2018 CHS Lady Raider Track Team Captains from left to right, Faith Floyd (Throws co-captain) Taela Bland (Sprint/Jump captain) Emily St. John (Distance captain) Keisheal Norton (Throws co-captain) Sarah Pearson (Multi-event captain) [Photo provided]

In the relays, Coffee County captured 1st place in both of the Distance Medley Relays. In the Sprint Medley Relay, the Red Raiders captured first place while the Lady Raiders finished behind the Oakland girls. In the traditional relays, the Red Raiders captured a 1st place finish in the 4x800M relay, 1st place in the 4x400M relay, 1st place in the 4x1600M relay and a 3rd place finish in the 4x100M. The Lady Raiders captured a 1st and 2nd place sweep in the 4x400M relay, 2nd place in the 4×800 relay, 2nd place in the 4x100M relay and 2nd place in the 4x200M relay.

Individual point winners for the Lady Raiders were:
Macy Tabor – 1st, High Jump;
Sarah Pearson – 1st, Shot Put; 2nd, High Jump;
Zoe Mills – 1st, 1000M run;
Ryan Green – 1st, 600M run;
Faith Floyd – 1st, Discus;
Nayeli Cano – 2nd, 1000M run; 2nd, 600M run;
Keisheal Norton – 2nd, Discus; 3rd, Shot Put;
Jasie Willis – 3rd, 1000M run; 3rd, 600M run;
Chloe Haggard – 3rd, High Jump;
Brianna Norton -3rd, Discus;
Carina Majia – 4th, 1000M run;
Lexie Hosea – 4th, Discus;
Laura Bogard – 4th, High Jump;

Individual point winners for the Red Raiders were:
Zach Speegle – 1st, Shot Put; 4th Discus;
Tyer Luttrell – 2nd, Shot Put;
Jalen Cummings – 2nd, Long Jump;
Trace Bryant – 3rd, High Jump;
Eli Norton – 3rd, Shot Put; 3rd, Discus;
Jakovey Robart – 4th, Shot Put;
Bryan Perry – 4th, 1000M run;
Johnny Dulin – 4th, Long Jump;

The Raiders runners hit the track again on Tuesday when they travel to Tullahoma for the All Area Championships. Field events will get underway at 2 PM.

The most successful regular season in Predators history finished with one more exclamation point.

Filip Forsberg recorded a hat trick as Nashville defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets by a 4-2 final on Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena. The win adds to Nashville’s franchise-record totals on the season, giving them 53 victories and 117 points to close out the 2017-18 campaign – with the Presidents’ Trophy in the house.

Prior to Saturday’s game, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly was on hand to present the trophy to the Preds for finishing the season with the League’s top record. As Predators Head Coach Peter Laviolette said following the contest, the team was proud to accept the honor in recognition of the past six months that included milestone after milestone, a way to conclude one chapter before beginning the next.

“It was nice to take a minute just to acknowledge that,” Laviolette said. “Our guys are proud of it. They worked really hard this year. They stayed focused for the entire year, and like I said, it’s all been part of a vision of something bigger than what happened tonight.”

A three-goal first period – one from Austin Watson, and then a pair from Forsberg – gave the Predators a hefty advantage after 20 minutes, and although the Blue Jackets got one in the second and another in the third, one more shot from Forsberg into an empty net sealed the victory.

“We have been trying to work to this point all year,” Forsberg said. “Every team in the League wants to make the playoffs. The longer the season went on – we just kept working hard and we did a lot of good things to put us in the spot where we are.”

Make no mistake, the Predators are incredibly proud of all they’ve been able to accomplish over the past 82 games – numbers even the most positive pundits probably didn’t necessarily think were possible. But now, all that is in the rearview, the slate wiped clean.

For as much as the Preds enjoyed their 53 wins this season, they still want 16 more.

“It’s been so much fun with his whole group, and I thought we played really consistent throughout the whole regular season,” Predators Captain Roman Josi said. “If we had a bad game or two bad games, we always responded with a good game and that’s going to be huge going forward. The ultimate goal remains to win the Stanley Cup, but we’re definitely proud of the regular season.”

“They’re already putting the playoff stickers on the helmets, so here we go,” center Ryan Johansen said. “We can’t wait to get things started.”

Notes:

P.K. Subban skated in his 82nd game of the season on Saturday night, the only Preds player to appear in all 82 contests in 2017-18.

