Girls 1,600-meter run. Pictured above is Maddie Zawisza. (Photo by Luther Simmons)
The Oak Ridge Wildcats opened their track and field season at Hardin Valley on Saturday, March 26. Here are more photos by Luther Simmons.
See the story and additional photos here.
Girls 4×100-meter relay. Pictured above is Breanne Young. (Photo by Luther Simmons)
Boys 400-meter dash (Photo by Luther Simmons)
HARDIN VALLEY—The Oak Ridge Wildcats opened their track and field season at Hardin Valley on Saturday, March 26.
The boys and girls teams finished about in the middle of the pack, Wildcats Coach Allen Etheridge said. The girls team was 11th out of 29 teams, and the boys were 18th in a field of 27.
But the teams didn’t set up to “score a ton of points,” Etheridge said.
The Wildcats were missing a few athletes, and with many new students on the team, they were trying new athletes in a few events and experimenting with different combinations.
“I saw a lot to be happy about,” Etheridge said. The teams have potential to be really good, Etheridge said.
The season opener was the Hardin Valley Academy Invitational. It featured 39 teams and 896 athletes.
Here are top 10 finishes for Oak Ridge girls: [Read more…]
The Oak Ridge-William Blount baseball game at home on March 26, 2016, when the Wildcats lost 7-5. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
The Oak Ridge Wildcats went 3-2 in the Kevin Calia Tournament at home on Friday and Saturday.
The Wildcats beat Cookeville 5-4 and Kingston 11-4 on Friday, but lost to Webb 6-4 that day. Oak Ridge defeated Union County 8-7 on Saturday afternoon, but lost to William Blount 7-5 that evening.
See more photos of the Oak Ridge-William Blount game below.
The Wildcats (9-4, 3-2 District 3-AAA) were defeated 7-2 at Gibbs on Monday, and will play the Eagles (6-4, 4-3) again at home this evening (Tuesday, March 29). That game starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Oak Ridge Baseball Complex.
The Wildcats will play at Rhea County (4-7, 2-1 District 6-AAA) at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
Here’s a look at the season results before the Kevin Calia Tournament: [Read more…]
The Oak Ridge-Union County baseball game at home on March 26, 2016, when the Wildcats won 8-7. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
The Oak Ridge Wildcats went 3-2 in the Kevin Calia Tournament at home on Friday and Saturday.
The Wildcats beat Cookeville 5-4 and Kingston 11-4 on Friday, but lost to Webb 6-4 that day. Oak Ridge defeated Union County 8-7 on Saturday afternoon, but lost to William Blount 7-5 that evening.
See more photos of the Oak Ridge-Union County game below.
The Wildcats (9-4, 3-2 District 3-AAA) were defeated 7-2 at Gibbs on Monday, and will play the Eagles (6-4, 4-3) again at home this evening (Tuesday, March 29). That game starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Oak Ridge Baseball Complex.
The Wildcats will play at Rhea County (4-7, 2-1 District 6-AAA) at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
Here’s a look at the season results before the Kevin Calia Tournament: [Read more…]
Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today
The Oak Ridge Wildcats baseball team beat Clinton 11-6 at home on Monday. Here are photos by John Huotari.
The Wildcats are 5-1 overall and 2-1 in District 3-AAA.
The Dragons are 4-2 overall and 1-2 in District 3-AAA.
Oak Ridge will play at Clinton tonight (Tuesday, March 22).
The Wildcats’ one loss this season was at Halls on March 16.
See the Oak Ridge baseball schedule here.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today
Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today
Oak Ridge senior forward Matt Warmbrod (5) scored Oak Ridge’s second goal during a 4-0 win over Campbell County at home on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
The Oak Ridge Wildcats started the regular soccer season with a 4-0 win over Campbell County at home on Tuesday.
The Wildcats outshot the Cougars 20-2.
The Wildcats played four pre-season games, and senior Jose Rodriguez, the second-leading scorer last year, injured his ankle. But he should be back in a week or two, Oak Ridge Coach Jeff Trombly said.
Senior defender Blake Clowers also did not play Tuesday because of medical issues, Trombly said.
New to the team this year is senior Wildcats football player Matt Warmbrod, who primarily played linebacker. Warmbrod played up front for the Oak Ridge soccer team on Tuesday and scored one of the Wildcats’ four goals. Trombly said Warmbrod had played soccer until the eighth grade but then focused on football.
He had a busy night on Tuesday, picking up two shots and a goal in just the first half against Campbell County. Warmbrod had been a defender in soccer but converted to forward, Trombly said. [Read more…]
Oak Ridge sophomore Mykia Dowdell (34) was named to the Class AAA Girls’ All-Tournament team in the 2016 BlueCross Basketball Championships in Murfreesboro on Saturday, March 12, 2016, when the Lady Wildcats finished as state runner-up. Also pictured are Riverdale sophomore Brinae Alexander (32), junior Anastasia Hayes (3), and sophomore Alexis Whittington (25). (Photo by Paul Ward)
MURFREESBORO—The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats finished as state runner-up in the Class AAA girls’ basketball championship in Murfreesboro on Saturday. We published 11 pictures by Paul Ward in our Saturday story on the game. Here are a dozen more photos.
