Undefeated Baylor girls and Notre Dame girls open defense of their state tennis championships today as Spring Fling XXIII opens with contests in all five sports – tennis, baseball, softball, soccer and the conclusion of the decathlon - in Murfreesboro.
Seven Chattanooga tennis teams are in action today at Old Fort Park highlighted by McCallie and Baylor at noon EDT.
Notre Dame boys, GPS and East Hamilton also play semifinal matches today.
Undefeated East Hamilton (18-0) is in its first appearance in D-I AAA, while the other six local teams are veterans of the state event. EH takes on Houston at 2 p.m.
For brackets of all divisions: brackets/tssaa.org
If You Are Going: May 24-27.
Location: Old Fort Park in Murfreesboro
First Matches Tues. May 24 - D-II AA and D-II A Girls start at 10 a.m. EDT
Tickets: $10 per day
Parking: $5 per day
Defending Champions:
Girls
D-I A-AA – Notre Dame
D-I AAA - Ravenwood
D-II A – Knox. Webb
D-II AA – Baylor
Boys
D-I A-AA – Knox Catholic
D-I AAA – Tennessee High
D-II A - Knox Webb
D-II AA - MUS
2016 Girls Teams – Quick Facts
Baylor (13-0) D-II AA
Coach: Dustin Kane (94-8, 7th year)
State Semis Match: 10 a.m.- Tues. May 24 vs. Harpeth Hal
:
Last State Title: 2015 (has won 2011-2015)
State Titles: 9; 1993-96-99-2000 2011-12-13-14-15
2016: 7th straight trip to Spring Fling
Did You Know: Dustin played in Spring Fling in 1998 … reaching the semis for East Ridge … he and his dad, Kevin, have finished 7th in USTA national father-son doubles
GPS D-II AA
Coach: Sue Bartlett
State Semis Match: 10 a.m. – Tues. May 24 vs. Hutchison
Last State Title: 2010
State Titles: 11; 1971-73-74-82-85-96-98-2006-07-08-10
2016: 13th straight trip to Spring Fling
Did You Know: Coach Bartlett has won a world team gold ball with Great Britain in 2009 …
Both she and assistant coach Meg Bandy have daughters who have won individual state titles; Claire Bartlett won state singles in 2006-07-08 and Maddox Bandy won doubles in 2015.
Notre Dame D-I A-AA
Coach: Nancy Fox: (4th year)
State Semis Match: Tuesday May 24 vs Knox Catholic, 2 p.m.
Last State Title: 2015
State Titles (2): 2012-15
2016: 5th Straight trip to Spring Fling
Did You Know?: Coach Fox also led the Irish to the 1995 state AA softball title
East Hamilton (18-0) D-I AAA
Coach: Michael Jackson
State Semis Match: Tuesday May 24 vs. Houston, 2 pm. EDT
Last State Title: None
State Titles: None
Last Appearance at Spring Fling: first time in AAA
2016 Boys Teams – Quick Facts
Baylor (8-3) D-IIAA
Coach: Philip Johnson
State Semis Match: Noon – Tues. May 24 vs. McCallie
Last State Title: 1997
State Titles: 14 – 1971-73-74-75-79-82-83-86-88-89-90-93-96-97
Did You Know: Coach Johnson won the deciding match (at No.5 singles) in the 1985 NCAA tournament for Georgia and the school’s first men’s tennis title … state high school singles champion for Northwest Whitfield
McCallie: D-II AA
Coach: Eric Voges (30th year)
State Semis Match: Noon – Tues. May 24 vs. Baylor\
Last State Title: 2009
State Titles: 8 1975-76-91-94-2006-07-08-09
Did You Know: Coach Voges led McCallie to the first Spring Fling title in 1994 … has brought teams to 21 Spring Flings
Notre Dame D-I A-AA
Coach: Nancy Fox (4th year)
State Semis Match: 4 p.m. EDT - Tues. May 24 vs. CAK
Last State Title: 1964
State Titles: 2; 1963-64
Last Spring Fling: 2010
Did You Know: This is the first year coach Fox has both teams at Spring Fling
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net