Bryan College sophomore Amber Levi, right, was the Tennessee Sports Writer Association's as well as the Appalachian Athletic Conference's women's basketball player of the week. She had 42 points, nine rebounds and five assists in Saturday's win over Columbia College, when she made a program-record 10 3-point baskets.Widely acclaimed motivational speaker Tasha Schuh, a young woman paralyzed from the chest down after literally a dramatic fall, will be this year's special guest for the annual Bradley County Youth Basketball Allstars tournament on Feb. 17. Previous keynote speakers have included former University of Tennessee athletes Chamique Holdsclaw and Inky Johnson. Schuh, who has addressed big and small businesses, medical groups and varied organizations as well as youth gatherings since 2007, is scheduled to speak from 6:30 to 6:50 p.m. that Friday as part of the opening ceremonies at Ocoee Middle School in Cleveland. Games will begin at 7 p.m., resuming at 8 a.m. Saturday and again at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. The festivities will begin Thursday evening with shooting competitions for boys and girls playing in the grades 2-3 and 4-5 divisions and modified-goal slam-dunk contests for that older group. Author of the book "My Last Step Backward," Ms. Wheelchair USA in 2012 and founder of "The PITCrew" on teamwork in life, Schuh dreamed of a theater career before being severely injured when she fell through a stage trap door during a play rehearsal, 16 feet to a concrete floor. Tournament tickets cost $5 per day for adults and $3 for high school and middle school students, or weekend bands can be bought for $15 and $10, according to chief organizer Bartlee Norton.
* The Cleveland State basketball teams beat Gadsden State in a home doubleheader Tuesday. Leisa Butler had 21 points and seven rebounds in the Lady Cougars' 67-45 win, while Abby Hubert had 11 points and eight rebounds, Catherine Davis scored 10 points and Julia Gaither had six assists. Romero Hill scored 16 points in the Cougars' 82-61 win, going 4-for-5 on 3-pointers and adding five assists. Tevin Olison scored 15.
* The Covenant College women's basketball team made nine of 10 free throws in the final two minutes and held off visiting Salem for an 82-78 USA South victory Tuesday night. Joanna Smith and Rachel Price had 17 and 14 points and 10 and 12 rebounds while Emma Grimes added 16 points and Aleigha Williams tallied 11 for the Lady Scots (11-11, 5-7), who outrebounded Salem 54-32. Kaley Hallmark had eight rebounds and four assists.
* Darius Flier scored 25 points and Yasmond Fenderson and Cody McClain added 23 and 22 for the Tennessee Wesleyan men's junior varsity in a 106-78 win Monday against Georgia Northwestern. Darrius Fugh scored 23 and Demonte Parker and Alec Rattanaxay had 10 each for GNTC (10-10).
* Bryan College's Amber Levi from Rhea County added the Tennessee Sports Writers Association's honor of women's basketball player of the week to her conference honor announced Monday. Levi scored 20 and 42 points in the Lady Lions' two games last week, with a program-record 10 3s plus nine rebounds and five assists Saturday.
* Former Girls Preparatory School and Hamilton Heights standout Akia Harris was the Ohio Valley Conference women's freshman of the week for her play for Tennessee Tech (9-15, 6-5) in a win over UT-Martin and a loss to Eastern Illinois. Harris averaged 10 points, 5.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds in the two games.
Swimming
* Registration opened Tuesday night for the 2017 U.S. Masters Swimming open-water national championships in Chattanooga. The June 2-4 event features two national-title races in the Tennessee River. The national races are open to USMS members, but others can participate in non-championship heats with a one-event registration. The weekend begins June 2 with a 1-mile fun swim. The 1-3-mile national championship race is June 3; the 9-plus-miler, June 4. More information is at chattswimfest.com.
Baseball
* Lee University senior Geremy Walton is the first Gulf South Conference baseball player of the week for 2017 for his part in the Flames' 2-1 weekend against nationally 15th-ranked Catawba. Walton batted .636 with two doubles, three runs scored and two batted in. He had three hits in each Lee win.
Football
* Linebacker Jaylan Nowell from McCallie, offensive lineman Jake Mathis from Franklin County and tight end/defensive lineman Mitchell Stembridge from Warren County were among the 18 football signees along with Hixson kicker/punter Austin Slifko announced Tuesday by Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tenn. Slifko was included in the list of area signees last Thursday in the Times Free Press; Nowell was listed but with the wrong college.