Local roundup: Dolphins drop opener

Published 3:42 am Friday, June 11, 2010

Perennial title contender Signal Mountain (Tenn.) proved too much for the Dalton Dolphins on Thursday as they opened Chattanooga Area Swim League competition for the summer.

Signal Mountain topped visiting Dalton — itself generally one of the best teams in the CASL’s top division — 437.5-361.5.

“They have the biggest team in the league,” veteran Dolphins coach Charles Todd said. “We swam pretty well up here, but they beat us with a lot of depth in diving. We were only behind by 25 points on the swimming, so I thought we did pretty well.”

Dalton’s Alex Mashburn and Ethan Young each scored the maximum 19 points allowed for an individual swimmer, while Romina Mendoza and Chas Jones each chipped in 17 and Reese Bingham had 16.

Other swimmers who scored in double figures for the Dolphins were Stephen Jones (15), Rebecca Davis (13), Tanner Storey and Taylor Dale (12), Lindsey Mulkey, Raul Valdez and Aisha Sams (11), and Jacob Myers and Ethan Pence (10).

Dalton’s Susan Meinders won the senior girls division in diving with a 104.5, while three others were second in their divisions: Claire Lutrick (92.5) in senior girls, Garrison Mulkey (74.0) in 13-14 boys and Charlie Hawkins (73.5) in 11-13 girls.

The Dolphins are in action again next Monday with a 5:30 p.m. meet at Ringgold.

• Casey Truelove, a recent Northwest Whitfield High graduate, helped lead the North to a 14 1/2-12 1/2 victory over the South in the Georgia High School Golf Coaches Association’s Senior All-Star Event.

A dozen boys and six girls representing each half of the state faced off in doubles match play on Wednesday and singles match play on Thursday at Sunset Hills Country Club in Moultrie.

Truelove came out a winner both days, teaming up with Rachel Mason of Gordon Lee to win 2 and 1 on the first day, then topping West Laurens’ Katrina Hodge 2 and 0 in singles on the second day.

Truelove claimed medalist honors earlier this spring as she helped Northwest’s Lady Bruins repeat as Region 7-4A tournament champions.

• Turner Fordham, another Lady Bruins golfer who’s preparing for her senior season with summer competition on the juniors circuit, picked up a victory on Tuesday at the Huntsville (Ala.) Junior Invitational.

The 17-year-old Fordham, a Tunnel Hill resident, carded a 9-over par 80 in the first round and an 82 in the second to finish at 162. She ended up two strokes ahead of Ashlee Beck of Athens, Ala., in the Female 15-19 division at the tournament, a Southeastern Junior Golf Tour event.

“It was definitely not routine,” said Fordham, who helped lead Northwest to the 2008 Class 4A state title in Georgia High School Association competition.

“I’ve played quite a few Southeastern tournaments, and it’s kind of one of the more elite tours, so I was really just planning on going down and getting some experience and improving my game. I did not expect to win, so it was a very big and exciting win for me.”