UTC best in nation in men's track team GPA and other sports news

Friday, July 25, 2014

Arkansas-SEMO Live Blog

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga had the highest men's track and field team grade point average in NCAA Division I for the spring 2014 semester, 3.6 on a 4.0 scale, and tied for the 10th best in women's track, 3.54. Seniors Lucas Cotter and Mark Cole had 4.0 GPAs for the Mocs, and Cotter was a Capital One Academic All-American. Sophomore Teghan Henderson led the women with a 3.9 and was named to the USTFCCCA all-academic team. She also qualified in two events for the NCAA East Region meet. UTC had the best men's cross country team GPA (3.71) last fall as well.

Basketball

• Former UTC standout Ricky Taylor is running a National High School Basketball Combine camp Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sunday 1-5 p.m. at Tennessee Temple University's McGilvray Gymnasium. It is for "serious athletes looking to become a complete player with speed and agility," according to Temple recruiting director Ezell Dodd, and will include "skill development" and a draft for five-on-five games. Each player will have his height, weight and vertical jump recorded and be evaluated also on speed, agility, lateral movement, quickness, reaction time and interviewing. The cost is $175, and any high-school-age player can just show up or call or text Dodd at 423-710-7042. "We are thrilled to have this combine in Chattanooga, because we have the opportunity to impact high school students from an athletic, educational and spiritual standpoint," Taylor said in a release. "We are passionate to pour back into the youth from all areas of the country to prepare them to have a brighter future. We have players from Germany, Canada and as far as Los Angeles attending this combine. We simply want to motivate these kids to excel in every area of their lives."

Diving

• The Baylor Diving Club's Natalie Smallen and Kilie Wilson placed in the top eight on the 3-meter board Wednesday in the 10-year-old girls' division of the AAU Diving National Championships at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Smallen had a total of 134.45 points, which left her in sixth place. Wilson finished eighth with 131.30.