Sports Archives - Oak Ridge Today

BioBlitz at Worthington Ecological Study Area in Oak Ridge on Saturday

Posted at 9:18 pm July 13, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Submitted image

Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning will partner with the Tennessee Valley Authority in a Discover Life in America “BioBlitz” at Worthington Cemetery in Oak Ridge on Saturday.

A BioBlitz is an event in which the public is invited to help with plant and animal identification, an event notice said.

The event’s organizer, Melinda Watson of TVA Natural Resources, said Worthington was selected because of its unique and varied habitats, including a cedar barren, native warm season grass meadow, hardwoods, marsh/swamp, hemlocks, among other habitats, the event notice said.

Each participant needs to have access to a smartphone, tablet, or a camera with GPS capability, the TCWP said. [Read more…]

Blankenship Field renovations to start after football season

Posted at 6:14 pm July 12, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Blankenship Field and Jack Armstrong Stadium are pictured above on Tuesday, June 19, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The renovations at Blankenship Field, including the installation of synthetic turf, won’t start until after this year’s football season ends, officials said Thursday.

At one time, there had been hopes that the renovation work would have started this past January and be finished by this June. Then, after an $800,000 contract was approved in June, there had still been the possibility that the work could be complete this summer, on or around the first home football game in August.

But on Thursday, the City of Oak Ridge announced a decision to wait until the Oak Ridge High School football season is complete to begin the renovations.

“The decision was based on the contractor’s estimate that the project could not be completed without impacting the first three home football games,” a city press release said. [Read more…]

Golf tournament raises funds for new Roane State golf teams

Posted at 12:42 pm July 4, 2018
By Owen Driskill Leave a Comment

From left to right are Roane State alumni who were members of the original golf team at the community college: Chris Griffin, Eddie Evans, Bobby Tipton (in back), Tom Flynn, former Roane State Golf Coach Eddie Liskovec, Mike Emery, John Thomas, Mike Fuller, and Randy Button. (Photo courtesy Roane State Community College)

By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer

A recent golf tournament at Oak Ridge Country Club raised funds to support a revived men’s golf team at Roane State Community College along with the startup of a women’s squad.

Proceeds from this year’s tournament will help in the purchase of equipment and supplies for the teams, and plans are in the works for future tournaments to support the teams, said Coach Chris Griffin, who is spearheading the effort.

Griffin and a special committee of staff and alumni, in partnership with the Roane State Foundation, organized the tournament, which also included a silent auction of items, events, and trips.

Contributions were received by the Roane State Foundation to support the effort, said Scott Niermann, executive director. The foundation is a not-for-profit entity that provides financial support for the college’s students and programs. [Read more…]

Updated: Council approves $800,000 contract for synthetic turf at Blankenship

Posted at 6:00 pm June 20, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Blankenship Field and Jack Armstrong Stadium are pictured above on Tuesday, June 19, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Note: This story was published at 4:15 p.m. June 19 and updated at 6 p.m. June 20.

The Oak Ridge City Council on Tuesday approved a $800,000 contract to buy and install synthetic turf at Blankenship Field.

Council approved the contract in 5-0 vote during a special meeting Tuesday evening in the Multipurpose Room in the Central Services Complex in central Oak Ridge.

The contract was awarded to Field Turf USA Inc. of Montreal in Quebec, Canada. The company has a regional office in Calhoun, Georgia.

The contract says the purchase and installation of the synthetic turf are not to exceed $800,000. [Read more…]

First Water Safety Day will have demonstrations on life jackets, water rescues

Posted at 5:36 pm June 20, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

A first-ever Water Safety Day in Oak Ridge will feature demonstrations on boating and life jacket safety, open water rescues, lifeguard skills, and more, a press release said.

The Water Safety Day was announced by the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department. It’s scheduled from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. Saturday, June 30, at the Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool.

Water Safety Day is a partnership between the Recreation and Parks Department, Oak Ridge Fire Department, and Oak Ridge Police Department, as well as the Anderson County Volunteer Rescue Squad and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the press release said. [Read more…]

Tryouts will be held June 28 for Roane State golf teams

Posted at 3:32 pm June 20, 2018
By Owen Driskill Leave a Comment

Chris Griffin

Tryouts for the revived Roane State men’s golf team and the first-ever women’s team at the community college will be held Thursday, June 28, at Oak Ridge Country Club, 150 Gum Hollow Road.

Chris Griffin, a Roane State alumnus who was a member of the college’s golf team, is volunteering his time to reactivate the men’s squad and launch a women’s team, a press release said.

Rising Roane State sophomores and students who have graduated from high school and are enrolling in Roane State this fall are invited to try out, Griffin said.

