The Chattanooga Football Club has signed one of its own, goalkeeper Phil D’Amico, to a contract for the club’s new professional soccer status. D’Amico, an almost 22-year-old former University of North Florida standout, played the past two seasons for Chattanooga FC. He allowed 12 goals in his 12 starts in 2018 and 25 goals in 27 appearances last year. He also was a National Premier Soccer League player of the month. “We couldn’t be happier about having Phil back,” coach Peter Fuller said in a CFC release Friday. “He has proven himself at the NPSL level, and I have no doubt he will do a great job for us as we head into the National Independent Soccer Association. He’s a quality young goalkeeper whose best days, I believe, are in front of him.” The season starts Feb. 29 in Oakland, California, as CFC makes its National Independent Soccer Association debut. “Playing for CFC the past two years has been nothing but amazing. The fans are world class and make every player feel at home,” D’Amico said. ” The club is going in the right direction, and for me it was a no-brainer to re-sign.” Previously reported as CFC’s first signee for 2020 was former Chattanooga Red Wolves player Richard Dixon.
Swimming
* Baylor Swim Club alumna Addison Smith, now a freshman at Princeton, made the recently released USA Swimming 18 & Under World 100 List for 2019 with her times in no less than six events: 44th in the female 200 butterfly, 47th in the 800 freestyle, 51st in the 200 free, 52nd in the 400 free, 65th in the 200 individual medley and 66th in the 400 IM. BSC teammates Ellie Waldrep and Cecilia Porter made the World 100 in a total of three events – 47th in the 100 breaststroke for Porter and 50th in the 100 backstroke and 62nd in the 200 back for Waldrep. Jake Marcum from McCallie/GPS Aquatics was 28th in the boys’ 200 back and 44th in the 100 back, and Henry Bethel from Dalton’s Carpet Capital club was 74th in the 100 breast and 87th in the 200 IM.
Track & Field
* University of Tennessee at Chattanooga senior Abby Bateman finished second in the 800-meter run Friday night at the UAB Green and Gold Invitational in Birmingham’s CrossPlex, and Mocs teammates Nicole Buehrle, Ashlynd Broling and Lesley Green were third, sixth and eighth in the mile invitational. Freshman Mattie Parker was fifth in her second collegiate 3000, and UTC’s two distance medley relay teams were third and sixth.