McCallie graduate Ryan wins Big Ten 500 free

Thursday, February 24, 2011

MINNEAPOLIS -- Michigan freshman Sean Ryan from Hixson won the men's 500-yard freestyle race Thursday at the Big Ten swimming and diving championships. The former McCallie School standout finished in 4 minutes, 17.91 seconds, which likely will get him in the NCAA meet but not automatically. Ryan will swim the 200 free today and the mile free, probably his best event, Saturday.

Basketball

* CLEVELAND, Tenn. -- Lee University pulled out two close, crucial Southern States Athletic Conference basketball wins Thursday night against visiting Shorter, 52-51 for the 13th-ranked Lady Flames and 65-63 for the No. 14 Flames. Brooke McKinnon and Angela Spann scored 18 points each for Lee's women (23-5, 13-2), McKinnon with eight rebounds and Spann with 6-of-12 3-point shooting, and Hollie German had six assists. Damisha Moore had 15 points, 12 rebounds and four steals for Shorter (23-6, 12-3). For the Flames (22-7, 10-2), Antonio Haymon had 15 points and nine rebounds, Teddrick Hardy and Johnny Godette had 13 and 11 points and Larriques Cunningham had 13 rebounds with 10 points. Walter Hill scored 21 for the Hawks (22-7, 6-5).

* Kanetra Gonzalez and Cherelle James had 18 and 13 points and four assists apiece, James adding seven rebounds, as Tennessee Temple University defeated Covenant College 75-54 in women's basketball Thursday. Alexis McGhee contributed four steals to the win. Margaret Cross and Kiaira Cooper scored 21 and 17 points for Covenant.

* HARRIMAN, Tenn. -- The Chattanooga State women's basketball team clinched the top seeding in the TCCAA/NJCAA Region VII tournament by defeating Roane State 83-72 in their makeup game Wednesday, and the Chattanooga State men completed the sweep with a 74-66 victory. April Woodard scored 24 points and Jasmain Carey and Hiydaayah Williams had 21 and 20 points and nine and 11 rebounds for the Lady Tigers (2006, 15-3), and Kim Manning had 12 points, nine rebounds and five assists. They will open tournament play March 3 at 7 p.m. EST at Dyersburg against the winner between Motlow State and Columbia State the day before. Alex Wells and Latraius Mosley scored 17 and 16 points for the Tigers (21-5, 13-5), who tied for second behind Motlow and are seeded third for a 5 p.m. tournament game on March 3. Philip Jurick had 12 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocks.

* Freshman Ish Sanders from Cleveland scored 18 points in Carson-Newman's 83-78 loss at 13th-ranked Lincoln Memorial in NCAA Division II basketball Wednesday night. Eagles teammate Antonio Sullivan scored 20.

Baseball

* NASHVILLE -- Shortstop Stephen Branca was 4-for-5 with a double and three RBIs and first baseman Cody Gaskill doubled, singled and also drove in three runs as the Tennessee Wesleyan baseball team won 10-3 at Trevecca Nazarene on Wednesday. Leadoff man Jon Smith had two RBIs and scored three times, David Lindsay was 3-for-5 and Anthony Boix and Jordan Guida each had two hits for TWC (10-4).

* GADSDEN, Ala. -- Cleveland State improved its baseball record to 7-5 with a 5-1 win Thursday at Gadsden State. Scott Spears (1-1) gave up five hits in his six innings, and batterymate Galen Smith was 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in the first inning. He scored twice. Grant Zawadzki was 1-for-3 with an RBI, a run and two stolen bases.

Fishing

* GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. -- Robert Boyd of Russellville, Ala., took the first-day lead in the FLW EverStart Series bass tournament on Lake Guntersville with a limit of five fish totaling 29 pounds, 3 ounces Thursday. Rick Williams of Decatur, Ala., was second with 23-15, and Clark Smith Jr. of Pell City, Casey Martin of Huntsville and Jake Morris of McKee, Ky., were over 23 pounds as well. Hixson's Jared Haas was tied for 13th with 19-4. Steve Keller Jr. led the co-anglers with 24-14.

Staff Reports