Area sports notes: Sewanee tennis coaches get new titles



Felix Mann / Sewanee photo
Felix Mann / Sewanee photo
photo Clint McAuley / Bryan College photo

After 32 years as the Sewanee men's tennis coach, John Shackelford has been named director of tennis at the NCAA Division III school and associate coach Felix Mann has been elevated to men's head coach. Conchie Shackelford, John's wife, continues as the women's coach. Mann has been the associate coach for both nationally ranked programs the last three years after serving as an assistant at Rhodes and then the head men's and women's coach at Averett for two years. He was an all-conference player at Oglethorpe. "Conchie, Felix and I will continue to work side by side to provide individual coaching opportunities for all our men's and women's tennis players with the goal of continuing to create a positive championship culture in both programs," John Shackelford said in a school release Thursday. "This change ensures that our coaching staff will remain intact for many years to come." In the six years of the Southern Athletic Association, only Sewanee's teams have won league tennis titles, and John compiled a 551-282 career record with Conchie at 572-203. "Under the superb leadership of John and Conchie Shackelford, Tiger tennis has been an exemplary program for Sewanee athletics for decades," athletic director Mark Webb said. "With the promotion of Felix Mann our new coaching structure will maximize the strengths of our staff. I am confident our new structure will enable Tiger tennis to achieve even greater heights on the national landscape."

Baseball

* One day after announcing Taylor Hasty's successor as athletic director, Bryan College also promoted from within in naming Clint McAuley to follow Hasty as head baseball coach. McAuley has been with the Dayton program for seven seasons, the last five as associate head coach, and the Lions have averaged 38 wins a year since his arrival. His main duties have been overseeing the pitching staff and coordinating recruitment, according to Thursday's release. The Texas native pitched and played first base for East Texas Baptist University, and he has coached there and at LSU-Eunice, NCAA Division I member Siena and Northeast Mississippi Community College. Thanking new athletic director Mike Keen and the Bryan administration for their confidence in him, McAuley said, "This is a place that is close to my heart, and I am excited to continue the tremendous culture put in place by Coach Hasty. I look forward to further developing the quality reputation of the Bryan baseball program within the institution and throughout both the league and the NAIA. I am also grateful to continue guiding our team to compete at a high level while walking alongside and shepherding these young men in their pursuit of Christ."

Wrestling

* Notre Dame High School has promoted longtime wrestling assistant coach Tim Voiles to head coach of the tradition-rich program, the school announced Thursday. The two-time state champion and high school All-American at Lookout Valley and two-time NCAA national qualifier at Carson-Newman was a Notre Dame assistant from 2002 to 2017, during which time the Fighting Irish won three consecutive state duals championships followed by a runner-up finish. Voiles, who went 216-18 at Lookout Valley and won more than 100 matches as a four-year starter at Carson-Newman, will be assisted by another former standout and proven coach, Rabbit Turner. "I am excited for the opportunity to serve as the head coach for the Irish wrestling program," Voiles said in the release. "I have always looked at Notre Dame as family, and these past 17 years have been a wonderful experience. It's goint to be a privilege to continue working with John Mullin, Melissa Wolff and now Coach Turner as we are looking to build on the tradition of Notre Dame wrestling."

Soccer

* The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's soccer exhibition against Belmont was moved up Thursday at Finley Stadium to avoid stormy weather, and the teams played to a 1-1 tie with an early goal by the visiting Bruins' Jessi Boozer and an equalizer at 71:45 by Bailey Gale, collecting a loose ball. UTC was picked seventh in the Southern Conference preseason coaches' poll released Thursday, a mere one point behind two teams tied for fifth, East Tennessee State and Mercer. Samford edged UNC Greensboro by a point for first, followed next by Furman and Western Carolina. UNCG got five first-place votes to three for Samford and two for Furman.

Golf

* William Nottingham of Kingsport maintained his lead in the 2018 Tennessee Amateur golf tournament at Spring Creek Ranch in Collierville with a par 72 Thursday for a three-round total of 210, and fellow Clemson University player Kyle Cottam of Knoxville was tied at 211 with University of Tennessee golfer Brayden Garrison of Nolensville. Aaron Ingalls of Jackson and Brock Ochsenreiter of Nashville were at 212 with Ross Redmont of Memphis sixth at 213. Benton's David Watts shot 67 and moved up into a tie for 13th at 218.

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