Dalton High School's Omar Hernandez and Matt Cheaves have been named player of the year and coach of the year for Top Drawer Soccer's spring All-America boys' teams, and Matthew Warbrick and Gui Vivaldini from McCallie's state champions were second-team All-Americans. Hernandez, who's about to begin a Wake Forest career, repeated as a Top Drawer first-team All-American (and was the Gatorade national player of the year) after totaling 16 goals and 17 assists as the Catamounts went 23-0 and were No. 1 in the FAB 50 final national rankings in addition to winning Cheaves' fifth state title. Warbrick, a Virginia signee, had 10 goals and four assists in the Blue Tornado's championship season, and Vivaldini had 22 goals and 10 assists as the only sophomore on the TDS first and second teams.
Tennis
» Despite losing the doubles point with two 9-8 defeats, overcoming an 8-6 win for Wes Barnett and Welsh Hotard, the Southern Section pulled out a 4-3 championship win against Southern California in the USTA Boys 18 national tournament Tuesday at the Champions Club. The Southern boys were seeded second out of the 17 sections spanning the country; Southern California was a five seed. The Southern singles winners were Phillip Jordan from the University of South Carolina, Georgia Tech signees Andres Martin and Keshav Chopra and 2020 Oklahoma commitment Hotard from New Orleans. Siem Woldeab and Jacob Bullard won at Nos. 1 and 2 singles for the Californians. Texas topped the Midwest 5-2 for third place.
Swimming
» Four Baylor Swim Club representatives are in the 2019 USA Swimming Phillips 66 National Championships this week at Stanford University. They are scheduled for 16 events, beginning Wednesday with Trey Freeman in the men's 100- and 1500-meter freestyles and Addison Smith in the women's 200 butterfly and 800 free. She also is entered in the 200 and 400 frees and 400 and 200 individual medleys, while Freeman also is in the 200, 400 and 800 frees. Ellie Waldrep is entered in the 200 and 100 backstrokes and 100 fly, and Cecilia Porter is set for the 200 and 100 breaststrokes. Meanwhile, the Futures meet in Greensboro, North Carolina, will include McCallie/GPS Aquatics' Ellie Taliaferro, Emma Scruggs and Sam Powe, and their teammates Will Jackson, Jake Marcum and Grayson Payne will be in next week's Junior Nationals at Stanford.
Softball
» Two first-time coaches but decorated players will be helping Steve Jaecks in his first year as Cleveland State's softball head coach. Former Chattanooga State player Jennah McElheney just ended her Reinhardt University career and will be Jaecks' official assistant, while 2019 Cleveland State graduate - and female athlete of the year - Auburn Collake from Ooltewah will be a volunteer assistant while continuing her education at UTC. Both have experience in working camps and giving softball lessons. Between the Lady Tigers and Eagles, McElheney was all-conference three times, including making the first team and NFCA all-region this past spring. "I'm so excited about this new opportunity and am very blessed to be chosen for this position," she said in a Cleveland State release. "Coach Jaecks is very knowledgeable, so I'm looking forward to working with him." Collake said she is "so blessed and grateful" to stay involved in "this sport that I love" and "to stay at the best place."
Running
» Covenant College's track and field squads repeated as all-academic teams recognized by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The Lookout Mountain school was the only USA South member with both teams honored for aggregate grade point averages of at least 3.0. Coach Katie Stanford's Lady Scots compiled a 3.37, the men a 3.27.
Golf
» Katelyn Skiffen of Chatsworth tied for 12th at 153 in Georgia's Top 60 Women's Classic held Monday and Tuesday at Big Canoe Golf Club. Kate Owens of Suwanee edged Canton's Sarah Gallagher in a playoff for the championship after they tied at 2-over-par 146.