University of Tennessee at Chattanooga vice chancellor and athletic director Mark Wharton announced Monday night the 12 members of the inaugural Mocs Athletics Fan Council to provide ideas and feedback about external operations of the school's sports program. They will serve one- or two-year terms. The members are Richard Buhrman, Davon Crews, Russell Gros, Jackie Howard, Casey Knox, Kim Leffew, Craig Miller, Larry Parks, J Raschke, Priscilla Simms-Roberson, Scottie Swafford and Gabrielle Woods. Woods and Crews are UTC sophomores while Buhrman, Gros, Howard, Knox, Leffew, Raschke, Simms-Roberson and Swafford are alumni. Simms-Roberson also is an assistant professor at the school, and Swafford has a daughter on the UTC softball team. "I am excited to get this initiative started," Wharton said in a release. " This is going to be a fun group to work with, and I can't wait to hear their ideas."
Golf
' Council Fire head professional Richard Rebne and former University of Tennessee golfer Marshall Talkington of Jackson, Tennessee, shared the first-round lead in the 2018 Ira Templeton Chattanooga Classic with 4-under-par 66s Monday at Creeks Bend. They were one stroke ahead of another Jackson pro, Mike Vance, and Knoxville's Walt Chapman, with Crossville's Adam Forgey, Gallatin's Scott Masters and Hixson amateur Patrick Williams tied for fifth at 68. Ryan Botts of Lebanon and former UTC player Matthew Brock of Memphis also were under par at 69. Chattanooga amateur Neil Spitalny shot a 67 for the senior division lead over five players at 68: Bill Breen of Nashville, Audie Johnson of Mount Juliet, Mark Houser of Kingsport and amateurs Jeff Golliher of Knoxville and Bob Rice of Pikeville. Hixson's Wes Gilliland, Honors Course head pro Henrik Simonsen and Powell's Steve Golliher carded 69s, and Chattanooga's Johnny Pierce was 10th at 70.
' Local amateur golfer Jesse Riggs shot his age for the first time with a round of 76 Saturday at The Champions Club at Hampton Creek. His feat was witnessed by Harley Grant, Mike Whitaker and Scott Wilson.
' Beck Burnette of Blairsville and Hogan Ingram of Rome were in an eight-way tie for sixth place with 72s in the first round of the 2018 Georgia Junior tournament Monday at Johns Creek. Cumming's Erik Forberg and Canton's Jack Vajda led by three at 67. Lawrenceville's Jenny Bae had a seven-stroke lead with a 68 in the girls' tournament in Roswell.
Baseball
' Recent Silverdale Baptist Academy graduate Chase Cook plans to sign baseball scholarship papers Wednesday with regional NAIA power Bryan College. The ceremony will take place at Silverdale's upper gymnasium at 1 p.m. The left-handed Cook had a 5-0 pitching record with a 2.45 earned run average as a Seahawks senior, helping them win the Division II-A East District 2 regular season. In 54 innings pitched he allowed 45 hits and 15 walks while striking out 59. He also batted .345 and drove in 26 runs. Cook said he has visited Bryan multiple times. "I took pitching lessons from (Bryan head coach Taylor) Hasty years ago," Cook said. "I always liked him as a coach. He's really nice and I think he's going to be a really good coach for me. I also like the campus and everything. I enjoyed my time there and felt like that's where I wanted to go." Cook also said Bryan offering an engineering major beginning this fall was influential in his decision. Bryan's Lions reached No. 9 in the NAIA rankings and finished 41-17 this past season.
Diving
' Grace Hogue of Signal Mountain and Sarah Griffith of Red Bank qualified Saturday in Birmingham for the AAU national diving championships July 20-26 in San Antonio, Texas. Hogue, age 16, will compete in the 1-meter event; Griffith, 9, qualified in both 1- and 3-meter.