GPS Softball Wins 4th Straight State Title

GPS knocked off rival Baylor 6-2 to win it's 4th consecutive state championship late Friday night. So. Morgan Lane was 2-3 wih 2 RBI,earning her MVP honors for the championship game.

Chattanoogan.com story

Times Free Press story

Sarah Evans Wins State Tennis Title, 6-0, 6-0

One of the most decorated tennis players in GPS tennis history put a massive exclamation point on the end of her career Friday morning.

From Chattanoogan.com...

"In the highly anticipated final, Evans won the first game, the last game and all in between for a one-hour, three-minute, 6-0, 6-0 victory against Baylor eighth grader Samantha Caswell.

Evans with a sparkle in her eyes afterwards stating, 'This is such a great way to end my high school career and I am so excited to have won the singles title.'"

Click here for full chattanoogan.com story

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Bruisers Are Track State Runners-Up

GPS finished 2nd in team points in the DII State Track Meet. Simone Busby won the Discus State Championship in the morning, and the Bruisers claimed another individual title in the evening portion of the meet by winning the 4X100m Relay. Sophomore standout Tory Kemp finished 2nd in all 4 events she participated in. She posted personal bests in 3 of the events and at least 2 of her marks set new school records.

100M Hurdles - Tory Kemp 2nd Place -14.55 sec., .01 sec. away from tying school record
4X100M Relay - STATE CHAMPS!! Destinee Lansden, Chadarryl Clay, Mekenzie Stokes, Jalesa Poindexter
4X800M Relay -3rd Place - Rebecca Haskins, Nandia Taylor, Jamie Haskins, Johanna Gartmann
4X200M Relay - 2nd Place - Lansden, Clay, Stokes, Poindexter
400M Dash - Nandia Taylor - 6th Place
300M Hurdles - Tory Kemp - 2nd Place
800M Run - Rebecca Haskins - 6th Place
200M Dash - Destinee Lansden - 4th place
4X400M Relay - 8th place - Nandia Taylor, Tiana Mills, Betsy Henson, Lauren Jackson

Softball In Championship Game Again

The Bruisers will play in the DII State Championship game for the fifth straight year. GPS has won 3 consecutive titles, and will look to make it four when they on Baylor/St. Benedict Friday night.

GPS knocked off Baylor 8-3 early Thursday afternoon to secure their spot in the final. With the score tied at 3 and the bases loaded, Senior Tory Lewis hit a bases-clearing triple to right center to break open the game for GPS. It was the second 3 RBI triple for Lewis in as many games.

Chattanoogan.com Game Story

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Tennis Individuals & Doubles

Sarah Evans (GPS) def. H. Caswell (Bay) 6-2, 6-0
Bronte Goodhue (GPS) def. Klindworth (St. Agn) 6-2, 6-1

Williams/McCallie (GPS) def. Scruggs/Thornton (Bay) 7-5, 6-4
Humphreys/Donoghue (Hutch) def. Morrow/Schlabach (GPS) 6-2, 6-2

Semifinals
Sarah Evans (GPS) def. Hutchison 6-1, 6-1
S. Caswell (Bay) def. Bronte Goodhue 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (3)

Aliza Williams/Emma McCallie lost 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-2

Busby Title, Kemp School Records Lead GPS Field Events

Triple Jump - So. Tory Kemp jumped a school record on her final attempt to secure 2nd place. Her jump of 37' 8.75" was more than a foot better than her previous personal best

Discus - So. Simone Busby's throw of 111'9" won her the DII Discus State Championship. The title is Simone's second individual title - last year as a freshman she won the Shot Put, a title she will defend at 11:00 CST today. Tiana Mills also competed in the Discus for GPS but failed to post a distance.

Long Jump - Tory Kemp set a school record on her 3rd jump, then came out of her shoes - figuratively and literally - to extend her newly set record by 5" more. Her final school record jump of 18" 1.25" placed her 2nd in the State.

Shot Put - Simone Busby - her throw of 37'7" earned 2nd place in the state

High Jump - Julianne Wilson - cleared 5' 4 " to finish 3rd

Crownovers Looking For State Titles

GPS Coach Susan Crownover is no stranger to the Spring Fling and the quest for a state title. But this year her daughter Kelby joins her as the starting shortstop for the Bruisers. And her son Matthew will compete for another state title when his Ringgold Tigers compete for the Georgia baseball state championship this weekend.

Read veteran sports writer Stan Crawley's feature on the Crownovers here:

GPS' Crownover Hoping For Two State Titles This Week

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Bruisers Claim State Tennis Championship

GPS won it's 4th Tennis State Championship in the last 5 years, and 10th in school history when they defeated Baylor 4-2 on Wednesday.

Chattanoogan.com GPS Tennis Story
Times Free Press GPS Tennis Story

Doubles:

Sarah Evans/Aliza Williams won 8-2
Emma McCallie/Bronte Goodhue won 8-6
Meredith Morrow/Lauren Schlabach down 6-4, play stopped

Singles:

Sarah Evans lost 6-2; won 6-2; won 6-0
Bronte Goodhue lost 6-4; won 6-3; won 6-4
Emma McCallie won 6-1, lost 7-5; UP 4-3, play stopped
Aliza Williams won 7-5; won 6-1
Meredith Morrow lost 6-3; lost 6-1
Lauren Schlabach lost 6-4; lost 6-2

Softball Gets Opening Game Win

GPS shook off some early nerves and a less than stellar start to score 11 runs on 11 hits for a run-rule victory over Pope John Paul II.

