TWC's Mayfield again AD of year in AAC and other sports news

Arkansas-SEMO Live Blog

Tennessee Wesleyan College's Donny Mayfield has been chosen the Appalachian Athletic Conference athletic director of the year for 2013-14. The Athens school won AAC regular-season championships in men's soccer, women's basketball and baseball and tournament championships in men's outdoor track and field and men's golf. Four TWC teams qualified for NAIA national tournaments. "I am humbled to be selected by my colleagues in the AAC with this honor," Mayfield said in a TWC release. "Being chosen for this award is a reflection of the hard work and dedication that our coaching staff and student-athletes put forth every season to bring success to TWC." This is the third time he has been the AD of the year. He serves the league as coordinator of officials and has been the NAIA site supervisor at the baseball opening-round tournament at Kingsport, Tenn., the last three springs.

• Chattanooga will be the second of three stops early next week in the resurrected Commodore Caravan for Vanderbilt University athletics. Athletic director David Williams, new football coach Derek Mason and fellow coaches Kevin Stallings and Melanie Balcomb from basketball, Jamie Hunt from men's tennis, Jeremy Organ from swimming and John Williamson from bowling will be at the Chattanooga Golf and Country Club from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, meeting supporters, giving autographs, posing for photos and participating in a question-and-answer session. Light appetizers and refreshments will be served, and attendance costs $20, but an RSVP is needed today. See www.vucommodores.com for details.

Basketball

• Chattanooga State basketball players from the last two years are moving on to four-year programs. In addition to Demetrius Kitchens, the former Brainerd High School standout whose signing with Life University was already reported, the Tigers' Joshu'a Warren is returning to NCAA Division I with Maryland-Eastern Shore, Nick Scott is going to Division II Armstrong Atlantic State and 5-foot-8 point guard Dajion Williams is going to NAIA Division I Martin Methodist. Lindsey Hunter III is following his father, a longtime NBA standout, in going to Jackson (Miss.) State, where he will redshirt this coming year. "All these guys are going to be tough to replace. They've played a lot of minutes for us the last two years," Chattanooga State coach Jay Price said Thursday. The 6-9 Warren "had two good years for us after signing originally with UTC," Price said, noting averages of 12 rebounds with nine points a game this past season. "He had a bunch of Division II and NAIA offers but was pretty set on going to Division I, and now he has that chance. Nick was a very good shooter for us, and he's a local kid (Ringgold) with a very high basketball IQ. He may one day end up coaching. Dajion was more of a shooting guard in high school (Clarksville) but was our point guard the last two years and was a very good shooter and good ball-handler. Lindsey really wants to play Division I and has really worked hard to try to get to that level."

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