Led by Grayson Payne's nation-best 11-12 girls' backstroke time for 2014, the McCallie/GPS Aquatics team had seven first-place finishes, set 14 team records and placed sixth overall out of 50 clubs at the Southeastern Swimming Championship meet this past weekend in Knoxville. Jake Marcum, Luke Massey and Susanna LaRochelle joined Payne from McCallie/GPS in being selected for the Southeastern Zone team that will compete in San Antonio, Texas, next week, and Ellie Taliaferro (10-under girls' 50 freestyle and 50 back), Marcum (13-14 boys' 200 back), Rachel Dover (senior girls' 100 butterfly) and two 13-14 boys' relay teams including Marcum, Peter Dyr and Gabriel Johnson joined Payne in winning events. Ethan Bevill also helped in the 400 free relay, and Massey had the other leg in the 400 medley relay. Payne set team age-group records in the 50 and 100 back, 100 and 400 free and 200 individual medley, Taliaferro in the 50 and 100 free and 50 and 100 fly, Marcum in the 100 and 200 back, April Forsthoffer in the senior girls' 100 back, LaRochelle in the senior 200 back and and Dover in the 100 fly.
• Kilie Wilson of the Baylor Diving Club finished 11th in the 10-year-old girls' 1-meter event Tuesday at the AAU diving nationals at Georgia Tech. Wilson had a final total of 123.75 points. Also in the girls' 10-year-old division, the club's Natalie Smallen placed 17th with 109.5 points. In the 13-year-old boys' age group, teammate Josh Elliott posted a score of 114.35 and finished 13th. Wilson and Smallen will compete in 3-meter diving today.
Track & Field
• In addition to the 17-18 boys' meet-record javelin victory already reported for Signal Mountain's Preston Elwell in the USATF Region 6 Junior Olympic track and field meet held recently in Birmingham, the Chattanooga Jets had six first places, seven seconds and 31 athletes qualifying for 31 event spots in the nationals this week in Houston. The Jets' Markia Green, Aliya Cooper, Princess Simmons and Angeleene' Simmons won the 9-10 girls' 4x100 relay race, and Danielle Dunning won three events and Jada Cooper had two firsts and a second in 7-8 girls. Dunning set region and JO age-group records in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and long jump, and Cooper set the 800 record. Lennex Walker and Malika Reviere each finished second in a 15-16 individual event and in a relay with Elexis Foster, Nicole Johnson and another teammate.
Golf
• Sophomore Rachel Rebne from Heritage High School by way of Berry College and junior college transfers Erika Wardzinski and Julia McQuilken from Seminole State in Florida were among the Dalton State women's golfers arriving on campus Tuesday to begin getting ready for the program's debut in the fall semester. Wardzinski was a 2012 junior college All-American and finished fifth in the NJCAA tournament, and McQuilken was a two-time high school All-American from the Tampa area. "All three are quality players who already have college experience," Lady Roadrunners coach Jim McGrew said in a DSC release. Joining them in the program are freshmen Ashley McDonald from Gordon Lee High School, Caroline Griffin from Tifton, Ga., and Taylor Marie Griner from Moultrie. McDonald won a 2014 Class A public school sectional with a 70. "This is an exciting time for Dalton State golf," McGrew said. "It's been a fun year recruiting all of these athletes, and I cannot wait to start the 2014-15 season." It begins Sept. 15-16 at Jekyll Island.
Football
• The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's annual women's football clinic starts at 6 p.m. Friday at Finley Stadium, and anyone interested who has not signed up can contact Geoff Wilcox at geoffrey-wilcox@utc.edu or 425-2257 for details. The registration fee is $40, whether paid in advance or at the stadium that evening. Doors will open at 5:30, when hors d'oeuvres and beverages will be available. UTC coaches will provide explanations and instruction in various aspects of the game, and prizes will be awarded for winners of the Punt, Pass and Kick and touchdown-dance contests.