Chris Berry obliterates UTC's 10k record

Sunday, April 8, 2012

STANFORD, Calif. - University of Tennessee at Chattanooga senior runner Chris Berry shattered the school's 10,000-meter record by nearly a minute late Friday night at the Stanford Invitational and qualified for this year's NCAA East Regional track and field meet. Berry finished ninth in the second heat in 29 minutes, 19.72 seconds, beating his previous personal best by 1:22.76 as well as breaking Rodney Stoker's Mocs record of 30:14.00 from 1998. Stoker now is the Bryan College coach. "It's all very, very exciting," UTC coach Bill Gautier said in a school release. "This was the most incredible thing ever. Chris beat out many runners from our region, including guys from Georgia and Florida State." UTC junior Lucas Cotter had a personal-best 14:29.49 in the men's 5,000 but was on pace to challenge that school record until injuring a foot, and senior Emmanuel Kirwa was bothered by his allergies and finished in 14:36.89. The Lady Mocs' Amanda Sumner also hurt a foot and was unable to complete the women's 5,000 after leading through 3,000 meters. "Almost anything that could go wrong this weekend did until Chris ran," Gautier said. "This is what Chris came to college to do, and he ran the race of a lifetime."

• KNOXVILLE - Bryan College senior Bryson Harper from Sequatchie County High School was second in the 3,000-meter run in 8:35.59 and fifth with an NAIA national qualifying time of 3:53.33 in the main 1,500 at the Tennessee Challenge hosted by the University of Tennessee on Saturday. Bryan sophomore Alex Stephens from Cleveland also qualified for the national meet with a career-best 3:56.33 in winning section two of the 1,500 and finishing sixth overall, and Lions junior Jason McLeod was ninth in 3:59.15. Bryan freshman Chris Pineda from Dalton was 12th in the men's 800.

Boxing

• The United States women's boxing team accompanied by Chattanooga's Joe Smith won six gold medals, one silver and two bronze Saturday night in the finals of the Continental Championships in Montreal. The U.S. took 10 boxers to the 19-country competition.

Tennis

• A 6-1 Southern Conference victory Saturday at Davidson gave the UTC women's tennis team 14 wins this season - the most for the program since a 14-10 season in 2000. Coach Jeff Clark's Lady Mocs this year are 14-4 overall and 6-3 in the SoCon. Jenna Nurik, Kaylene Chadwell, Emily Hangstefer, Shaina Singh and Claire Mulyadi won both in doubles and singles for UTC. "It was another good day for the Lady Mocs," Clark said in a school release. "We got strong play and leadership from our seniors in singles and doubles and another good day from [No. 1] Jenna Nurik. We played really good tennis today." Saturday at Boone, N.C., the UTC men's team lost 5-2 to Appalachian State. Roberto Vieira and Ankit Chopra won at Nos. 1 and 4 singles for the Mocs (13-7, 4-5).

Softball

• UTC softball coach Frank Reed will be the guest speaker for the Chattanooga Quarterback Club's noon luncheon meeting Monday at Finley Stadium, and the public is invited. Tennessee Titans radio play-by-play man Mike Keith will be the speaker for the April 16 meeting. Attendance costs $10 with a meal, $4 without.

• AUBURN, Ala. - Madison Shipman homered, tripled and batted in four runs as Tennessee pulled out a 5-3 Southeastern Conference softball win in 10 innings Saturday at Auburn. She had an RBI triple and scored on an illegal pitch in the 10th for the Lady Vols (30-9, 12-6), giving Ellen Renfroe (21-3) the pitching win in relief of her sister Ivy. Former Girls Preparatory School standout Tory Lewis scored the tying run for UT in the fifth inning after racing to third on a throwing error on her leadoff bunt.

• TULSA, Okla. - Laura Curtis from Chattanooga Christian and Chattanooga State scored two runs after walks and Kamri Chester from GPS scored another as Memphis edged Tulsa 7-6 in Conference USA softball Saturday. The Tigers rose to 12-29, 3-12 in the league; Tulsa is 26-8, 10-2.

• JACKSON, Miss. - Sewanee lost 11-0 twice in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference softball Saturday at Millsaps, getting two hits in the first game and three counting Kayla Sewell's double and single in the series finale. Sewanee is 5-14, 0-8 in league play.

• Tennessee Wesleyan defeated visiting Milligan 4-3 and 4-2 in a softball doubleheader Friday in Athens, making each team 10-4 in the Appalachian Athletic Conference. Milligan is 23-17 overall and received votes in the latest NAIA poll, while TWC is 12-20.

Lacrosse

• SEWANEE, Tenn. - Jack Thomasson, Reed Daniel and Davis Brown scored three goals apiece as Sewanee drubbed a visiting SCAC lacrosse rival for the second night in a row Saturday, 17-6 over Rhodes. Pierce Leonard, Drew Lincoln and Thomas Moore added two goals each for the Tigers (8-4, 3-2).