CMA Fest came to a close last night (June 11) as 50,000 fans packed Nissan Stadium for Night 4 to see performances by Tracy Lawrence, Brothers Osborne, Darius Rucker, Little Big Town, Keith Urban and Brad Paisley, as well as a surprise duet between Darius and LBT’s Karen Fairchild.
Check out our photo gallery from Night 4 at Nissan Stadium.
photos by Jason Simanek
Miranda Lambert and her pet pooches led more than 1,000 people, including Nashville mayor Megan Barry, along the first-ever MuttNation March through Music City on June 8. The almost-one-mile march, which was created to raise awareness and funds for shelter pet adoption, started at Nissan Stadium and continued across the pedestrian bridge before it ended in downtown Nashville.
The MuttNation Foundation Adoption Drive at CMA Fan Fair X featured 60 shelter dogs, all of which found new homes with families across 21 states and Canada.
“I am so grateful that all these amazing dogs found their forever homes,” said Miranda. “Marching with so many amazing fans and fellow animal lovers was really a highlight of CMA Fest for me.”
photos courtesy of the Metro Government
![27th Annual City of Hope Softball Game Sets Record Attendance With Reba, Lauren Alaina, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jessie James Decker & More [Photo Gallery]](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/1446/2017/06/12092246/Reba-McEntire.jpg#aqua_resizer_image_not_local)
The 27th annual City of Hope Softball Game at First Tennessee Park on Saturday, June 10, was a resounding success. The record-breaking crowd in attendance enjoyed a friendly game of softball that featured country stars and other celebrities playing for a great cause: City of Hope, which is a world leader in the research and treatment of cancer, diabetes and other serious diseases. Staples presented City of Hope with a check for $500,000.
Artists participating in the game included Billy Ray Cyrus, Craig Morgan, Kellie Pickler, Jessie James Decker, Lauren Alaina, The Swon Brothers, Danielle Bradbery, Aaron Watson, Jackie Lee, Trent Harmon, Maggie Rose and more. Other highlights included:
Take a look at the photo gallery below, courtesy of Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.
photos by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA
![Songwriter Dallas Davidson Buys Nashville Home for $2.5 Million [Photo Gallery]](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/1446/2017/06/12100745/Dallas-Davidson.jpg#aqua_resizer_image_not_local)
It pays to write the hits.
Songwriter Dallas Davidson, who has penned 24 No. 1 hits—including Blake Shelton’s “Boys ’Round Here” and Luke Bryan’s “Play It Again”—recently purchased a $2.5 million home in Nashville. The 7,379-square-foot home, which was built in 1929, sits on .86 acres on Belle Meade Boulevard and features four bedrooms, seven baths, a slate roof, elevator, pool, pool house and more.
Dallas is the CEO of Play It Again Music Publishing, while his wife, Natalia, is a singer/songwriter.
Take a look at some pics of Dallas’ new crib via realtor.com.
More than 50,000 fans packed Nissan Stadium for Night 3 of CMA Fest to see performances by John Anderson, Maren Morris, Chris Young, Old Dominion, Lady Antebellum, Thomas Rhett and Florida Georgia Line.
The Saturday night show included a few surprises: Cassadee Pope made an appearance during Chris Young’s set to perform their Grammy-nominated No. 1 hit, “Think of You,” and Maren Morris came back onstage during Thomas Rhett’s set to perform their duet, “Craving You.”
Check out our photo gallery from Night 3 at Nissan Stadium.
photos by Jason Simanek
10 years. They call that a decade.
Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley will team up for the 10th time to co-host the upcoming 51st annual CMA Awards on Nov. 8.
Brad and Carrie’s 10-year run is second only to Vince Gill’s 12-year stint as host.
The 51st annual CMA Awards will air live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 8-11 p.m. ET, on ABC.
photo by Bob D’Amico / CMA
More than 50,000 fans packed Nissan Stadium for Night 2 of CMA Fest to see performances by Trace Adkins, Rascal Flatts, Sam Hunt, Kelsea Ballerini, Eric Church and Blake Shelton.
But the crowd also got a couple of surprises: Dustin Lynch and Brett Young made unannounced visits to the stage.
Check out our photo gallery from Night 2 at Nissan Stadium.
photos by Jason Simanek
EUGENE, Oregon – Tennessee junior Christian Coleman became the second person in NCAA history to win four sprint national championships in one year as he won the 100m and 200m dashes on day three of the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship at Historic Hayward Field on Friday.
