Former University of Tennessee basketball standout Tamika Catchings, the most valuable player of the 2012 WNBA Finals, will be the guest speaker for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes' annual Road to Victory banquet March 5 at 6:30 p.m. at the Chattanooga Convention Center. The event is the major fundraiser for FCA work in southeastern Tennessee. Georgia football coach Mark Richt already had been announced as the special guest for the Feb. 28 "Home Team" banquet for the northwestern Georgia (Lookout Mountain) FCA organization at the Colonnade in Ringgold. For tables or sponsorships to the Georgia dinner, email lookoutmountainfca@fca.org or call 706-764-1954. For more on the Road to Victory dinner, see chattanoogafca.org or contact Jay Fowler at 877-3561 or 309-4255. "We are thrilled to have one of the best women's basketball players in the world coming to Chattanooga to speak on behalf of the FCA," Fowler said of Catchings, a four-time All-American who was on an undefeated Lady Vols national champion team after winning a high state championship in Illinois. Despite a knee injury in her senior year at UT, she went third overall in the 2001 WNBA draft and was the rookie of the year, a seven-time league all-star, the WNBA defensive player of the year five times and the league MVP in 2011. She has been on three Olympic gold medal teams. She also has earned numerous accolades for her community involvement, including the Coach John Wooden Citizenship Cup Award, the Dawn Staley Leadership Award and the Eleanor Roosevelt League Award for the Hard of Hearing. She created the Catch the Stars Foundation in 2004 to provide academic and sports-related programs for at-risk youth, according to the FCA release.
Golf
• DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Former Baylor School golfer Brooke Pancake shot a 3-under-par 69 and is tied for 19th place through four rounds of LPGA Tour Qualifying School. The low 40 scorers and ties after six rounds receive full status on the LPGA Tour next year.
• LaQUINTA, Calif. -- Former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga golfer Jonathan Hodge moved up 12 spots to a tie for 86th after four rounds of PGA Tour Qualifying School with two rounds to play. Former Mocs teammate Stephan Jaeger is tied for 162nd. The top 25 and ties after six rounds will earn PGA Tour cards for 2013.
Football
• Second-seeded Carson-Newman lost 48-26 at top seed Valdosta (Ga.) State in the NCAA Division II Super Region II football final Saturday. Brandon Baker ran for 155 yards and a 32-yard touchdown on 18 carries and Curt Duncan kicked four field goals as the Eagles (9-3) took a 26-21 lead midway through the third quarter, but Cayden Cochran threw two touchdown passes and Cedric O'Neal ran for two scores for VSU (10-2) in the final 20 minutes. While Oliver Davis made seven solo tackles and three teammates each had five solos, a lost-yardage stop and an assist for Carson-Newman, Chris Pope had 11 solos and 10 assists for VSU. Senior center Kevin Day from Soddy-Daisy joined running back Baker as all-super region first-team players from Carson-Newman, while Duncan was a second-team selection announced Friday. Cochran was one of four Valdosta State offense first-teamers. Day, who made his 46th consecutive start Saturday, also is one of eight finalists for the Upshaw Award as Division II's top lineman.
Soccer
• Danielle Ciabattone, Amy Cochran, Kim Conrad, Leah Fortune, Elizabeth Hagan, Clair Lanter, Caroline Scales and Stepanie Surgener from national semifinalist Lee University were among the NAIA Scholar-Athletes for women's soccer for 2012, along with Hannah Griggs, Jennifer Rajala and Alisa Faithe of Bryan College, Ashlie Reagan of Tennessee Wesleyan and Hixson High School graduates Blair and Rebecca Kent of USC-Beaufort. Cochran, Conrad, Soddy-Daisy graduate Lanter, Baylor School alumna Scales and the Kent sisters are seniors; the rest are juniors. Ciabattone played for Notre Dame High School, Griggs for Chattanooga Christian. To qualify, a player must be at least a junior at an NAIA institution and have a 3.5 grade point average or higher on a 4.0 scale.
Volleyball
• Bryan College juniors Casey Crump (from Southeast Whitfield High School) and Rebecca Adams, Lee University junior Becky Bourne, Montreat junior Hannah Travis from Rhea County High and Tennessee Wesleyan juniors Erica Waggoner and Kaylan Powers were among the 2012 NAIA Scholar-Athletes for volleyball.
Basketball
• UTC women's basketball coach Wes Moore will be the guest speaker for the Chattanooga Quarterback Club's noon luncheon meeting Monday at Finley Stadium, and the public is invited. Attendance costs $10 with a meal, $4 without. Moore's Lady Mocs are 6-1, highlighted by their season-opening win over Tennessee.