The Oak Ridge Wildcats swim team finished fourth out of 40 teams in the Knox-area Interscholastic Swim League (KISL) City Championship Meet at the University of Tennessee on Sunday.
With the fourth-place finish, the Wildcats have had top five finishes in back-to-back years at KISL for the first time in KISL records dating back to 1997.
“In fact, the highest place Oak Ridge High School had ever placed since 1997 is seventh back in 2003,” a press release said.
The Sunday swim meet was in the Allan Jones Aquatic Center at UT.
Out of 22 ORHS swimmers, nine swimmers competed in the finals, the press release said.
The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will resume its Third Saturday Hike on Feb. 19 after almost two years due to COVID-19 closures. (Submitted photo)
It has been almost two years since the University of Tennessee Arboretum Society has had a Third Saturday Hike because of COVID-19 closings.
“The organization is excited to announce the resumption of the hikes beginning February 19 at the UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge, 901 South Illinois Avenue,” a press release said. “Enjoy over 260 acres of forest and trails in this lovely wooded setting.”
The theme for February is a newcomer’s hike, the press release said. Everyone is welcome to participate in this free guided hike. Newcomers to the area, newcomers to the UT Arboretum, and newcomers to hiking are encouraged to join as well as previous participants. The hikes have been a staple of the UT Arboretum and UT Arboretum Society for more than 13 years This is a great opportunity to “walk off†the food and festivities of the Super Bowl and the Olympics, the press release said.
Members of the Lady Raiders basketball team congratulate Roane State Community College Coach David Harnish on his 800th career win. From left to right are Cassidy Gilmore, Chloe Roark, Catherine Hendershott, Coach Harnish, Korbin Witherspoon, and Shelbi Smith. (Photo courtesy Roane State)
Submitted
Call him Mr. 800.
Roane State Lady Raiders head women’s basketball coach David Harnish earned his 800th career win last week with a 74-56 victory over conference foe Motlow College.
Now in his third season at the helm of the Lady Raiders program, Harnish is the seventh-winningest coach in women’s NJCAA basketball history and the fourth-winningest active coach.
After the win, Harnish said, “I owe a lot of people a lot of credit for the success of 800 wins, and I certainly couldn’t have done it alone.â€
The veteran coach began his coaching career as a men’s assistant at Western Nebraska Community College in Scotts Bluff, Nebraska. Then, in 1988, he was named head coach of Western Nebraska’s women’s team, where he posted an amazing 23-4 record in his rookie season.
That was the start of 28 consecutive 20-win seasons, including nine seasons with 30 wins or more.
Oak Ridge Wildcat Tee Higgins (5), who was then a junior, makes a catch during a 26-17 loss at Ooltewah in a second-round Class 5A playoff game on Friday, Nov. 13, 2015. (File photo by Julio Culiat)
Former Oak Ridge Wildcats wide receiver Tee Higgins and the Cincinnati Bengals will play the Tennessee Titans in an NFL playoff game in Nashville on Saturday.
Higgins, who was a standout football and basketball player at Oak Ridge High School, has played for Cincinnati since he was drafted in April 2020.
Atomic Junior rower Mason Fischer of Oak Ridge High School has signed a letter of intent to Oregon State University, where she plans to major in kinesiology. (Submitted photo)
Atomic Junior rower Mason Fischer of Oak Ridge High School has signed a letter of intent to Oregon State University, where she plans to major in kinesiology, a press release said.
She will be rowing for the Beavers in the powerful Pac-12 Conference, the press release said. Fischer is in her third year of rowing and was in the Atomic four that finished 8th nationally last spring.
An image by Cope Architecture of Knoxville showing what the rebuilt Ben Martin Track will look like at Oak Ridge High School.
A $1.3 million project is under way to rebuild the Ben Martin Track at Oak Ridge High School by June. The asphalt base of the eight-lane track dates back to the 1950s, the rubber surface is washing away, and holes are visible in the disintegrating and patched lanes. The pole vault has been unusable since 2017, and track coaches and athletes from other schools have recently declined to compete in Oak Ridge because of the conditions.
That is expected to change with the new renovated facility, which could host large invitational, sectional, and college track meets. The renovation project will rebuild the asphalt base of the track, add a new rubberized surface, and replace underground utilities. All field events except pole vault will move to the infield. Shot put and discus rings will be on the north end of the football practice field, while long jump and triple jump will be along the straight section of track nearest the bleachers. The pole vault will remain on the south side of the track, but it will move to the west end near the field house.
“This is a first phase of what we hope to be a larger project long-term,” Allen Thacker, Oak Ridge Schools supervisor of maintenance and operations, told the Oak Ridge Board of Education in October. “This is foundational.”
The project has been talked about “behind the scenes” for a handful of years, and there has been intense planning for about two years, according to those involved.
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If you prefer to send a check, you may do so by mailing one to: Oak Ridge TodayP.O. Box 6064Oak Ridge, TN 37831 We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here. We also accept donations. You can donate here. A donation of $50 or more will make you eligible for a subscription. Thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support!
An image by Cope Architecture of Knoxville showing what the rebuilt Ben Martin Track will look like at Oak Ridge High School.
A $1.3 million project is under way to rebuild the Ben Martin Track at Oak Ridge High School by June. The asphalt base of the eight-lane track dates back to the 1950s, the rubber surface is washing away, and holes are visible in the disintegrating and patched lanes. The pole vault has been unusable since 2017, and track coaches and athletes from other schools have recently declined to compete in Oak Ridge because of the conditions.