After sweeping the 60m and 200m championships during the indoor season, he came back and won the 100m and 200m titles on Friday. Only #VFL Justin Gatlin has ever accomplished that feat as he pulled it off in 2002.
Coleman won the NCAA Championship in the 100m with a time of 10.04. The Atlanta native jumped out to a lead thanks to his lightning start and held on as he won by .08 seconds over Houston’s Cameron Burrell. Coleman had set the collegiate record during the prelims as he ran a time of 9.82 seconds. That was the fourth-fastest time by an American ever, and made Coleman the ninth-fastest person in the world. He wasn’t able to match that time as the race was run into a 2.1 m/s headwind.
Coleman became the first person to sweep the 60m and 100m races in the same year since Jeff Demps of Florida did it in 2010. Coleman’s title is the sixth in Tennessee history following Reggie Jones (1974), Sam Graddy (1984), Terry Scott (1985) and Justin Gatlin (2001 and 2002). Tennessee now has the second-most 100m National Champions in NCAA history, behind only USC’s eight titles.
Coleman had to come back 35 minutes after the end of the 100m and run in the 200m dash final. The Atlanta native, posted a time of 20.25 despite running into a 3.1 headwind. Coleman had a fierce challenge from LSU’s Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake. Coleman jumped out to the lead, but Mitchell-Blake made up ground on the straightaway, however Coleman was able to hold him off at the line as he won 20.25 to 20.29.
The 200m title was the fourth 200m championship in school history as Coleman joined Reggie Jones (1975) and Justin Gatlin (2001 & 2002). Tennessee now has 10 men’s sprint titles in school history, as they became the third school in the NCAA to hit that milestone as they joined USC (12) and Florida State (10).
This was Coleman’s fifth career NCAA Championship as he also claimed the indoor 200m title last season. Coleman now ranks second in Tennessee history with five individual national championships. Justin Gatlin notched six national titles during his Tennessee tenure. This is the third straight year that the 100m and 200m titles have been swept as Arkansas’ Jarrion Lawson (2016) and USC’s Andre De Grasse (2015) have done it the past two years.
Sophomore Zach Long recorded a 12th place appearance in the 5000m final. Long crossed the line in 14:42.94 in the 5000m race. Long earned second team All-America honors with his finish. Long closed the race with a final 400m of 1:01.47 which was his fastest split of the competition. The race went out slow with the first with the first six full laps being run in 1:12 or higher, but that got faster as the race went on.
Matthew Zajac posted a mark of 54.81m (179-10) on his first throw in the discus competition. He finished in 18th place after ending the first flight in seventh place in his first career NCAA Championship appearance. Zajac finished the season ranked seventh in school history in the event with his best mark of 58.22m (191-0) which came at the SEC Championship as he earned a bronze medal in the event.
The Tennessee men’s team finished in a tie for seventh place with SEC rival LSU. The Vols tallied 20 points with all of those earned by Coleman’s two first-place finishes. The women’s squad finished the competition with two points and will not have anyone competing on day four of the NCAA Championship.
10 Vols earned 12 All-American honors during the 2017 Outdoor Championship. LONG ADD. Coleman was a first-team All-American in the 100m and 200m races. Zach Long (5000m), Nathan Strother (400m), Cameron Brown (Hammer) and Seth Whitener (Hammer) earned second-team All-America honors. The men’s 4x400m team of Mustaqeem Williams, Ari Cogdell, Malik Elion and Strother earned second-team honors as well. On the women’s side, Chelsea Blaase earned first-team All-America honors with a seventh place finish in the 10,000m race and Shania Collins notched a spot on the second team for the 200m dash.
A select few Vols will continue their season as they compete at the USATF Championships from June 23-25 as they attempt to make the USA Team for this summer’s World Championship in London.
Wednesday’s Results
100m Semifinal: 1. Christian Coleman, 9.82 (+1.3)
200m Semifinal: 3. Christian Coleman, 20.21
400m Semifinal: 9. Nathan Strother, 45.53 (+1.6)
4x100m Relay Semifinal: 18. Tennessee (Darryl Harris, Mustaqeem Williams, Malik Elion, Christian Coleman), 39.57
4x400m Relay Semifinal: 14. Tennessee (Mustaqeem Williams, Ari Cogdell, Malik Elion, Nathan Strother), 3:06.00
Hammer: 12. Cameron Brown, 68.55m (224-11); 15. Seth Whitener, 66.14m (217-0)
Thursday’s Results
200m Semifinal: 16. Shania Collins, 23.40 (+1.7)
10,000m Final: 7. Chelsea Blaase, 33:06.86
Shot Put Final: 18. Cassie Wertman, 16.22m (53-2.75)
Hammer Throw Final: Stamatia Scarvelis, Foul
Friday’s Results
100m Final: 1. Christian Coleman, 10.04 (-2.1)
200m Final: 1. Christian Coleman, 20.25 (-3.1)
5000m Final: 12. Zach Long, 14:42.94
Discus: 18. Matthew Zajac, 54.81m (179-10)
-UT Athletics
KNOXVILLE — With the Tennessee Basketball program set to get an early jump on the 2017-18 season during a summer tour Spain and France, the Volunteers held their first of 10 extra summer practices Friday at Pratt Pavilion.
