Former Chattanooga Christian School and Lee University goalkeeper Leah Wilson Presley is the new women's soccer head coach at King University in Bristol, Tenn. Saying in a King release that she is "very honored and excited," Presley added, "I am looking forward to coaching at a place that is so well supported by everyone on campus and also the surrounding community. For me, coaching soccer is an opportunity to make a positive impact and help others build success both on the field and off, and King is a place that will make that happen." She has been an assistant coach the past three seasons at the University of the Southwest in Hobbes, N.M. She was part of three NAIA championships at Lee, where her four-year keeper record was 63-5-2, including 20-1-2 as a senior. The coach she had at Lee, Matt Yelton, is a former King player and coach who said Presley "possesses all of the characteristics of a quality coach, but more importantly she is a person of character who will inspire her team on and off the field. I fully expect Leah to make a lifelong impact on her players." Said King athletic director David Hicks: "The search committee identified several attributes of an ideal candidate. Among those were a track record for winning, knowledge of soccer in the Southeast and a strong Christian commitment with a desire to impact lives through soccer. Leah is from Chattanooga, played at Lee, won three national championships and possesses a strong faith with a desire to lead, mentor and develop young women."
Softball
- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team was picked to tie for sixth place with Western Carolina in the Southern Conference coaches' poll released Thursday, but UTC junior shortstop J.J. Hamill from Chickamauga, Ga., and sophomore catcher Amanda Beltran from Orange County, Calif., were voted to the preseason all-conference second team. Furman was the choice to win the league, led by preseason player of the year Candace Johnson, with Samford second and Mercer and UNC Greensboro tied for third. East Tennessee State was picked fifth.
Basketball
- The Lee University women's basketball team shot 52 percent from the field and held North Alabama to 35 percent shooting in a 91-72 Gulf South Conference victory for the Lady Flames on Thursday in Cleveland. North Alabama won the men's game 79-76. Carrie Cheeks had 22 points and nine rebounds and Lindsey Roddy had 19 points and four steals for the Lady Flames, who got 13 points and five assists from Abby Bertram and 12 points and four assists from Erin Walsh. Keevin Tyus had 25 points and nine rebounds for the Lee men, while Cody Farley scored 13 points and Jervon Johnson had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
- Mike Harden had 24 points and four assists as the NAIA's No. 4-ranked Dalton State Roadrunners edged Loyola (La.) 77-74 in a Southern States game Thursday night. Isaiah Box scored 16 points and Carnilious Simmons and Sayvon Wilson added 10 points and seven rebounds each for DSC (19-1, 11-1).
- Patjo Twagirayezu scored a career-high 28 points and Berto Dryden and Bailey Spragg added 14 apiece as Covenant College beat visiting Huntingdon 81-70 in USA South men's basketball Thursday.
Football
- Fannin County (Ga.) tight end Jacob Reece joined Ooltewah defensive lineman Ty'Ree Strawter and Calhoun (Ga.) athlete Ryan Randall among the 31 football signees announced Wednesday night by new Carson-Newman head coach Mike Turner. The 6-3, 240-pound Reece was a two-time all-region tight end and caught 66 passes for 967 yards and eight receiving touchdowns during his Fannin career, and he was the team's offensive player of the year as a senior. Ooltewah won its league title in 2015 and was the runner-up in 2016, when the 6-foot-1, 240-pound Strawter was the team's co-DL of the year. He also has played basketball for the Owls. The 6-foot, 180-pound Randall was on a 2014 state champion with the football Yellow Jackets.
Tennis
- The Covenant College women's tennis team was picked to win the USA South West Division this spring with defending league champion Methodist the favorite in the East. Covenant got six of the eight first-place West votes. Huntingdon was picked second out of the eight teams with Piedmont a close third and Agnes fourth.
- Chattanooga's Wesley Cash and Mark Vines of Naples, Fla., the top seeds, won 6-0, 6-1 in a men's 60s doubles quarterfinal of the West Coast (Fla.) Super Senior Grand Prix tournament Thursday in Naples. They beat Roger Gussett of Ohio and Eugenio Spano of Naples.