Chattanooga native and Baylor School graduate John Trice has been hired to head the tradition-rich Greensboro College men’s soccer program. Trice, a 2004 graduate of James Madison University, was an assistant coach at High Point the past three years and is the director of coaching for the Piedmont Triad Futbol Club. The Greensboro Pride have played in 14 NCAA Division III tournaments and were finalists in 1989 and ’98.
“We are very excited about John Trice leading our men’s soccer program,” athletic director Jean Lojko said in a GC release Tuesday. “With his experience, personality and enthusiasm, I am confident he is the right person to guide the Pride back to regional and national prominence.”
After assisting in a Patriot League championship season at Holy Cross, Trice helped head coach Dustin Fonder build the High Point program to a school-record 16 wins and the Big South championship this season. Trice was the recruiting coordinator. He was a two-year starter and senior captain for JMU, which went to two NCAA Division I tournaments during his time on the team.
“While I’m saddened to lose a key member of our soccer program, I’m excited for John and this opportunity for him,” Fonder said. “I’m confident that he will do an outstanding job and restore the Greensboro College men’s soccer program back to the upper echelon.”
• Chattanoogans Maggie Lynskey and Morgan Shelton were two of the four King College players chosen to the National Christian College Athletic Association All-Mid-East Region women’s soccer team for 2010, and Covenant sophomores Eliza Drew and Lauren Probst and Tennessee Temple freshmen Jessica Holcomb and Diana Martinez also made the team. Lynskey is a senior defender from Notre Dame who had five goals this year, including one game-winner; Shelton, a junior forward from Ooltewah, had two winning goals among her nine scores.
Softball
• Cleveland State and former Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School catcher Christian “D” Elswick has signed to continue her fastpitch softball career next year at Truett-McConnell College in Cleveland, Ga. Elswick batted .260 and drove in 20 runs in 41 games as a Lady Cougars freshman last season, and she had a .992 fielding percentage. She plans to major in education and become an elementary school teacher. “I chose TMC because I felt it would be a good fit for me,” Elswick said in a Cleveland State release. “They have a good program, and the coaches and players really made me feel welcome.” Truett-McConnell is completing the transition from a two-year school to a four-year institution. “I am expecting D to have a great season this year,” first-year Cleveland State head coach Katie Willingham said. “She will anchor the catching duties and will also see time in the infield. The team looks to D for leadership both on and off the field.”
Wrestling
• The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has been ranked in the nation’s Top 25 early-signing classes by Wrestler Insider News magazine. WIN ranked the Mocs’ November signees No. 23, largely because three are state champions: 130-pounder Marvin Lopez from Cleveland High School, 189 titlist (now wrestling at 215) William Kennedy of Blackman High in Murfreesboro and undefeated Florida champ Nick Soto of Spring Hill, Fla. The Mocs also signed Austin Sams of Fairfield, Ohio, who finished fifth in his state meet despite tearing a knee ligament during the tournament. T.J. Mitchell is about to join the Mocs as a transfer from Virginia Tech. He is a former two-time Georgia champion and also was a national prep champ.
Football
• While Chattanooga no longer has the NCAA Division I football championship game, the NAIA national title game continues to be held not far away in Rome, Ga. The 2010 final will kick off at 4:30 p.m. Saturday in Barron Stadium with four-time champion University of Sioux Falls (S.D.) taking on Carroll College of Helena, Mont., each with a 13-0 record. The same two schools met in the 2007 and 2008 title games with Carroll winning the first time and Sioux Falls taking the rematch. Sioux Falls won again last year in Rome, 25-22 over Lindenwood.