Those tryouts will consist of a single 18-hole round, and tee times will begin at 1 p.m. Contact Griffin at (865) 898-0043 to reserve a tee time. [Read more…]

Part of Melton Lake Drive to be closed Thursday for USA Cycling races

Posted at 2:28 pm June 20, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Image courtesy City of Oak Ridge

A large part of Melton Lake Drive will be closed Thursday for the USA Cycling Individual Time Trial National Championship, which is being held in Oak Ridge.

The planned road closure was announced by the City of Oak Ridge and Oak Ridge Police Department.

The closure is necessary to provide a safe, closed-loop course for athletes, volunteers, and spectators, a press release said. [Read more…]

UT Arboretum Society has monthly hike on Saturday

Posted at 12:24 pm June 14, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Photo courtesy University of Tennessee Arboretum Society

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society’s monthly hike for June will be held Saturday, June 16, at the UT Arboretum on South Illinois Avenue. The hike is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. Saturday.

“The weather is warm, and this is a great time to spend outdoors,” a press release said. “Learn about the UT Arboretum’s trails on this short trail hike (1 to 1.5 hours).”

This hike will be held outdoors and will be led by a volunteer familiar with the Arboretum and the trail system, the press release said. [Read more…]

Drug Awareness Day is Saturday at Oak Ridge Pool

Posted at 11:58 am June 14, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Sixth Annual Drug Awareness Day is Saturday at the Oak Ridge Municipal Pool.

It’s hosted by the Oak Ridge Chapter of the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks.

The pool is located at 172 Providence Road.

Drug awareness demonstrations will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. inside the pool area Saturday. [Read more…]

Manhattan Project Park: Ride with a Ranger on Saturday

Posted at 10:27 am June 14, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Photo courtesy Manhattan Project National Historical Park

Manhattan Project: Ride with a Ranger on the North Boundary Greenway

Join a park ranger for a bike ride on the North Boundary Greenway to see how the former communities of the area have changed during the past 70 years.

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park will present this free program on Saturday, June 16, at 10 a.m. The program will begin at the Turnpike Gatehouse and travel down Quarry Trail.

“Along the ride, we will explore the former communities that were here before the Manhattan Project,” a press release said. “Rangers will stop several times along the bike ride to point out the rich history that is found within the Oak Ridge area.” [Read more…]

Reminder: Oak Ridge will try to set world record in ‘knockout’ basketball today

Posted at 9:40 am June 9, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

A reminder: Oak Ridge will try to set a Guinness World Record on Saturday in a basketball game known as “knockout” today (Saturday, June 9).

The attempt to break the previous world record is part of the Secret City Festival this weekend. The game will start at noon in the parking lot of Dick’s Sporting Goods at Main Street Oak Ridge. The first 702 people will get a free T-shirt, organizers said. Then, every 30 minutes, prizes will be awarded from Electronic Express and Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Once you have taken your shot (and missed…), you get to register for a Jeep awarded at no cost from Secret City Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. Every 30 minutes, one of those registrations will be pulled as a finalist for the drawing for the Jeep on June 27, organizers said. (You must be present to win and 18 and over with a valid driver’s license).

The Dallas Mavericks set the record for the largest game of basketball knockout with 701 participants in Dallas, Texas, on October 4, 2015. The game lasted 27 rounds and more than three hours, according to Guinness World Records. Team owner Mark Cuban was there before the record-setting attempt to check out the court and the turnout, and he also motivated the basketball shooters.

Organizers of this year’s Secret City Festival in Oak Ridge want to do better than Cuban and the Mavericks. They need at least 702 shooters to set the new world record. [Read more…]

NRA Foundation awards grant to national champion Roane State Shooting Sports Team

Posted at 2:30 pm June 7, 2018
By Owen Driskill Leave a Comment

Roane State’s national championship Shooting Sports Team has been awarded a grant for supplies from the NRA Foundation. Shown after winning the national title last fall are, from left, Assistant Coach James Wattenbarger, Head Coach Kenneth Carey, Ty McCaskey, Nathan Wattenbarger, Andy Carey, Codey Dean, Assistant Coach Kevin Hembree, and Nathan Hembree. (Submitted photo)

The national champion Roane State Community College Shooting Sports Team has received a Friends of the NRA Foundation Grant for supplies valued at more than $4,400, a press release said.

“We greatly appreciate the foundation’s support for our athletes,” team coach Kenny Carey said.

Through the grant, the team will receive Winchester 12-guage shotgun shells, Winchester 20-gauge shotgun shells, and a promotional banner.

The Roane State Shooting Sports Team participates in trap, skeet, sporting clays, and five stand competitions. The team has received state and national recognition for its performance, including a first-place finish in the Scholastic Clay Target Program last fall. The competition included more than 200 athletes from 14 states and 21 colleges. [Read more…]