Former McCallie School All-American Patton Watkins made 17 saves as Tufts University beat 10-time national champion Salisbury 12-9 in the NCAA Division III men's lacrosse national final Sunday in Baltimore. Watkins, who made 16 and 20 saves in earlier matches in the 2014 playoffs, was in goal as a freshman when Salisbury beat his Jumbos 19-7 in the 2011 final. Watkins finished 20-1 for his senior season. "We had great goalie play," Tufts coach Mike Daly said, among other things, in the postgame comments quoted on the Inside Lacrosse website. "I was just focused on doing what I know to do, and trusting that the defense will have my back," Watkins said in the same posting. "Defense was locked in today. It was so much fun."
Running
• Nathan Wanuch from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga running program won the Chattanooga Chase 8-kilometer race Sunday morning from Riverview Park, and Jessica Marlier was both the 8k and 1-mile winner for the women. Wanuch, who lost a neck-and-neck race with Joseph Goetz for 1-mile honors -- each in 4 minutes, 37 seconds -- won the main race in 26:35 with fellow 24-year-old Payton Miller second in 27:33 and 43-year-old Vaughn Rightley third in 27:53. Fynn Glover, masters winner Hugh Enicks and 16-year-old Cory Aulich were fourth through sixth in 28:02, 28:05 and 28:08, and Marlier was next in 28:10. UTC's Keeley Stewart was the female runner-up and 11th overall in 29:16. Lisa Logan was the women's masters winner, and Bill Minehan and Corrinne Henderson took grand masters honors. There were 235 8k finishers.
Baseball
• Tyler Garner from Boyd-Buchanan and Chattanooga State walked twice and scored a run in the Southern Polytechnic baseball team's 5-4 survival win Saturday against Georgetown (Ky.) in the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. The Hornets (46-18) lost 1-0 to Tabor (Kan.) in the tournament opener Friday, when Garner was 1-for-2. They play second-seeded host Lewis-Clark State on Monday. Former Chattanooga State pitchers Alex Ridge and Colton Kinnamon from Ridgeland and Dalton high schools also play for Southern Poly.
• A home run by Soddy-Daisy's Zach Stephens after a third-inning single by Zach Zarzour from Ooltewah and Chattanooga State got Tennessee Tech off to a good start against Jacksonville State in the Ohio Valley Conference baseball championship game Sunday at Jackson, Tenn., but JSU's Gamecocks came back and won 4-2. David Hess from Tullahoma pitched well in his five innings for TTU (40-19), striking out seven batters and allowing only three hits and one run, and Jake Rowland from Meigs County went 2-for-4 with a double in defeat. The homer was Stephens' 19th of the season.
Football
• July 25 has been set as the date for this year's Chattanooga Mocs Women's Football Clinic at Finley Stadium. It starts at 6 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 and costs $40 through pre-registration or at the door. UTC students, faculty and staff can attend for $25. Proceeds will benefit the Huesman's Huddle program in which underprivileged people can make use of UTC football game tickets donated by Mocs alumni and supporters. The women's clinic will include instruction in variety aspects of the game from the Mocs coaches; a Punt, Pass and Kick contest; a touchdown-dance contest; and additions from participants for a tailgating recipe book. For more information contact UTC athletics director of marketing Geoff Wilcox at geoff-wilcox@utc.edu or 423-425-2257.