Dalton State seniors Ladaris Green and Sean Tate followed up their team’s NAIA Division I national championship Tuesday night with All-American honors announced Thursday. The 6-foot-10 Green was a first-team All-American and the 5-8 Tate was a third-team selection. Green wound up second in the NAIA in total rebounds and rebounds per game (11.63) and second also in blocked shots. He had 13 double-doubles this season and was the Southern States Athletic Conference player of the year. Tate was the SSAC leader in free-throw percentage and assist-to-turnover ratio. DSC’s Jordan Bowling was the NAIA tournament most valuable player, Preston Earle joined him on the all-tournament team and Tony Ingle was named NAIA national coach of the year. A “victory lap” parade in the Roadrunners’ honor will begin at 6 tonight in front of the Dalton Depot Restaurant, and a ceremony will follow.
* Lee University freshman Emileigh Swafford from Meigs County was a first-team National Christian College Athletic Association Division I women’s All-American but was unable to play in the NCCAA postseason, and the Lady Flames won the national championship with freshman Shelby Brown as the most outstanding playier and junior Kayla Beavers joining her on the all-tournament team. Lee’s Erin Walsh and Tennessee Temple’s Amanda Rector were second-team All-Americans. Lee’s Cory Billingsley men’s 10-man All-American first team, and Flames teammate Chase Cullen was on the six-man all-national-tournament team. Tennessee Temple’s Cameron High received All-American honorable mention.
Golf
* Agathe Sauzon of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga was the Southern Conference women’s golfer of the week after her third consecutive top-15 finish. She tied for 14th in the Briar’s Creek Invitational at Johns Island, S.C., shooting 220 for 54 holes with a closing 2-under-par 70. The Mocs will host the inaugural Chattanooga Classic at Council Fire Golf Club on April 6-7.
* The Georgia State Golf Association’s first state championships of the year will be determined today through Sunday with the Georgia Four-Ball Tournament at Valdosta Country Club and Kinderlou Forest Golf Club. Tony Patterson of Dalton with Tre Lamb of Calhoun will be in the championship flight along with Matt Oxford of Rocky Face and a Kennesaw partner.