Signal Mountain's Preston Elwell commits to Winthrop

Arkansas-SEMO Live Blog
photo Preston Elwell

Signal Mountain High School senior Preston Elwell has committed to continue his track and field career at Winthrop University. The 6-foot-3 Elwell, also an Eagles basketball forward who holds the javelin records for both Signal Mountain and his previous school, Saint James in Alabama, has finished second, fourth and fifth in USATF and AAU national junior meets the past two years. He has been accepted into the honors program at the NCAA Division I school in Rock Hill, S.C. He was offered athletic and academic scholarships also by UNC-Asheville and Valparaiso from Division I and was recruited by Emory, Oberlin and other notable Division III institutions. Elwell has been a javelin competitor for nearly a decade. "This is what I've been dreaming about for 10 years," he said. "I liked the size and commitment to academics and athletics at Winthrop. I felt very comfortable on my official visit, and I feel that the coaching staff can help me reach my potential. I'm excited and feel blessed to be able to compete at the Division I level."

Basketball

• Jorden Williams scored 19 points and Seth Brown added 15 as the Sewanee men's basketball team won its 13th home game in a row Monday night, 68-51 over Covenant. Leo Born added 10 for the Tigers (9-4). Colton McGriff and Bryant Engbers scored 15 and 10 for the Scots. Earlier, Jamie Chauvin had 28 points, eight rebounds and four steals as the Sewanee women won for the first time in four 2014 games, 63-57 over Johnson. Casey Hassett added 14 points and four blocks and Kayla Sewell also had eight rebounds and four steals for Sewanee.

• Shooting 26 percent from the field and committing 30 turnovers, the Covenant College women's basketball team lost 75-40 at home to Maryville on Tuesday. Mackenzie Puckett had 15 points and eight rebounds and Lauren Burnett hit five 3-point shots and made four steals in the USA South game for Maryville (10-3, 3-1). Covenant's Jessie Blankenship continued her run of double-doubles with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Aleigha Williams had 10 points and three steals.

• The Georgia Northwestern men's basketball team began NJCAA Region XVII play Monday with a 58-52 win over Southern Crescent at the Rossville Athletic Center. Freshman posts LaDarius Watkins and Dustin Stanley scored 12 and 11 points and combined for 14 rebounds and five blocked shots for the victorious Bobcats (4-7), and sophomore guards Tavish Reynolds and Richard Olsen scored 11 and 10 points. Anthony Calloway had 21 points for Southern Crescent (2-10, 0-1).

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