Former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball coach Karen Weekly, who’s now in her 16th season as co-head coach at Tennessee with her husband, Ralph, will begin a three-year term as president of the National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association on Jan. 1. Under the Weeklys the Volunters have been to the NCAA tournament 14 times and to the Women’s College World Series seven times, with five top-three finishes. Karen Weekly has 977 wins as a college coach, including 754 at Tennessee. A lawyer by training, she got her coaching start by helping Ralph at UTC and then took over for him while he was with the United States national team.
Soccer
– Bryan College split an Appalachian Athletic Conference soccer doubleheader Wednesday against Montreat in Dayton, the Lady Lions winning 4-0 but the previously undefeated and nationally 10th-ranked Lions losing 4-3 in overtime. Ruth Rosales netted two goals in the first 14 minutes for the Bryan women (9-8, 5-4), while Hana Mizoguchi had three assists and then a goal. Aubri Hughes also scored, and Lesleigh Blackburn, Kalina Hyde and Rosales were part of double assists with Mizoguchi. Rafael Mentzingen had two goals and an assist, and Brad Spooner had a goal and two assists for the Bryan men (13-1-3, 6-1-1).
– Tennessee Wesleyan’s men, ranked 22nd in the NAIA soccer poll, fell to 10-2-4, 6-1-1 in the AAC, with a 4-0 loss Wednesday at ninth-ranked Union College in Kentucky, and the Union women won 1-0 over TWU (10-5-1, 5-3-1). Jake Turnbull had a goal and two assists for the Union men (15-2-1, 8-0-1).
– Covenant College is the sixth seed in the USA South men’s soccer tournament, and the Scots (5-5 in league play) open play Saturday at 3 p.m.. at third-seeded Greensboro College (8-2). Maryville and North Carolina Wesleyan are the top two seeds with 9-1 USAS records. In the women’s tournament, Piedmont beat Huntingdon 4-0 on Wednesday and plays Saturday at 3 in a quarterfinal at West No. 2 seed Covenant.