Along with directing the Girls Preparatory School bowling team to its fifth Division II-AA Mid-East Region championship in a row, David McGowan has been honored as the girls’ bowling coach of the year for 2015 for the eight-state NFHS South Sectional.
It had been reported already that he was the Tennessee coach of the year.
“I am honored to have won the South Sectional award, to know I was a finalist for national coach of the year,” McGowan said Wednesday. “It is very humbling that my expertise and hard work have been noticed by our national and state athletic associations. It’s an honor to be at GPS. I feel very fortunate to coach at such a great school. I want to thank (athletic director) Stacey Hill and the late Randy Tucker for hiring me on Jenise Gordon’s recommendation when she was head coach.”
McGowan assisted Gordon for two seasons and has been the head coach the past three. The Bruisers won this year’s regional with a dominating 23-4 win over Harpeth Hall, and Alyson Parris, Blakely Reid, Meagan Scott and Kaliya Ware previously qualified as individuals for the state tournament.
‘ Five Lee University athletes are members of the Gulf South Conference’s All-Academic Team for the 2015 fall sports season, a group made up of 88 student-athletes in men’s and women’s cross country, football, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball.
The Flames and Lady Flames selected were runners Seth Eagleson (3.61 grade-point average in youth ministry), Camden Perez (3.76 in digital media) and Amy Carpenter (3.98 in mathematics) and soccer players Kinsey Cichowitz (4.00 in special education) and Summer Lanter (3.96 in nursing).
Lee does not have football. GPA is just one factor in the voting by the sports information directors and faculty athletic representatives, who cannot vote on athletes from their schools.
Honorees must be significant contributors to their athletic teams, and leadership, community service and other extracurricular activities also are considered. Lee also had 49 members of its fall teams hold GPAs of 3.00 or higher, qualifying them for the GSC’s honor roll. Women’s soccer led the way with 17 on the list.
Basketball
‘ Bill Carlyle notched his 800th win in his 39th season as the Walters State men’s basketball coach in an 89-86 TCCAA victory Wednesday at Chattanooga State. Ricky Dunnaway and Kelvin Jackson scored 20 and 18 points and Corey Nelson from Grace Academy had 11 points, nine rebounds and four assists for the Senators, who trailed until the final 2:31. DaV Moore had 21 points and 10 rebounds and Larry Spicer and Brandon Shingles scored 19 and 16 points for the Tigers. Walters’ 12th-ranked Lady Senators went to 19-0 and gave Dave Kragel his 891st victory in 39 seasons with a 64-39 win featuring 17 points by Ant’Treasia Patton. Teondra Crawford and Sydney Sims had 12 and 11 for the Lady Tigers.
‘ Darrion Leslie had 21 points and 11 rebounds and Lawrence Castor had 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in Cleveland State’s 72-63 TCCAA basketball win Wednesday against visiting Roane State, and Courtland Crutcher had six assists with 10 points. Charles Perry led Roane with 19 points. Roane’s women them 55-52, leaving them and the Lady Cougars both 7-1 in the league.
‘ Trey Suttles had 34 points with six 3-pointers and eight rebounds as first-place Tennessee Wesleyan won 75-67 in AAC men’s basketball Wednesday at Bluefield. TWC, ranked 21st in NAIA Division II, is 14-1, 8-1 in the league. The Bluefield women won 60-42.
‘ Georgia Northwestern’s Darrius Fugh was named the GCAA (Region 17) Division III men’s basketball player of the week for Jan. 3-9. The 6-foot-4 freshman post from Pepperell High School totaled 68 points and 24 rebounds during the Bobcats’ three tournament games at Johnson University in Kissimmee, Fla. Fugh, who has scored in double figures in 13 of 14 games this season, led GCAA D-III in 3-pointers made (27) and free-throw percentage (.770) as of Wednesday. Fugh made all 10 of his free throws and three 3s in scoring 25 points in an 83-64 win over the Bryan junior varsity Wednesday, with seven rebounds and four assists, and Garret McAllister added 15 points – all in the second half, when the Bobcats had a 37-2 run. The Lady Bobcats lost 74-49 at Bryan but got 14 points each from Ashley Farrell and Madison Lewis and 11 from Katy Phillips.