Girls Preparatory School's David McGowan has been named the Tennessee girls' bowling coach of the year for the 2014-15 season, when the Bruisers won their second Division II individual state title since he started helping the program in 2011, to go with the team title in 2012. Five of his bowlers qualified for the singles event at the state last January, and four finished in the top seven. He was the state girls' coach of the year also with Hixson in 2005-06, after a team state championship. His Hixson boys won a team title in 2007. "I'm excited and humbled to receive the TSSAA coach of the year award," McGowan said in a GPS release. "My goal at GPS is to build a program that will instill confidence in each player." A Hall of Fame member of the Chattanooga Area Bowling Association, McGowan is district manager of McCorvey's Bowling World Pro Shops at the local Holiday Bowl centers and is president of the Eastgate League at Holiday Brainerd. He has been coaching the sport since 1992.
Baseball
* Local baseball umpire George "Tad" Mindeman suffered a heart attack and died Tuesday night at the age of 61, and a memorial service is scheduled for Monday at 4:30 p.m. at Grace Presbyterian Church on Lookout Mountain in Georgia. Among other assignments, Mindeman had umpired Dixie Youth games on the mountain for the last 13 years and TSSAA games the last 10, including the state tournament in 2013. His son Andrew is the sports information director for Covenant College.
* The Chattanooga Lookouts' 2015 Southern League championship trophy will be at the downtown Blood Assurance donor center today from 3 to 5 p.m., and community members are invited to come by, give blood and get photos taken with the trophy. Also, all are invited to register for a pair of tickets to the Lookouts' 2016 season opener.
Soccer
* Joe Goreham scored two of the goals, including the winner in overtime, in the Bryan College men's soccer team's 3-2 victory Wednesday against nationally 10th-ranked Union (Ky.) that pushed the Lions past the Bulldogs into first place in the Appalachian Athletic Conference. Bryan's Charlie Clark scored from a Kevin Roenpage assist in the 72nd minute. Hana Mizoguchi scored both Lady Lions goals against Union in a 2-2 tie. She was assisted by Alex Kuh and Elizabeth Cawthorne.