Mocs’ Soto, Brown 10th, 16th in AWN
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Niko Brown moved up two spots to No. 16 in the latest Amateur Wrestling News rankings for 197-pounders. Brown, 17-1, won twice Sunday in the Grapple at the Garden in New York, defeating Oklahoma State’s Austin Schafer and Rutgers’ Dan Seidenberg. The Mocs’ 125-pounder, Nick Soto, also a double winner Sunday, remained No. 10. The Mocs will practice through Friday and then resume preparations for the Southern Scuffle on Dec. 26. The Scuffle is Jan. 1-2 at McKenzie Arena. LACROSSE
The Inside Lacrosse publication lists Sewanee sophomore Hal Smith from Lexington, Va., as a preseason NCAA Division III All-American. He is the only one from the new Southern Athletic Association. Smith took over face-off duties as the Tigers moved into conference play during his freshman season and led the league by winning 67.9 percent of his face-offs. That was the fourth best rate in Division III. He won 131.
SOFTBALL Dade County’s Madison Gossett and Gordon Lee’s Kalei Kimbrell were named the Class AA and Class A state softball pitchers of the year, respectively, by the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association after leading their teams to 2012 state titles. They joined Northwest Whitfield’s Emily Boyd, already reported as the AAAA pitcher of the year. Gossett was 23-11 with 355 strikeouts and only 109 hits allowed in 210 innings pitched while fashioning a 1.63 earned run average. Kimbrell was 21-4 with a 0.73 ERA and allowed 86 hits and struck out 135 in 144 innings. Teammates Jordyn Hamill and Tiffany Holland joined her on the Class A all-state first team. Making the AAA first team were Ringgold infielder Ericka Bynum and pitcher Brittany Portwood. Earning second-team honors were Gordon Lee’s Emily Armour, Ashley McDonald and Courtland Middleton and Trion’s Shelby Lewis in Class A; Calhoun’s Shante McDaniel in AA and Ringgold’s Devan Brown and North Murray’s Megan Pittman in AAA. Dade County’s Autumn Sigler and Christine Core were the Class AA state coaches of the year; Gordon Lee’s Dana Mull shared the Class A honor.
BASKETBALL The Lee University women’s basketball team, ranked No. 6 in NAIA Division I, beat Pikeville 79-54 Tuesday night. Hollie German scored 20 points and Jenna Adams added 13 plus 11 rebounds for the Lady Flames, who trailed 11-10 but then had a 28-2 run.