Around the Region: Dunstan, Spooner, Broderick earn AAC soccer honors

Soccer ball
Soccer ball

Bryan College senior Jordan Dunstan was announced Wednesday night as the Appalachian Athletic Conference men's soccer defensive player of the year, and teammate Brad Spooner was the freshman of the year. Bryan's Dunstan, Charlie Clarke, Rafael Mentzingen and Kevin Roenpage and Tennessee Wesleyan's OT Bah and David Baisden made the all-conference team, while Bryan's Alex Horton and Stephen Ricketts and TWU's Nick Croucher, Jonny Le Quesne and Jake McBrayer were second-team All-AAC. Bryan's Cody Wheeler and TWU's Jordan Jacob were on the Champions of Character team.

* Tennessee Wesleyan junior Nicole Broderick was the AAC women's soccer offensive player of the year, and former Tennessee Temple goalkeeper and coach Randy Douglas of Point University was coach of the year. Wesleyan's Els van Hooijdonk joined Broderick on the all-conference team along with Bryan's Morgana Hardt da Silva, Hana Mizoguchi and Ruth Rosales, and TWU's McKenna Loges and Dayna Randall were second-team selections. Bryan's Hannah Bohner and TWU's Holly Vetter were Champions of Character representatives.

* The Dalton State women lost 9-0 to Mobile in the Southern States Athletic Conference soccer tournament Wednesday afternoon at Montgomery, Ala., and ended the program's first season 9-7-1. DSC junior goalkeeper Rachel Hardin, who made 14 saves against Mobile (15-2-2), was a first-team All-SSAC player, and Adriana Romera and Serena Delgado joined Martin Methodist's Katie Reid from Manchester, Tenn., on the second team. DSC's Romera, Alyssa Bilbrey and Selena Gomez were all-freshman choices. The second-seeded Dalton State men won 3-2 over Faulkner on a Rury Alvarez goal from a Santiago Moore assist in the 79th minute and will play top seed William Carey for the championship Friday night. Moore also assisted on Daniel Valenciano's early goal for the Roadrunners, who outshot Faulkner 18-10 with a 12-4 margin in shots on goal. Moore and Alvarez were first-team All-SSAC for the Dalton State men, who got the league sportsmanship award, and Moore and Valenciano made the all-freshman team.

* Lee University president Dr. Paul Conn released Wednesday the names of the committee charged with finding the top candidates to succeed Paul Furey as men's soccer coach. Athletic director Larry Carpenter will head the group that includes Phil Cook, vice president of enrollment, assistant VP Cole Strong and director of facilities management Josh York from the university at large; baseball coach Mark Brew, internal affairs director Jessica McIntyre and sports information director George Starr from the athletic department; and Lee director of public relations Brian Conn and Cleveland High School coach John Brose representing Lee soccer alumni. Carpenter said he hopes to send the committee's recommendation to Dr. Conn "no later than early January."

Volleyball

* Milligan College freshman Kellee Geren from Cleveland High School was the volleyball setter of the year in the AAC, and Tennessee Wesleyan right side hitter Sundara Chinn was the freshman of the year. Also making the all-conference team from the Chattanooga area were outside hitter Marissa Langford from Milligan and Cleveland High and setter Shelby Enochs and middle blocker Rachel Mosley from Bryan. Bryan's Paige Lawson and Hannah Smith joined Geren and Chinn on the six-player all-freshman team.

* Sewanee's Diamond Stewart made the All-Southern Athletic Association volleyball second team for 2016, and Tigers teammates Sara Jayne Sutton and Macy Gardella received honorable mention. Stewart ranked fifth in the SAA in kills per set.

Field Hockey

* Sewanee junior midfielder-forward Katie Wilson was named to the 2016 All-SAA field hockey first team, and the Tigers' Carrie Anderson, Nikki Ereli and Jo Jo Young were second-team selections. Young followed Ereli as the league's newcomer of the year. Anderson led the league with nine assists.

Basketball

* The Tennessee Wesleyan men's basketball team beat visiting Hiwassee 103-88 on Wednesday with QD Cox scoring 19 points, Tre Tiller scoring 17 and Kobe Foster added 12 with five assists. Jay Cade scored 20 and Dess Culpepper, Ben Snider and Jeulian High had 17, 16 and 14 for Hiwassee.

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