Oak Ridge freshman Jada Guinn (24) was named to the Class AAA Girls’ All-Tournament team in the 2016 BlueCross Basketball Championships in Murfreesboro on Saturday, March 12, 2016, when the Lady Wildcats finished as state runner-up. Also pictured are Riverdale sophomores Amanda Whittington (12) and Brinae Alexander (32). (Photo by Paul Ward)
Oak Ridge junior Courtney Ellison (10) scored seven points during the Class AAA girls’ state basketball championship in Murfreesboro on Saturday, March 12, 2016, when the Lady Wildcats finished as state runner-up. (Photo by Paul Ward)
The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday unanimously supported a grant application for synthetic turf on Blankenship Field. An overall view of part of the proposed renovation of Blankenship Field and Jack Armstrong Stadium is pictured in this image from early 2015.
The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday unanimously authorized a grant application for synthetic turf on Blankenship Field.
If approved by Tennessee officials, the grant could be worth up to $500,000. It would be matched by the Blankenship Field Revitalization Foundation, a nonprofit organization chaired by Tennessee Senator Randy McNally.
The synthetic turf is part of the first phase of a multi-million-dollar proposal to renovate Blankenship Field and Jack Armstrong Stadium.
Previous work has included replacing the visitors side bleachers and renovating the Broadway Avenue parking lot.
The application approved by City Council in a 7-0 vote on Monday is for a Local Parks and Recreation Fund grant from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. The requested grant funding could range between $250,000 and $500,000. The grant requires a 50 percent match. [Read more…]
Oak Ridge sophomore Jaymi Golden (32) drives against Riverdale junior Anastasia Hayes (3) during a 68-36 loss in the Class AAA girls championship game in Murfreesboro on Saturday, March 12, 2016. (Photo by Paul Ward)
Note: This story was last updated at 4:10 p.m. March 13.
MURFREESBORO—Riverdale dominated, and Oak Ridge finished as state runner-up in the Class AAA girls basketball championship in Murfreesboro on Saturday.
The Lady Warriors (32-4) led from start to finish in their 68-36 win. They’ve now won five state titles since 2007, with the last one in 2013.
The Lady Wildcats (30-5) have won three state championships, with the last one in 1997.
The Oak Ridge and Riverdale teams both featured young players this year, and both were led Saturday by first-year coaches. Players from both teams said no one expected them to end up in the final Class AAA game of the 2016 BlueCross Basketball Championships. The two teams have already set their sights on next season.
Riverdale was led Saturday by junior Anastasia Hayes, a Miss Basketball finalist, with a game-high 27 points, three rebounds, and four steals. Sophomore Alexis Whittington scored 14, pulled down five rebounds, and had five assists. Her twin sister Amanda Whittington had six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. [Read more…]
The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats celebrate a 38-31 Class AAA semifinal win over Bradley Central in the state basketball tournament in Murfreesboro on Friday, March 11, 2016. (Photo by Paul Ward)
Note: This story was last updated at 3:40 p.m.
First-year Oak Ridge Coach Paige Green and her young Lady Wildcats advanced to the state basketball championship game on Saturday after beating Bradley Central 38-31 in a Class AAA semifinal game in Murfreesboro on Friday.
It was a success story that few, if any, had predicted. Wildcats broadcasters called it a “miraculous journey” and a “Cinderella run.”
The Lady Wildcats were led by sophomore Mykia Dowdell with 15 points, nine rebounds, and two steals. Freshman Jada Guinn had nine points, two rebounds, and two assists, and sophomore Jaymi Golden added eight points, including late free throws that helped seal the win.
Oak Ridge (30-4) trailed by as many as eight points in the third quarter, but they rallied starting late in that quarter and continuing through the fourth to knock off Bradley Central (32-4). The Lady Wildcats took a 26-25 lead with about 3.5 minutes left in the game on a feed across the lane from Golden to Guinn, who scored a layup.
[Read more…]
The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider applying for a state grant worth up to $500,000 to install synthetic turf at Blankenship Field. Pictured above, Oak Ridge junior wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) hauls in a catch near the left sideline during a 45-6 win over Campbell County on Blankenship Field on Friday, Oct. 30, 2015. (File photo by Julio Culiat)
The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider applying for a state grant worth up to $500,000 to install synthetic turf at Blankenship Field. It’s the first phase of a multi-million-dollar proposal to renovate Blankenship Field and Jack Armstrong Stadium.
The application that City Council will consider is a Local Parks and Recreation Fund grant from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. The grant requires a 50 percent match, which would be provided by the nonprofit Blankenship Field Revitalization Foundation. The requested grant funding could range between $250,000 and $500,000.
The Local Parks and Recreation Fund, or LPRF, grant provides state funding for parks and recreation development and capital projects, said Jon Hetrick, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks director. It requires the facility to be maintained as a public recreational facility and open to the public. Grant reports must be filed with the state every five years to document ongoing use as a public recreational facility. [Read more…]
Oak Ridge sophomore Mykia Dowdell (34) battles Dyer County for a loose ball during a 40-35 win in a state Class AAA quarterfinal game at Middle Tennessee State University on Wednesday, March 9, 2016. (Photo by Paul Ward)
Oak Ridge beat Dyer County in a 40-35 quarterfinal win in the 2016 BlueCross Basketball Championships in Murfreesboro on Wednesday. Here are photos by Paul Ward.
The Lady Wildcats (28-4) advance to a Division I Class AAA semifinal game against Bradley Central (32-3), a Cleveland team, at 10 a.m. Central (11 a.m. Eastern) on Friday, March 11. The games are being played at Murphy Center at Middle Tennessee State University.
See the story on Oak Ridge’s Wednesday morning quarterfinal game here. [Read more…]