JPII started the game with a blooping single just beyond the out-stretched glove of a diving Kelby Crownover. That near miss was followed by another single, a runner interference out, and a walk. That left the bases loaded, with just one out. Senior pitcher Payton Leech hit the next batter, walking in a run, leaving the bases still loaded and the Bruisers trailing 1-0. But Leech regrouped, striking out the next batter, and getting a ground-out from the next to escape with only 1 run allowed. That 1 run on 2 hits would prove to be JPII's strongest offensive showing of the night.

The Bruiser bats were a little slow to warm up as well. Four of the first 5 GPS at-bats were outs, with Jackie Baird's hammered double to left center in the 1st being the only successful at-bat. But after Leech popped out to open the bottom of the second, Morgan Lane singled and Katie Dorris and Kourtney Kell walked to load the bases for GPS. Crownover's sharply hit grounder to short was mishandled, and Kell was able to beat the throw to second. Lane scored, and GPS still had the bases loaded with Tennessee signee Tory Lewis coming to the plate. Lewis would live up to her billing, smacking a bases-clearing line drive triple to right center giving GPS a 4-1 lead. Lewis would score on Madison Boyd's ground out to short. Baird flied out to end the inning, but the damage had been done, and GPS never looked back.

The Bruisers added another run in the 3rd and one in the 4th to lead 7-1. Lewis singled to lead off the 6th. She advanced to 2nd on a pass ball, then stole 3rd 2 pitches later, and GPS was primed for another offensive burst. Boyd's single scored Lewis bringing Baird to the plate. Baird hit a hard grounder to short and reached safely on a throwing error to 1st. The throwing error allowed Boyd to score and Baird to advance. In an attempt to get Baird as she advanced to 3rd, JPII threw the ball away again, allowing Baird to score and move GPS within a run of a game ending 10 run lead. Katy Richardson grounded out, then Leech doubled to right center. With Lane at the plate, Leech advanced to 3rd on a pass ball. She then trotted home for the game ending run on Lane's single up the middle.

The win earns GPS a day off tomorrow. On Thursday, GPS will face the winner of tomorrow morning's game between Baylor and St. Benedict. The Baylor/St. Benedict loser will play JPII tomorrow night in an elimination game.

Chattanoogan.com Game Story

GPS Advances to Team Tennis Finals

GPS is off to a fast start in the 2010 TSSAA Spring Fling in Murfreesboro. The Bruisers swept the doubles portion of the Team Tennis Semifinal vs. Harpeth Hall before winning in 3 straight singles to close out the victory.

In doubles, Meredith Morrow/Lauren Schlabach made quick work of their opponent with an 8-0 win. Sarah Evans/Aliza Williams followed with a 8-2 victory, and shortly after Emma McCallie/Bronte Goodhue completed the sweep with an 8-3 win.

The Bruisers continued their domination in the singles matches with 5 of the 6 GPS players winning the first set of her match. Senior Meredith Morrow came from behind in both of her sets to win her match 6-4, 6-3. Emma McCallie easily won her match 6-1, 6-1, and Sarah Evans won her match 6-2, 6-2 to seal the team victory for GPS. Play in the other matches was stopped immediately once the deciding match was completed.

GPS will take on Baylor, who edged Hutchison 4-3, in the Championship Match on Wednesday at 9 AM CST at Old Fort Park. The Bruisers will look to regain the title of State Champions, a title they held for 3 straight years before falling to Hutchison in last year's semifinal match.

RESULTS:
Singles - Sarah Evans (GPS) def. Kat Caire (HH) 6-2, 6-2;
Meredith Morrow (GPS) def. Anna LeBleu (HH) 6-4, 6-3;
Emma McCallie (GPS) def. Liza Southwick (HH) 6-1, 6-1.

Doubles - Sarah Evans / Aliza Williams (GPS) def. Kelsea Best / Margaret Lowe (HH) 8-2;
Bronte Goodhue / Emma McCallie (GPS) def. Kat Caire / Litton Whitaker (HH) 8-3;
Meredith Morrow / Lauren Schlabach (GPS) def. Liza Southwick / Anna LeBleu (HH) 8-0.

TEAM TENNIS FORMAT: Winning the doubles portion (winning at least 2 out of 3 8-point pro-sets) gives GPS 1 team point. Six singles matches will now be played, each worth 1 team point. The first team to accumulate 4 team points, out of the 7 available, wins the team competition.

GPS Spring Fling Schedule

Tuesday, May 25:
Tennis - Team Semifinal: GPS vs. Harpeth Hall, 9:00 AM CST - Old Fort Park
Softball - vs. Pope John Paul II, approx. 7:00 PM CST - Starplex #3

Wednesday, May 26:
Tennis - Team State Championship: GPS vs Baylor, 9:00 AM CST - Old Fort Park

Thursday, May 27:
Track - Field Event Finals, 9:00 AM CST - MTSU
Tennis - Singles Quarterfinals: Sarah Evans vs. Harpeth Hall; Bronte Goodhue vs. St. Agnes, 10:30 AM CST - Old Fort Park
Tennis - Doubles Quarterfinals: Aliza Williams, Emma McCallie vs. Baylor; Meredith Morrow, Lauren Schlabach vs. Hutchison, 10:30 AM CST - Old Fort Park
Tennis - Singles and Double Semifinals - 3:00 PM CST - Old Fort Park
Track - Running Event Finals, 6:00 PM CST - MTSU
Softball - Winner's bracket final - approx 12:00 CST

Friday, May 28:
Tennis - Singles and Doubles Finals, 9:00 AM CST - Old Fort Park
Softball - time TBD