Oak Ridge Today

Manhattan Project Park: Ride with a Ranger on Saturday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

You can join a National Park Service park ranger for a bike ride on the North Boundary Greenway on Saturday, May 25, 2019, to see how the former communities of the area have changed during the past 75 years. (Photo courtesy National Park Service)

You can join a National Park Service ranger for a bike ride on the North Boundary Greenway to see how the former communities of the area have changed during the past 75 years.

The free program is presented by the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which includes Oak Ridge.

The bike ride program will start at 10 a.m. Saturday, October 19, at the Turnpike Gatehouse and travel down Big Oak Trail and North Boundary Road.

“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…]

Volleyball: Lady Wildcats win fourth straight district championship

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats volleyball team won its fourth consecutive District 4-AAA tournament championship at Bearden High School on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019. (Photo submitted by Buzz Patrick)

The Oak Ridge volleyball team won its fourth consecutive District 4-AAA tournament championship on Thursday.

The Lady Wildcats were undefeated in the district during the regular season, and as a result, they did not have to play in the first round of the district tournament, which was at Bearden High School.

Here is information about the tournament provided by Buzz Patrick:

Oak Ridge faced the number five seed, Karns, in the semifinal match on Thursday, and the Lady Wildcats swept the Lady Beavers in three sets (25-12, 25-15, 25-16) behind the stellar serving of junior Paige Halcrow, who notched seven aces against the Lady Beavers to help the ‘Cats counteract some of their own passing errors.

After a short break, the Lady Wildcats faced the number two seed, West, in the finals. Oak Ridge defeated West for the third time this year (25-22, 25-12, 25-12) to earn the 2019 District 4-AAA tournament championship to accompany their regular season championship.

[Read more…]

Greenway, park closures announced during fall hunts

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has scheduled two scout days and three quota hunts on the Oak Ridge Wildlife Management Area this fall.

During the scout and quota hunt days, these greenways and this park will be closed: Gallaher Bend Greenway, North Boundary Greenway, Haw Ridge Park, and the section of Melton Lake Greenway adjacent to Haw Ridge Park.

The hunts, which are open only to those with a valid TWRA quota permit, will take place on the following weekends:

[Read more…]

Soccer: Secret City Tournament in Oak Ridge this weekend

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Soccer Club of Oak Ridge Secret City Tournament
The Soccer Club of Oak Ridge (SCOR) will host the 8th Annual Secret City Tournament this weekend, Sept. 21-22, 2019. The tournament brings in players from across the Southeast to compete in a highly competitive weekend of soccer. (Submitted photo)

The Soccer Club of Oak Ridge (SCOR) will host the 8th Annual Secret City Tournament this weekend, September 21-22. The tournament brings in players from across the Southeast to compete in a highly competitive weekend of soccer, a press release said.

The Secret City Tournament will host 63 teams from Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, and Virginia. Games will be played on seven fields around town, including Jefferson Middle School, Oak Ridge High School, and the five fields managed by the City of Oak Ridge.

More than 1,075 players and their families will be in town during the weekend tournament, playing more than 100 games around the city, the press release said. Players ranging in ages from 8 to 19 will compete in multiple high-energy games that will feature 11 championships by the end of weekend play, the press release said.

[Read more…]

Volleyball: Oak Ridge is 9-1 overall, 4-0 in district

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats are 9-1 overall this volleyball season, and they are 4-0 in district games.

The team will play again after the Labor Day weekend, traveling to Knoxville Catholic on Tuesday and to play district opponent Powell on Thursday.

Here are summaries of games this season submitted by Buzz Patrick, with some light editing.

[Read more…]

Football: Wildcats start season 0-2

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Wildcats have started the 2019 football season with two losses.

The first was a 13-6 loss to Hardin Valley at home on Friday, August 23, and the second was a 41-6 loss at Dobyns-Bennett in Kingsport on Friday, August 30.

The Wildcats will play their first Region 3-5A game at Campbell County (2-0) on Friday.

