The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's Scottie Boykin was named Wednesday the Southern Conference wrestler of the week for his 4-0 performance last weekend at the Virginia Duals. Boykin's wins at Hampton, Va., included a technical fall, a major decision and an 8-7 defeat of Northern Iowa's 19th-ranked Jacob Holschlag. The Mocs' senior 197-pounder is 19-5 this season and has 87 career victories, tied for 10th most in program history. UTC hosts Southern Illinois-Edwardsville in a SoCon match Friday at 7 p.m. in Maclellan Gymnasium.
Track & Field
» Carson-Newman freshman Tia Davis from Ooltewah is the South Atlantic Conference women's indoor track athlete of the week for the second time, both after breaking program records in the 60- and 200-meter dashes. In the East Tennessee State Invitational that included Division I athletes this past weekend, Davis broke her Eagles records in the preliminaries with a 7.96-second time in the 60 and a 26.32 in the 200. Her previous records were 7.98 and 26.53. "To be two meets into her career and rewrite the record book is great, but more impressive is that even as a freshman she has a great sense of wanting to improve her skills and get better each practice," coach David Needs said in a CNU release Wednesday. CNU's Kristofer Potts-Howard from Tullahoma won the men's long jump at 7.07 meters (23 feet, 2.5 inches) and was seventh in the triple jump at the ETSU meet. He holds the Eagles' long jump record of 7.26 meters. ETSU junior Kiana Davis from Ooltewah, Tia's sister, was fourth overall in 25.24 in the women's 200.
Softball
» The Tennessee softball team directed by former UTC coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly was picked to finish second in the powerful Southeastern Conference this season in the league coaches' poll released Wednesday. The Lady Vols tied for third in the 2017 final standings. Florida, which has won the regular season the last three years, received 11 of 13 first-place votes and 143 points in the 13-team preseason poll, and Tennessee followed with one first and 119 points. Texas A&M was third with 114, LSU fourth with 109 and Alabama fifth with 107 and the other vote for first. The Lady Vols' 17 returning players include five who received 2017 SEC postseason honors - including player of the year Meghan Gregg - and eight of the top 10 hitters from the team that went 48-12.
» The Lee University softball team was picked to finish sixth in the Gulf South Conference - a historically strong NCAA Division II league - but got a first-place votes and has nearly a full complement of returning starters from the group that reached the South Super Regional last spring. Sophomore pitcher and first baseman Taylor Moran is a preseason All-GSC selection after making the second team and the All-South first team in 2017, and other all-region or all-conference returners are sophomore designated player and pitcher Abby McKinney and senior pitcher Leigh Beatenbough. Other key returners are catcher Brooklynn Frazier, third baseman Stevie Baird, shortstop Kayla Louie and second baseman Zoe Miller. Former Lee star Emily Russell takes a 580-254-1 record into her 16th season as the program's head coach.
» A breakfast fundraiser for the UTC softball team will be held Saturday from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Applebee's at Northgate. Patrons can meet Mocs players and coaches. The cost is $6, paid at the door.
Basketball
» The three area college basketball doubleheaders scheduled for Wednesday evening were postponed because of continued icy conditions in East Tennessee and northern Georgia. Covenant's USA South home games against the Maryville women and Piedmont men were reset for this evening at 5:30 and 7:30, and Cleveland State's TCCAA matchups with Walters State were rescheduled for Monday, beginning with the men's game at 5:30. A makeup date for Chattanooga State's home games against Roane State was not immediately determined.