That is expected to change with the new renovated facility, which could host large invitational, sectional, and college track meets, according to those involved. The renovation project will rebuild the asphalt base of the track, add a new rubberized surface, and replace underground utilities. All field events except pole vault will move to the infield. Shot put and discus rings will be on the north end of the football practice field, while long jump and triple jump will be along the straight section of track nearest the bleachers. The pole vault will remain on the south side of the track, but it will move to the west end near the field house.
An image by Cope Architecture of Knoxville showing what the rebuilt Ben Martin Track will look like at Oak Ridge High School.
A $1.3 million project is under way to rebuild the Ben Martin Track at Oak Ridge High School by June. The asphalt base of the eight-lane track dates back to the 1950s, the rubber surface is washing away, and holes are visible in the disintegrating and patched lanes. The pole vault has been unusable since 2017, and track coaches and athletes from other schools have recently declined to compete in Oak Ridge because of the conditions.
That is expected to change with the new renovated facility, which could host large invitational, sectional, and college track meets. The renovation project will rebuild the asphalt base of the track, add a new rubberized surface, and replace underground utilities. All field events except pole vault will move to the infield. Shot put and discus rings will be on the north end of the football practice field, while long jump and triple jump will be along the straight section of track nearest the bleachers. The pole vault will remain on the south side of the track, but it will move to the west end near the field house.
“This is a first phase of what we hope to be a larger project long-term,” Allen Thacker, Oak Ridge Schools supervisor of maintenance and operations, told the Oak Ridge Board of Education in October. “This is foundational.”
The project has been talked about “behind the scenes” for a handful of years, and there has been intense planning for about two years, according to those involved.
The rest of this story is available if you are a member: a subscriber, advertiser, or contributor to Oak Ridge Today.Already a member? Great! Thank you! Sign in here.Not a member? No problem! Subscribe here:Basic
If you prefer to send a check, you may do so by mailing one to: Oak Ridge TodayP.O. Box 6064Oak Ridge, TN 37831 We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here. We also accept donations. You can donate here. A donation of $50 or more will make you eligible for a subscription. Thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support!
The pool at Norris Dam State Park is pictured above. (Submitted photo)
Tennessee State Parks announced in December that the swimming pool at Norris Dam State Park will not re-open as major maintenance upgrades are required and the use of the pool has declined.
The swimming pool was closed in 2020 and 2021 due to complications related to COVID-19.
“Reopening the pool is unfeasible due to aging facilities, declining visitation pre-COVID 19, and high expenses,” a press release said.
The pool is 45 years old, and visitation was down 29 percent, the press release said.
The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society and Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning have a free Zoom presentation about conservation fisheries on Tuesday, January 25.
The presentation is scheduled to start at 7 p.m., and it will feature Conservation Fisheries, Inc., a nonprofit organization preserving the Southeast’s aquatic biodiversity, a press release said. The presenter, Pat Rakes, is co-director of Conservation Fisheries.
“He will explain the role and mission of CFI as well as its history, pictures of the hatchery, field work, and fish as well as cooperators in this important effort,” the press release said.
Part of Tennessee Centennial Golf Course in east Oak Ridge is pictured above on Wednesday, June 2, 2021. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
The Centennial Golf Course and range will remain closed on Saturday due to snow and ice.
Course crews will reassess conditions on Saturday to determine if there is a possibility of opening on Sunday for regular hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., a press release said.
Oak Ridge Coach Joe Gaddis had his 300th football coaching win when the Wildcats beat Clinton 42-6 on Blankenship Field on Friday, Oct. 13, 2017. Gaddis, center, is pictured above with former Oak Ridge High School Principal Martin McDonald, left, and ORHS Athletic Director Mike Mullins. (File photo courtesy Martin McDonald)
Oak Ridge High School Athletic Director Mike Mullins is retiring, and football coach Joe Gaddis, who announced his retirement as coach in November, will serve as interim athletic director.
Mullins’ decision to retire was announced Wednesday by ORHS Principal Garfield Adams. Gaddis’ appointment as interim athletic director was announced Thursday.
“As athletic director, Mullins was responsible for leading an athletic department that is committed to excellence both in the classroom and in competition,” Adams said in a letter to families. Mullins led several capital improvement projects, Adams said, including the multi-million-dollar revitalization of Blankenship Field and the design of Wildcat Arena, which was part of a $61 million renovation of ORHS.
“This state-of-the-art facility is home to the Wildcat basketball and volleyball teams and is one of the finest venues in the state,” Adams said.
Other facility upgrades completed during Mullins’ tenure include the Pro2Serve Soccer Complex, a renovated weight room, and many locker room enhancements.
Oak Ridge Coach Joe Gaddis talks to the Wildcats football team after a 42-6 win over Clinton on Blankenship Field on Friday, Oct. 13, 2017. It was Gaddis’ 300th coaching win. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
After 48 years coaching, a state championship, and more than 300 wins, Oak Ridge football coach Joe Gaddis is retiring.
On Tuesday, Gaddis, who has the most wins of any Oak Ridge coach and is among the top in the state, said he made the decision to retire during the past few weeks.
“I think coaches just know when it’s time,” he said. “You just kind of know.”
Oak Ridge High School Principal Garfield Adams said Gaddis has an overall record of 334 wins and 146 losses, and he is one of only three active coaches in the state of Tennessee with 300 wins.
“At Oak Ridge High School, Coach Gaddis holds a record of 196 wins and 58 losses, making him the winningest coach in Oak Ridge history and the eighth winningest coach in Tennessee football,” Adams said.