Oak Ridge scored their one touchdown in the season-opening game against Hardin Valley (1-1) with a 21-yard pass from junior quarterback Mitchell Gibbons to senior running back Tyrell Romano with 8:26 left in the third quarter.

[Read more…]

Lady Wildcats start regular season with 2-1 win over Catholic

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats started the regular soccer season with a 2-1 win at Knoxville Catholic on Tuesday.

The game was tied 1-1 at the half, with the Oak Ridge goal scored by junior Taylor Del Toro.

The Lady Wildcats scored again in the second half on a pass from senior Katie O’Brien to senior Maddie Peters, who scored the goal, giving Oak Ridge a 2-1 lead, according to Oak Ridge Lady Soccercats.

[Read more…]

Football: Wildcats start regular season Friday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Blankenship-Field-James-Mitchell-Aug-2019
The renovated Blankenship Field—the city’s football field—and its walking track are now open for public use. The main change is that the grass field has been replaced with synthetic turf, but there are other changes as well. The field is pictured above in August 2019. (Photo by James Mitchell via City of Oak Ridge)

The Oak Ridge Wildcats will start the regular football season at home on Blankenship Field on Friday, August 23.

The Wildcats will open the season in a game against Hardin Valley. The game starts at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

It will be the first time the Wildcats have played a regular-season game on the new synthetic turf on Blankenship Field.

[Read more…]

Renovated Blankenship Field open for public use

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Blankenship-Field-James-Mitchell-Aug-2019
The renovated Blankenship Field—the city’s football field—and its walking track are now open for public use. The main change is that the grass field has been replaced with synthetic turf, but there are other changes as well. The field is pictured above in August 2019. (Photo by James Mitchell via City of Oak Ridge)

The renovated Blankenship Field—the city’s football field—and its walking track are now open for public use.

The main change is that the grass field has been replaced with synthetic turf, but there are other changes as well, including to scoreboards and end zone areas.

The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department and Oak Ridge Schools announced the opening of the renovated field on Tuesday.

The field and track are accessible through a gate adjacent to the lower concession stand, a press release said. Like other public park facilities, public use is permitted from sunup to sundown, except when the field is reserved for special events, the press release said.

[Read more…]

Roane State names head women’s basketball coach

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

David Harnish

David Harnish

 

David Harnish, Roane State’s new head women’s basketball coach, will hit the hardwood running as he assumes his new duties.

But for this Colorado native, it’s a return to what he loves doing and does so well. Harnish, 60, was the coach of the Western Nebraska Community College’s women’s team for 29 years and built a remarkable career record of 764 wins and 155 losses.

In 2003, his team played in the national championship title game before coming up short and finishing second in the nation. He has coached 14 All-Americans and more than 40 All-Region student athletes.

“We are extremely fortunate to have a coach coming in who has taken his former school to the NJCAA Division I tournament and has enjoyed such great, long-term success,” Roane State Athletic Director Randy Nesbit said. [Read more…]

Outdoor Pool hours extended into August

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool on Providence Road is pictured above. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department is extending open hours at the outdoor pool into the month of August. The new schedule will begin on Thursday, August 1, as follows: 

  • Monday-Friday: 100-meter Lap Swim from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
  • Monday-Friday: Kiddie/Shallow Open Swim from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
  • Wednesdays: After-school Open Swim from 3-8 p.m.
  • Saturday and Sunday: Open Swim from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
[Read more…]

Head coach named for Atomic Rowing

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Wendy Davis

Wendy Davis, who has been a head coach at the University of Minnesota, has been named head coach of the Atomic Rowing program in Oak Ridge.

The appointment was announced by the Oak Ridge Rowing Association on Monday. It follows a nationwide search, a press release said.

Davis was head coach of the Women’s Division 1 Rowing program at the University of Minnesota since 2000, the press release said. While head coach, Davis helped the Golden Gophers rowing team become one of the nation’s leading collegiate organizations, and she was consistently recognized by her peers, twice receiving Big Ten Coach of the Year honors, the press release said. The 2019 Golden Gophers had a mid-year national ranking of 15th, the release said.

[Read more…]