University of Tennessee at Chattanooga junior Nathan Wanuch just missed an all-conference honor with a fourth-place finish in the men's 3000-meter steeplechase Saturday at the Southern Conference outdoor track and field meet at Statesboro, Ga. Wanuch got five points for the Mocs with his 9:11.18 finish, which was more than 10 seconds faster than his previous best. Five UTC athletes qualified Saturday for today's finals, including four freshmen: Geoff Nelson with a personal-best and fourth-place 49.05 in the men's 400-meter dash preliminaries, Iman Isang with an eighth-place 15.67 in the 110 hurdles, Marquis Carter with a PR 1:53.76 good for eighth in the 800 prelims and Lauren Hoard with a PR 12.41 for eighth in the women's 100. Mocs senior Blake Olson was fifth in the men's 400 hurdles prelims in 54.76.
Tennis
• The UTC tennis season ended Saturday with a 4-1 men's team loss to Elon in the Southern Conference tournament semifinals at Elon, N.C. All-conference first-team selection Manuel Barroetavena got the Mocs' win at No. 2 singles, 6-4, 6-3, but the close matches went the way of the favored Phoenix. It was the first time in the semifinals since 2007 for UTC, which wound up 12-9 overall in 2013.
• The Lee University tennis teams lost 5-0 to the Belhaven men and 5-3 to the Coastal Georgia women in the Southern States Athletic Conference tournament Saturday. Tonya Walters and Tarah Garner at Nos. 1 and 2 singles and the two of them together at No. 1 doubles won handily in the 23rd-ranked Lady Flames' loss to the NAIA's No. 14 team. Belhaven's men also are ranked No. 14.
Baseball
• Brandon Zajac pitched a complete game and Thomas Huddleston got the second win with seventh-inning relief from Bobby Towne as Cleveland State swept visiting Jackson State 5-2 and 5-1 in TCCAA baseball Saturday. The Cougars scored in each of the first four innings of game one, Chase Edwards, Keith Buckhault and J.D. Cowart singling in runs and Buckhault adding an RBI double before DeAndre Allen's home run. Buckhault and Cody Hiefnar had two-run homers in game two for the Cougars (26-17, 12-10). The teams play again today at 1.
• Lee University, ranked No. 2 in NAIA baseball, won 4-1 on a seventh-inning Derek Pitts three-run homer in the first game Saturday at Brewton-Parker but lost 5-4 in game two of the SSAC doubleheader. Karsten Strieby had two hits and Corey Davis hit an RBI triple in the first game for Lee (38-10, 21-5). Josh Silver and Pitts had RBI singles in the seventh inning of game two and loaded the bases in the ninth, when Pitts hit a sacrifice fly, but the rally died there. Silver was 3-for-4 with two RBIs, Brady Renner also had three hits and Mark Silva added two in the Flames' loss. The Friday night game was rained out with the Flames leading 3-1 in the fourth inning; it will not be completed. Brewton-Parker is 22-17, 13-10.
• Bryan College won 6-1 and lost 4-3 in Appalachian Athletic Conference baseball Saturday at Milligan, leaving the Lions 25-23 overall and 8-13 in league play. Zach Hensley was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs and Chris Jeffries was 2-for-2 with two walks, two stolen bases, a run and an RBI for Bryan in the first game, when Cody Rhinehart was 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs. Andrew Smith was 2-for-3 with a run scored and Jeffries, Kevin Layne and Joey Underwood had Lions RBIs in the loss.
• Marshall Ussery and Charles Warren combined to pitch a six-hitter with eight strikeouts as Sewanee won 3-1 in the first game of its Southern Athletic Association baseball doubeheader Saturday at Centre. The Tigers also got good pitching from Jacob Simpson with a six-hitter in the second game, but the Colonels (12-22) won 1-0 by scoring in the eighth inning. Sewanee (13-21) had only three hits in the loss, but Jack Rogers, Nate Barnett, Jack Whaley and Blake Williams each was 2-for-4 in the win, when Ben Clune smacked a two-run double in the second inning and Rogers doubled in Barnett in the fourth.
• Engel Stadium historian Dr. R. Smith Murray will be the guest speaker for the Chattanooga Quarterback Club's noon luncheon meeting Monday at Finley Stadium, and the public is invited. Attendance costs $10 with a meal, $4 without. Vanderbilt football coach James Franklin is lined up for the April 29 meeting.