Bryan College softball coach Mark Ritchhart will be one of five recipients of the Award of Distinction at the Water Ski & Wake Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony April 27 at Walt Disney World's Swan & Dolphin Resort. "It is a tremendous honor," Ritchhart said in a Bryan release, noting that "as a young Midwest water skier" he received great inspiration from a visit to the hall of fame in Florida. He began skiing in the late 1970s at the Lake of the Ozarks and became a professional show skier at age 18, performing at Cypress Gardens and Sea World. He won the 1 Adagio doubles national title in 1994 and became a 24-time open national and seven-time international kneeboard champion in addition to excelling in slalom and trick skiing, and he holds national and international slalom records. He also has been a coach - including rebuilding the Florida Southern College program - driver, official and mentor and has worked with disabled skiers, among many contributions.
» Lee University had 11 softball players listed among the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Scholar-Athletes released last week for NCAA Division II. The honor sponsored by Easton required a 3.5 grade point average for the 2017-18 school year, and the Lady Flames earning it were Caroline Freiling (4.000), Kayla Gooch (3.936), Macy Stovall (3.824), Leigh Beatenbough (3.790), Brooklynn Frazier (3.766), Erika Greek (3.752), Stevie Baird (3.656), Claudia Jones (3.529), Kayla Louie (3.508), Madison Davenport (3.500) and Zoe Miller (3.500). In the Gulf South Conference only Montevallo at 3.622 had a higher team GPA last year than Lee's 3.516.
Volleyball
» University of Tennessee at Chattanooga freshman setter Jaquelyn Langhaim was selected the Southern Conference volleyball offensive player of the week after totaling 56 assists in matches against The Citadel and Mercer. She averaged 9.33 assists per set. Langhaim, who served four aces in the 3-0 win over Mercer, is the first SoCon freshman to be a player of the week this season and the first UTC setter to be so honored in three years.
» Chattanooga State's inaugural volleyball team improved to 10-6 with a 3-0 road win (25-16, 25-23, 25-18) Monday against the Bryan junior varsity. The Lady Tigers' 10th win in 12 matches included eight kills and five blocks from Sidney Killingsworth, seven kills and five blocks from Sakari Pack, another seven kills from Kayla Wimpee, 13 and 11 assists from Dakota Rawiszer and Emily Redden and six blocks from Cayla Jacob. Josie Jordan led in digs with eight.
» Cleveland State lost 3-0 (25-12, 25-10, 25-19) at Gadsden State and is 8-10.
» Milligan junior Kellee Geren from Cleveland High School was chosen the Appalachian Athletic Conference setter of the week for the second week in a row and the third time this season. She totaled 99 assists in 10 sets last week, including 43 against St. Andrews, and added 23 digs.
Soccer
» Tennessee Wesleyan senior forward Livia Walker from McMinnville was the AAC women's soccer offensive player of the week for her two goals in a 7-0 win at St. Andrews and the only goal in a 1-0 victory at Point.
Golf
» The 17th-ranked Sewanee women's golfers finished sixth in the 11-team Generals Invitational at Lexington, Virginia, with a 36-hole total of 625. The top four teams all are ranked higher than the Tigers, led by No. 7 New York University at 599, and fifth-place Oglethorpe shot 624. Sewanee's Mary Elizabeth Benton tied for 13th individually at 154, and Meghan Symonds shared 26th at 157. Sophie Morrill and Caroline Cole had 161s.
Football
» The bus trip to the Oct. 20 Alabama-Tennessee football game is to Knoxville, not Tuscaloosa as reported in Monday's sports section. Arranged by the Alabama Alumni's Chattanooga chapter, it costs $140 for members, $155 for nonmembers, including a game ticket as well as transportation. Call Charles Tankersley at 706-935-3172 or Terry Nida at 423-718-6160.