Oak Ridge Today

Rowing coach Allen Eubanks leaving Oak Ridge

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Oak Ridge Rowing Association Boathouse

The Oak Ridge Rowing Association boathouse at Melton Lake Park on the Clinch River.

After 13 years here, the head coach of the Oak Ridge Rowing Association is leaving the Secret City.

Allen Eubanks no longer works for the ORRA. The rowing association’s board agreed unanimously earlier this month that Eubanks was “no longer needed for the position he held,” ORRA President Bob Franks said Monday.

Franks declined to elaborate on the personnel change, which he called a business decision.

“He’s a good guy,” Franks said of Eubanks. “He’s going to be successful, and we wish him well.” [Read more…]

About 200 bike riders competing in Oak Ridge Velo Classic this weekend

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Oak Ridge Velo Classic

Professional and top amateur males race in a previous Oak Ridge Velo Classic. (Photo submitted by Lou Rabinowitz)

About 200 bicycle racers will compete this weekend in the sixth annual Oak Ridge Velo Classic.

The competitions include road races that start at 8 a.m. Saturday at the former K-25 site, now renamed East Tennessee Technology Park, and time trials that start at 4 p.m., also at ETTP.

Starting at 8:30 a.m. Sunday, riders will compete in a criterium, which is like “NASCAR on bikes,” said Lou Rabinowitz, one of the organizers. The criterium races will be on a closed loop at the Horizon Center business park in west Oak Ridge. Competitors can ride very close to each other and could reach top speeds of up to 30 mph or more. Rabinowitz said it’s the best competition for spectators to watch. [Read more…]

Sign up today for wilderness first aid

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Roane State Community College’s Continuing Healthcare Education Department will host a wilderness first aid course at Oliver Springs High School.

The $125 course includes three sessions: July 30 from 6-9:30 p.m., Aug. 1 from 6-9:30 p.m., and Aug. 3 from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. [Read more…]

Girls softball camp in Oliver Springs on July 29-30

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A two-day softball camp for girls ages 4-13 starts Monday, July 29, at Arrowhead Park in Oliver Springs.

The camp is scheduled from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Monday, July 29, and Tuesday, July 30. It costs $40.

The camp includes individual instruction on softball fundamentals, including throwing, catching, fielding, position play, offense, and base running, a press release said. All instruction will be age- and experience-appropriate. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge High School cheerleaders: combining spirit and sport

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Oak Ridge High School Cheerleaders

The Oak Ridge High School cheerleaders for the 2013-2014 school year, pictured above, will have a pre-camp exhibition performance at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Wildcat Arena. (Submitted photo)

Community invited to pre-camp performance this Friday

Traditional cheerleading began at the University of Minnesota in 1898, when male cheerleaders encouraged students to show their spirit at athletic events.

This model continued exclusively until the early 1990s, when all-star competitive gyms formed to highlight the athleticism of the cheerleader. Combining tumbling, stunting, and dancing, non-school teams began competing at the regional and national level, drawing more and more girls to the fast growing sport.

At Oak Ridge High School, cheerleaders were maintaining the traditional role, but found they were losing students to the competitive nature of the all-star gym. [Read more…]

Track Club has middle school cross country camp

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The Oak Ridge Track Club Youth Athletics Program has a middle school cross country camp that starts July 29.

This camp at Robertsville Middle School is for athletes planning to compete in middle school cross country during the fall 2013 season. Athletes should be entering 6th, 7th, or 8th grades. All middle school runners are welcome, regardless of school affiliation, a press release said. [Read more…]

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…]

Registration open for Exercise for Fitness classes

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The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department is sponsoring Exercise for Fitness, an adult exercise program taught by Charlotte Hensley. The class meets at the Oak Ridge Civic Center on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings from 9–10:30 a.m.

“This well-balanced program offers exercise routines that include stretching, toning, Pilates, and aerobics,” a press release said. “The instructor incorporates the use of a variety of equipment including fitness balls, hand weights, steps, and hoops to provide a comprehensive workout for each participant.” [Read more…]

Secret City to glow with color at Neon Vibe 5K in September

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Neon Vibe 5K Oak Ridge

A Neon Vibe 5K will be held at A.K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge on Sept. 21. (Photo courtesy Neon Vibe 5K)

The “Atomic City” will “light up the night” this fall when a brand new event, the Neon Vibe 5K, comes to town.

The 5K is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 21, at A.K. Bissell Park. The Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau announced the race this week.

The Neon Vibe 5K is an after-dark, fluorescent glow light fun run that will have participants “glowing crazy with color and dancing all night long,” a press release said. Starting with the 5K, participants will run a traditional, non-competitive 3.1-mile course with four UV black light “glow zone” color stations and upbeat dance music set up throughout the route. [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…]