Oak Ridge Today

Bishop of Anderson County wins state championship in pole vault

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Anderson County sophomore Brittany Bishop won the state championship in the girls' pole vault at MTSU in Murfreesboro on Wednesday, May 24, 2017. (Photo courtesy Gary Terry)

Anderson County sophomore Brittany Bishop won the state championship in the girls’ pole vault at MTSU in Murfreesboro on Wednesday, May 24, 2017. (Photo courtesy Gary Terry)

 

Note: This story was updated at 11 a.m.

Anderson County sophomore Brittany Bishop won the state championship in the girls’ pole vault on Wednesday.

Bishop cleared 12 feet at the 2017 TSSAA Girls’ Track State Championships at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.

She had been the second-seeded pole vaulter, behind senior Taylor Pickett of Brentwood.

Pickett finished second on Wednesday. She also cleared 12 feet.

Bishop had a miss at 11-06, but then she and Pickett both cleared 12 feet. But Bishop did it first. Pickett missed it on her first of three tries.

Bishop and Pickett were the final two jumpers starting at about 11 feet.

Anderson County Coach Al Rodd said Bishop has led pole vaulters for much of the year, but Pickett had recently passed her, clearing 12-02 and 12-04. Bishop had cleared 12 feet at the Dale Legg Invitational earlier this year. [Read more…]

Oliver Springs, other state tournament games postponed

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Murfreesboro Snow Ice on March 5, 2015

Ice covered about two inches of snow in Murfreesboro on Thursday morning, and the Oliver Springs Lady Bobcats state quarterfinal game has been postponed to Friday morning. (Photo courtesy RoaneSports.com)

 

The Oliver Springs Lady Bobcats had been scheduled to play in a state quarterfinal game in Mufreesboro this morning (Thursday morning), but that game has been postponed to Friday morning.

All other TSSAA state basketball tournament games scheduled for today have also been postponed due to extremely hazardous road conditions. The Thursday schedule will resume at 11 a.m. Central time Friday (12 p.m. Eastern) in order to allow extra time for road conditions to improve in the morning.

Friday’s scheduled semifinal games will be played on Saturday beginning at 1:30 p.m. Central due to the Middle Tennessee State University’s women’s basketball game that is scheduled at 10 a.m. Saturday’s scheduled championship games will be played on Sunday. [Read more…]

Wildcats advance to state tournament on late free throws by Higgins, block by Johnson

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Oak Ridge Wildcats Javien Johnson Geevantay Gee and Science Hill

Juniors Javien Johnson (11) and Geevantay Gee (12) of the Oak Ridge Wildcats defend against the Science Hill Hilltoppers during a 55-53 win in a Class AAA sectional game in Johnson City on Tuesday. Johnson blocked a shot by Malik McGue, who scored five of his eight points in the fourth quarter of his final game for Science Hill, with 0.8 seconds to play to help win the game. (Photo courtesy Trey Williams/Johnson City Press)

 

JOHNSON CITY—The Oak Ridge Wildcats are heading back to the state tournament in Murfreesboro next week after their comeback 55-53 win against a hungry Science Hill group at Tuesday night’s Class AAA Sectional game. Two free throws by sophomore Tee Higgins with 5.1 seconds left and a defensive block by junior Javien Johnson with 0.8 seconds left helped the Wildcats pull away with the victory.

It seemed that Science Hill (23-15) couldn’t miss from the floor in the first half. The Hilltoppers hit six three-pointers in the first half—four in the first quarter alone. One of those four included a buzzer-beating three at the end of the first quarter. With the buzzer-beater, the Hilltoppers had a 16-12 lead on the Wildcats.

In the second quarter, Oak Ridge (29-3) fell behind quickly. At one point, the Wildcats were down 24-14. However, thanks to two three-pointers by sophomore DeAndre Gibson, the Wildcats were able to gather themselves and go on a 13-6 run to end the quarter. With one half in the books, Oak Ridge was trailing 30-27.

The second quarter was the only quarter of the game that didn’t have a tie or a lead change. Oak Ridge had three three-pointers in the first half, all of them courtesy of Gibson (2) and sophomore Tajion Jones (1).

The Hilltoppers battled back in the second half. After Oak Ridge jumped out to a 34-30 lead, the Hilltoppers rattled off seven straight points to take the 37-34 lead. Oak Ridge pulled within a point of taking the lead back, and Science Hill drained a three. There actually was a span of 30 seconds in the third that had four consecutive combined threes hit by both teams. However, the Wildcats scored late in the third to give themselves a 44-43 lead with one quarter left to decide who went to the state tournament and who stayed home. [Read more…]

Honors: Gipson selected to Capital One Academic All-America third team

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Autumn Gipson Christmas Invitational

Oak Ridge High School graduate and Middle Tennessee State University student Autumn Gipson, right, running next to teammate Jackline Kiprono, left, in the mile at the Christmas Invitational in Murfreesboro, Tenn. (MT Athletic Communications)

 

First Blue Raider in track and field and cross country

AUSTIN, Texas—Autumn Gipson, a senior runner at Middle Tennessee State University and former all-star athlete at Oak Ridge High School, was selected to the 2014 Capital One Academic All-America Women’s Track and Field/Cross Country third team. The College Sport Information Directors of America announced the selection in late June.

Gipson, a key contributor for MTSU in cross country and track and field, is an exercise science major that has maintained a 4.0 grade point average, the university said in a story posted on its website. She was also selected to the Conference USA Women’s Track and Field All-Academic team on May 28 and the C-USA Women’s Cross Country All-Academic team in November 2013.

“Gipson is the perfect combination of putting academics and athletics together,” said Middle Tennessee head coach Dean Hayes. “She is a good student and has done good things athletically, while making the most of her opportunity at Middle Tennessee. What she has done in the classroom and on the track will help her find success in the future.”

The Knoxville native notched two top-10 finishes in cross country, placing as high as eighth on the two-mile course at the Front Runner Invitational, the MTSU story said. During the indoor season, she tallied three individual top-15 finishes and was a member of the distance medley relay, which placed in the top seven in the five meets they competed in. The relay team captured first at the Edward S. Temple Classic and seventh at the C-USA Indoor Championships. [Read more…]