Georgia Northwestern Technical College now is a full-fledged member of NJCAA Division III, and its women's basketball team was picked to win the Region XVII championship this year. Lady Bobcats sophomores Kayci McGee and Mia Morrow were first-team all-region preseason selections, and classmate Jessica Williams was a second-teamer. The Lady Cats won the Georgia technical college league last season. They open play Nov. 5 by hosting Snead State in Rome. GNTC coach Jim Williams has added former Alabama player Nanae Daniels as an assistant coach.
Football
• Alex Apyan, a 2007 Hixson High School graduate, will be the University of Cincinnati football program's inductee into the school's Legion of Excellence on Oct. 26. Apyan, an aerospace engineering major who in May 2009 was nominated for the International Scholar Laureate Program delegation on engineering in China, has a 3.6 grade point average for the last two years. The induction ceremony for the top academic performers in each sport involves a "business formal" dinner, and Bearcats head coach Butch Jones will escort Apyan to receive his award.
UTC Sports
• The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team will play a five-inning game against alumni players at 11 a.m. Saturday at Frost Stadium, after Southern Conference championship rings are presented to last year's players. The Lady Moc RBI Club will host a free postgame cookout for everyone in attendance; donations will be accepted. The UTC wrestling team also will have an alumni match Saturday at 11 a.m. at McKenzie Arena, with 14 former wrestlers agreeing to take part; admission costs $5. The volleyball team has official home matches at 2 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday against College of Charleston and The Citadel, and the cross country teams will host their Front Runner Invitational at 3 p.m. Saturday on the Moccasin Bend course.