The trip overseas, which runs Aug. 2-12, will see the Vols make stops in Barcelona, Valencia and Paris. The 11-day trip will feature three exhibition games against European clubs and plenty of sightseeing — unique and valuable opportunities for building team chemistry heading into the college season.
“We’re all excited about this trip for a lot of reasons,” rising junior Kyle Alexander said. “Some of us — myself included — have never been overseas before. So that whole experience will be something new for a lot of us. But also, the opportunity to get some extra team practice time during the summer and then play three actual games, that’s going to help our development as a team. We’re very fortunate to have an opportunity to make a trip like this, and we plan to make the most of it.”
Four of Tennessee’s five newcomers were on hand for Friday’s workout as forwards Zach Kent (Magnolia, Delaware) and Derrick Walker (Kansas City) as well as junior college transfer Chris Darrington (Toledo, Ohio; Vincennes University) and graduate transfer James Daniel III (Hampton, Virginia; Howard University) are officially enrolled. Only forward Yves Pons (Fuveau, France) has yet to arrive on Rocky Top.
All five newcomers have been assigned their jersey numbers.
3 – James Daniel III
15 – Derrick Walker
32 – Chris Darrington
33 – Zach Kent
35 – Yves Pons
Rising junior Brad Woodson has switched jersey numbers and will wear No. 12.
With preparation for Europe underway, three Vols are sidelined with injuries.
James Daniel III remains limited as he recovers from a chipped bone in his left ankle — the same injury that caused him to miss all but two games last season at Howard.
Also continuing to progress in his rehab is guard Lamonte Turner, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder last month. Barring any setbacks, Turner could return to full participation by the end of the summer.
Forward John Fulkerson, who continues to rehab the dislocated right elbow and fractured right wrist that limited him to just 10 games last season, underwent surgery on his left shoulder last month to repair a torn labrum. The Kingsport, Tennessee, native is sidelined indefinitely.
All three will be unavailable for this month’s Rocky Top Summer League, which begins June 15.
DAY 1 | AUG. 2 | DEPARTURE
Overnight flight to Barcelona
DAY 2 | AUG. 3 | BARCELONA
Orientation walking tour
Las Ramblas
La Boqueria Food Market
Practice (optional)
Welcome dinner
DAY 3 | AUG. 4 | BARCELONA
Guided tour of the city
1992 Olympic sites
Montjuïc Hill
Olympic team-building experience
DAY 4 | AUG. 5 | BARCELONA
Guide tour of La Sagrada Família
GAME ONE
DAY 5 | AUG. 6 | BARCELONA | VALENCIA
Travel to Valencia via Cambrils
Catamaran cruise with BBQ lunch
Evening at leisure
DAY 6 | AUG. 7 | VALENCIA
Bullfighting museum & arena
GAME TWO
DAY 7 | AUG. 8 | VALENCIA
Beach time in Valencia
Paella cooking class (optional)
DAY 8 | AUG. 9 | VALENCIA | PARIS
Tour City of Arts & Sciences
Mercado Central
Evening flight to Paris
DAY 9 | AUG. 10 | PARIS
Guided tour of the city
Champs-Élysées
Arc de Triomphe
GAME THREE
DAY 10 | AUG. 11 | PARIS
Visit the Louvre Museum
Eiffel Tower (evening)
Seine River cruise
Farewell dinner
DAY 11 | AUG. 12 | RETURN
Flight back to the United States
-UT Athletics
Full Presser Video | Full Transcription
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics John Currie officially introduced new Tennessee head baseball coach Tony Vitello during an introductory press conference today at Robert M. Lindsay Field at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The entire press conference as well as a full transcript can be found at the links above.
Vitello comes to Tennessee after four seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Arkansas, where he helped lead the Razorbacks to three NCAA tournaments, including a trip to Omaha for the College World Series in 2015.
-UT Athletics
