Oak Ridge Today

David Scott returns to coach ORHS girls basketball

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Oak Ridge High School athletic director Mike Mullins announced Friday that ORHS alumnus David Scott will return as the girls head basketball coach for the Lady Wildcats after a two-year hiatus. Scott replaces Karra Jackson, who posted a 29-29 record in her two seasons at the helm before leaving to become the head coach at Ryle High School in Union, Ky.

Scott, 49, was elevated to head coach at Oak Ridge after serving four years as an assistant under ORHS legend Jill Prudden, who compiled a 908-161 overall record, which included winning three state championships and six state runners-ups, a press release said. Prudden stepped down in 2010. [Read more…]

New soccer coach hired at Oak Ridge High School

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Jason Schmieg has been hired as girls head soccer coach at Oak Ridge High School, according to Athletic Director Mike Mullins.

Schmieg replaces Tom Gorman, who compiled a three-year record of 43-10-8, which includes a 2012 District Championship with the Lady Wildcats. Coach Gorman resigned in early June to become the fitness manager for the Rush in Oak Ridge.

Most recently, Schmieg served as head coach of a competitive travel soccer team and assistant boys and girls soccer coach at Millbrook High School in Raleigh, N.C. [Read more…]

Youth National Championships move west next year, Oak Ridge Rowing bidding on other regattas

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USRowing Youth National Championships Finals

One hundred and eight rowers competed for national titles in 18 events during finals on Sunday, the last day of the three-day USRowing Youth National Championships in Oak Ridge.

After three years in Oak Ridge, the annual USRowing Youth National Championships will move west next year to Lake Natoma in Sacramento, Calif.

It’s the first time the championships have been scheduled to be held on the West Coast, officials said. Before coming to Oak Ridge, the races had been held in Cincinnati each year since 1994.

Although it won’t host the Youth National Championships again next year, the Oak Ridge Rowing Association is bidding to host one of two USRowing events next summer, either the Club Nationals in July or Masters National in August, head coach Allen Eubanks said. [Read more…]

USRowing: A day for hope and championships

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Hope Quad

The Narrangansett Boat Club stenciled “Hope” on their quad in honor of Hope Wilhelm, who died Saturday and was the mother of junior coach Peter Wilhelm. (Images courtesy Ed Moran/USRowing)

By Ed Moran/USRowing

Late Saturday, with the finals in the youth national championships on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge only hours away, the athletes from Narragansett Boat Club learned they had lost a member of their small family back home in Rhode Island.

Hope Wilhelm, Narragansett junior coach Peter Wilhelm’s 89-year-old mother, had died. [Read more…]

USRowing Youth National Championships end this afternoon

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USRowing Youth National Championships

More than 1,500 athletes have competed this weekend in the USRowing Youth National Championships on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge. The championship finals in 18 featured events end this afternoon.

More than 1,500 athletes have competed this weekend in the USRowing Youth National Championships on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge. The championship finals in 18 featured events end this afternoon, and 108 athletes are seeking national titles today.

The championships feature some 369 crews from 153 clubs in 30 states competing in back-to-back races. [Read more…]

USRowing Youth National Championships began today, end Sunday

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USRowing Youth National Championships

Photo courtesy of USRowing

By Ed Moran/USRowing

Starting earlier this week, trailers loaded with boats and equipment pulled out of the parking lots of junior and high school crew boathouses across the country and headed to Oak Ridge for the 2013 USRowing Youth National Championships, June 7-9.

Some 369 crews from 153 clubs representing 30 states began arriving at the Melton Hill Lake race venue Wednesday to compete for three days with the hopes of winning a national championship in one of the 18 events featured in both sweep and sculling boats.

Racing begins each morning at 8 a.m. and will continue through 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday with heats, reps, and semifinals leading up to the Sunday finals.

[Read more…]

ORHS basketball team to play in Bahamas

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Information from WYSH Radio

The Oak Ridge School Board voted 4-1 in a special meeting Monday to allow the Oak Ridge High School boys’ basketball team to travel to the Bahamas in November to take part in a prestigious, invitation-only tournament.

There had been some lingering questions about liability and costs associated with the trip, but interim School Superintendent Bob Smallridge recommended the trip be approved. Coach Aaron Green says that the trip will be paid for by the Booster Club and that the team plans to raise money on its own as well.

Workers repairing sinkhole under Oak Ridge soccer field

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Oak Ridge High School Soccer Field Sinkhole

Workers are repairing a 13-foot sinkhole under the soccer field at Oak Ridge High School.

Workers are repairing a 13-foot sinkhole under the Oak Ridge High School soccer field.

It started as an 18-inch hole two weeks ago, said Allen Thacker, Oak Ridge Schools maintenance and operations supervisor. A section of the field “fell out,” and water was observed at the bottom.

Workers dug down about eight feet and found water running in, Thacker said. [Read more…]

Jaguars eliminate Wildcats from state tournament

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The Southwind Jaguars opened up a wide lead in the fourth quarter and eliminated the Oak Ridge Wildcats from the state basketball tournament in a quarterfinal game on Wednesday.

The final score at the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro was 69-47.

[Read more…]

Oak Ridge plays Southwind in Wednesday tournament game

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The Oak Ridge Wildcats will play the Southwind Jaguars of Memphis on Wednesday morning in the quarterfinals of the state basketball tournament in Murfreesboro.

It’s the first game in the Class AAA championships, and it starts at 10 a.m. at the Murphy Center at Middle Tennessee State University.

[Read more…]

No guarantees, but Gaddis plans to win every game

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Meet and Greet for Joe Gaddis

Several hundred people listen to Joe Gaddis during a Thursday evening reception for the returning Oak Ridge Wildcats football coach.

He can’t guarantee that the Oak Ridge Wildcats will win every game this fall, but returning football coach Joe Gaddis said he plans to.

Gaddis said he and his staff will revitalize fan support and increase the number of players. They will also rebuild confidence and excitement in the football program, Gaddis said during a Thursday evening reception at Oak Ridge High School Wildcat Arena.

We’re bringing it back, Gaddis told a few hundred people at the reception. Some of them wore T-shirts that said Gaddis’ Gang.

[Read more…]

Defense, team effort propel Wildcats past Sevier County to state tournament

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Jaylin Henderson of the Oak Ridge Wildcats

Jaylin Henderson scores with about two minutes left in the first half, helping to lead the Oak Ridge Wildcats to a 61-45 win over the Sevier County Smoky Bears in a sectional game at Wildcat Arena on Monday.

Defense and a team effort propelled Oak Ridge past the Sevier County Smoky Bears on Monday, sending the Wildcats basketball team to the state tournament for the first time since 2007.

The final score was 61-45.

Oak Ridge (28-5) will find out who they play in Murfreesboro next week during a drawing on Saturday.

[Read more…]