Tuesday's Central Georgia Daily News 'n Notes: Mercer Tennis Classic; alumni update; nice FVSU story; United coach leaving; Around Central Ga.; Honor Roll; footballpalooza
Tuesday's Central Georgia - and of interest to Central Georgia - news and notes, compiled from staff reports, email reports, the web, and social media.
The scoreboard will be updated later in The Latest Coverage
Another top player goes down at Mercer Tennis Classic
On the first day of action, the top seed in the qualifying draw lost.
On Tuesday, the overall No. 1 joined her.
Madison Brengle tried for 84 minutes to hold, but couldn’t, and Danielle Lao beat the tournament’s top seed 6-3, 6-3.
Lao used the slice and an ability to pull Bengle to the net before delivering clutch passing shots. Lao, ranked 193rd, plays again on Thursday.
Lauren Davis played a savvy match in beating fellow American Gail Brodsky 6-4, 6 -3. Davis reached No. 25 in 2017.
Doubles top seed Alexa Guarachi and Giuliana Olmos rolled to a 6-0, 6-1 win in their first match.
Qualfying ended Tuesday, with four players – Olmos, Hailey Baptiste, Louisa Chirico, and Sanaz Marand – advancing into the 32-person main draw.
The $80,000 tournament runs through Sunday at Mercer’s Leroy Peddy Tennis Center.
Tuesday’s results: Hailey Baptiste (USA) def. Hanna Chang (USA) 6-1 7-6(0)
Giuliana Olmos (MEX) def. Julia Elbaba (USA) 6-1 3-6 6-0; Sanaz Marand (USA) def. Joelle Kissell (USA) 6-3 6-1; Louisa Chirico (USA) def. Paula Cristina Goncalves (BRA) 6-3 6-4; Lauren Davis (USA) def. Gail Brodsky (USA) 6-4 6-3; Veronica Cepede Royg (PAR) def. Grace Min (USA) 4-6 6-4 6-4; Sesil Karatantcheva (BUL) def. Francoise Abanda (CAN) 6-1 6-2; Ulrikke Eikeri (NOR) def. Sofya Zhuk (RUS) [3] 6-0 6-2;
Danielle Lao (USA) def. Madison Brengle (USA) [1] 6-3 6-3; Alexa Guarachi (CHI) / Giuliana Olmos (MEX) [1] def. Victoria Muntean (FRA) / Gabriela Talaba (ROU) 6-0 6-1; Quinn Gleason (USA) / Luisa Stefani (BRA) def. Chanel S (RSA) / Aymet Uzcategui (VEN) 6-0 6-0; Beatrice Gumulya (INA) / Ana Veselinovic (MNE) def. Sophie Chang (USA) [2] / Alexandra Mueller (USA) 6-3 2-6 [10-4];
Lauren Davis (USA) / Christina McHale (USA) [4] def. Chieh-Yu Hsu (TPE) / Jessy Rompies (INA)6-4 1-6 [10-7]; Paula Cristina Goncalves (BRA) / Beatriz Haddad def. Ulrikke Eikeri (NOR) / Ana Sofia Sanchez (MEX) 6-4 7-5; Caty McNally (USA) / Jessica Pegula (USA) def. Nicole Gibbs (USA) [3] / Asia Muhammad (USA) 6-3 6-2
Alumni Update: John Milledge’s Bryant among top TEs in the land
Harrison Bryant is on watch lists and preseason all-conference teams, and the former John Milledge Trojan may be prepping for a future on Sundays.
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/20181022/playmaker-rising-faus-bryant-among-top-tight-ends
FVSU adds 10-year-old from Bonaire, brings joy to neurblastoma
WGXA-TV has a nice story on Fort Valley State signing Jace Cumbie to the Wildcat football team.
https://wgxa.tv/sports/high-school/fvsu-wildcats-sign-bonaire-10-year-old-with-neuroblastoma
United’s Martino says ‘no thanks’
Atlanta United players found out around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday that Gerardo Martino wasn’t coming back as their manager, that he decided not to renew his contract.
https://www.ajc.com/sports/breaking-martino-will-resign-atlanta-united-manager/5D8CpsvhTIc5BMxoY9ozGO/
What will Atlanta look for?
Players want trophy as a sendoff
Changes await fans at Hawks’ home opener
And they include more distractions from sitting and watching a game.
https://www.ajc.com/sports/five-biggest-changes-that-await-fans-hawks-home-opener/lpsQ2GjLXAjppukphPGOnN/
Around Central Georgia
The golf will return to Bowden Golf Course Friday morning, but not before a ribbon-cutting on Thursday morning.
A $340,000 SPLOST grant covered a variety of major improvements on the tees, bunkers, and greens.
The Macon-Bibb County Commission recently approved a bump in the fees, going up $100 a year on annual membership and on senior memberships, as well as up a few dollars for daily green fees and car fees. …
Groundbreaking for the South Bibb Rec Center’s second phase on Houston Road will take place Wednesday at 10 a.m. It’s a$4.4 million project that includes a playground, splash pads, addition tennis courts with a tennis center, multipurpose fields.
The center, a $7.6 million project, openedin May.
Honor Roll
Georgia College dropped to eighth in the latest United Soccer Coaches Southeast Region poll. The Bobcats (10-3-3, 3-2-3) host Young Harris at 6 Wednesday. ...
Mercer's Maddie Nunley is the Southern Conference volleyball offensive player of the week.
The setter had 126 assists, 12.6 per set, in Mercer's two five-set conference road wins last week.
She had a match- and career-high 60 assists against UNCG, helping three teammates to double-digit kills, and had 10 digs.
Against WCU, she had 66 assists with six digs and five kills.
The Georgia College Golf team is ranked in the top-25 in the Golfstat Team Rankings.
The Bobcats are joined by Peach Belt rival Young Harris at No. 7.
Georgia College also received votes in the latest Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll today with 25 votes. ...
Another former Peach County kickers takes conference honors.
Omar Cervantes, a redshirt freshman, is the Gulf South special teams player of the week.
He hit a pair of field goals of 42 and 44 yards in the Wolves' 27-25 win over West Alabama. He had three touchbacks and hit all the PATs.
Irony No. 1: The last West Georgia to be so honored is Hunter Heck, a Houston County grad.
Irony No. 2: He's the second Peach County kicker to earn a weekly award, joining Mitchell Fineran of Samford, a two-time winner in the Southern Conference. ...
Miagh Downey of Middle Georgia State is this week's Southern States Athletic Conference women's soccer offensive player of the week, while teammate Ronja Andersson is the defensive player of the week.
Football updates
Georgia
Path to East title still clear
Georgia Tech
Tough task, Hokies at home on Thursday
Falcons
Jarrett provides expected boost