on Friday. Sally Anne Greenwood scored five goals and Katie Riddle and Relly King added three apiece in the win, while Ellie Murphy had three assists with two goals and Crawford Horan made 13 saves.
* Berry College nipped the Sewanee men’s lacrosse team 11-10 in overtime Saturday at Rome, Ga., after Sewanee wiped out an 8-1 deficit in the SAA match. Cory Hall scored the winning goal from an Andrew Nix assist for the Vikings (7-4, 3-1)), who got four goals from Maxwell Smerka and 12 saves from Nick Voso. George Bukawyn, who tied the score from a Matthew Stiefel assist with 29 seconds left in the fourth period, had two goals and two assists for the Tigers (7-3, 3-1), who outshot their hosts 47-30. Sewanee’s Hal Smith won 17 of 24 faceoffs and gathered 11 ground balls.
Basketball
* New York Times best-selling author Andrew Maraniss will be the guest speaker for the Chattanooga Quarterback Club’s noon luncheon meeting Monday, and the public is invited. Maraniss wrote “Strong Inside: Perry Wallace and the Collision of Race and Sports in the South” about what the first black basketball player in the Southeastern Conference went through. Attendance costs $10 with a meal, $4 without.