With the 2017-18 regular season complete, the Predators will now begin preparations for the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Nashville will host the Colorado Avalanche in Round One, which begins next week. A full schedule and further details will be announced soon.

The Nashville Sounds’ offensive struggles continued in a 4-0 loss to the New Orleans Baby Cakes Sunday afternoon at Shrine on Airline. The Sounds have scored two runs over the last 28 innings of action.
One night after collecting only five hits, the Sounds managed just two against a trio of New Orleans pitchers. Renato Nunez singled in the fourth and Steve Lombardozzi singled in the eighth.
The Baby Cakes were in control from the start with runs in the first three innings. Jon Rodriguez’s RBI groundout gave New Orleans a 1-0 lead in the first. Nashville starter Eric Jokisch had a chance to get out of a bases loaded jam in the second but a throwing error by shortstop Sheldon Neuse allowed the inning to continue with a pair of runs scoring.
Scott Van Slyke launched a solo homer in the fourth to give New Orleans a 4-0 lead. The four runs were more than enough for Ben Meyer, Drew Rucinski and Severino Gonzalez. Meyer threw five shutout innings in his Triple-A debut and yielded only one hit.
The Sounds’ offense never got going with only three opportunities with runners in scoring position.
Nashville and New Orleans conclude the five-game series Monday afternoon at Shrine on Airline. Left-hander Brett Anderson starts for the Sounds while the Baby Cakes haven’t named a starter. First pitch is scheduled for Noon.
Post-Game Notes
• With today’s loss, the Sounds fell to 1-3. They are 2.5 games back of the American Southern Division leading Memphis Redbirds.
• Relievers Kyle Finnegan and Jeremy Bleich combined to throw 3.0 scoreless innings in relief today. The bullpen ERA on the young season is 0.49 (18.1 IP/1 ER).
• INF/OF Renato Nunez had one of the two Sounds hits today. He’s batting .333 (4-for-12) on his MLB rehab assignment.

The 2018 season is the Sounds’ 41st in franchise history and fourth as the Oakland Athletics’ top affiliate. Opening Day at First Tennessee Park is scheduled for Tuesday, April 10 when the Sounds host the Iowa Cubs at 6:35 p.m. Season ticket memberships are available now by calling (615) 690-4487 or by visiting www.nashvillesounds.com.

A windchill below 30 degrees couldn’t keep the Nashville SC (2-1-1) offense from heating up as the hosts dispatched the first-place team in the USL Eastern Conference, Charlotte Independence (2-1-1), 2-0 in the friendly confines of First Tennessee Park on Saturday night. Goals by youngsters Alan Winn and Ropapa Mensah and another shutout by keeper Matt Pickens started Nashville on its first winning streak.

Using the almost 7,500 home fans to its advantage, Nashville started the first half on the front foot, dominating possession and chances early. In the 24’ minute, Winn struck with a left footed shot, perfectly placed in the far corner to give Nashville its first home lead in 2018.

Charlotte’s No. 1-ranked offense looked poised to knot things up in the second half, but Nashville flexed its defensive muscle and Pickens continued to amaze with an incredible save off a Charlotte free kick.

Forward Ropapa Mensah, a second-half substitute, iced the game late in stoppage time of the second half with his first USL goal. It was his second goal in two games at First Tennessee Park, his first coming in a friendly in February, despite coming off the bench each time.

Goals

24’ Alan Winn assisted by Kosuke Kimura

90’ + 1 Ropapa Mensah assisted by Matt Pickens

The shutout is Nashville’s third straight dating back to March 24th. In all, the streak has reached 294 minutes.

Quotables

Nashville SC head coach Gary Smith – “The focal point for the group really coming in to this game was to be as positive, to be as purposeful and to try and start to create and form some foundations for home advantage. That thought was prevalent in the first 45 minutes. The team was very bright. We pressed the Charlotte group very well. I thought we won the ball in some nice areas and certainly created some opportunities.”

Nashville SC goal scorer Alan Winn – “That’s the challenge we had set forth for the game. We knew they were top of the table and that was one of those things where we wanted to step up and make a statement, not only for the fans at home but especially throughout the league. We knew they were top of the table and that was the challenge Gary set forth and said step up to the table and hit one out of the park.”

Standings Update

With the win, Nashville has moved into fifth place in the East with 7 points through four matches. The team is 2 points out of first place.

Next Up

Nashville will start its longest road trip of the season next Saturday up in Indianapolis against Indy Eleven. Kick is scheduled for 11 a.m.