Maynord makes individual finals

Thursday at Smyrna Bowling CenterDivision II girls: (semifinals) 6. Kara Maynord, GPS, 149.75 average; 7. Sydney Leech, GPS, 148.5; 14. Madison Boyd, GPS, 139.0; 18. Corey Swafford, GPS, 132.0; 19. Sara Griffith, GPS, 123.0.Division II boys: (semifinals) 15. Brandon Robertson, Baylor, 145.75; 17. Sho Takiguchi, Baylor, 144.0; 19. Daniel Stone, McCallie, 143.0; 20. Evan Speicher, McCallie, 138.75; 21. John Markley, McCallie, 132.0; 22. C.J. Moffat, McCallie, 127.75.Division I girls: (quarterfinals) 3. Kylee Saunders, Soddy-Daisy, 210.75; T-30. Lauren Smeltzer, Walker Valley, 174.5; 37. Niki Bell, Soddy-Daisy, 171.25; T-41. Hannah Goodwin, Chattanooga Christian, 166.5; Chelsea McCormack, Walker Valley, 166.5; 43. Ciara Long, Soddy-Daisy, 164.5; 61. Samantha Derrick, McMinn County, 144.0; (semifinals) 14. Saunders, 140.75 in afternoon.Division I boys: (quarterfinals) 14. Joseph Leffew, Soddy-Daisy, 211.5; 30. Reggie Long, Central, 201.75; 33. Tanner Johnson, Soddy-Daisy, 197.75; T-34. Cody Rymer, Bradley Central, 196.75; 41. Allyn Pickett, Soddy-Daisy, 192.75; 43. Gavin Bishop, Bradley, 190.0; T-45. Cody Hunter, Soddy-Daisy, 188.0; 53. Hayden Bishop, Bradley, 180.5; semifinals, Leffew, 166.75 in afternoon.

SMYRNA, Tenn. -- Of the 19 Chattanooga-area bowlers in the TSSAA individual state tournament Thursday, only senior Kara Maynord from GPS made this morning's finals.

Maynord edged teammate Sydney Leech for the sixth and final spot in the Division II girls' final round with a 149.75 average in the semifinals. Leech's average was 148.5.

GPS had five qualifiers, and the other three finished 14th, 18th and 19th out of the 24 participants. In Division II boys, Baylor's two entrants finished 15th and 17th and McCallie's qualifiers were 19th through 22nd.

McCallie, like GPS, begins team play this afternoon at the Smyrna Bowling Center. Soddy-Daisy's boys and girls are in the Division I team quarterfinals after having a total of seven qualifiers shut out of the individual finals.

The Lady Trojans' Kylee Saunders had the third-best quarterfinal average, 210.75, with a 279 and a 235 among her four games, but she slipped to 12th in the afternoon round. The Trojans' Joseph Leffew also made the Division I semifinals, with a 14th-best 211.5 in the quarterls, and wound up 13th.

The TSSAA uses a "sport shot" oil pattern for the individual tournament but reverts to a customary type for the team competition, and coach Jenise Gordon of 20-0 GPS acknowledged a big difference.

"It was painful to watch today," she said. "The sport shot really affects them, but we'll go back to a house pattern tomorrow afternoon and we'll be fine. Their house pattern is close to ours. And Kara is still totally in this thing in the morning."

Calhoun best in U.S.

The honors keep rolling in for the Calhoun football team. The Georgia Class AA undefeated champion was honored Thursday by MaxPreps for being the top team in the country for a school with under 1,000 students.

"It's a nice honor and it's a tribute to what these kids have worked so hard for," Yellow Jackets coach Hal Lamb said. "They deserve it and this community deserves it."

Ringgold's Sholl signs

Kensey Sholl, an integral part of Ringgold's back-to-back state tournament softball teams, recently signed with Reinhardt University. Sholl split time between pitching and the infield this past season after playing almost exclusively as a pitcher her junior season.

Sholl hit .333 her senior year and posted an ERA of 1.24 for the Tigers, who finished third in Class AAA.

"I'm very excited about Kensey going to play at a great college program like Reinhart," Ringgold coach Rachel Hodge said. "I know she will do very well there just as she did as a Lady Tiger. Also, I know she will continue to do well with her studies because she challenges herself in the classroom as much as she does on the field."

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