Sewanee athletic director Mark Webb announced Monday that Tommy Laurendine had resigned as the Tigers’ football coach “to pursue other professional opportunities,” according to a release. “For the past six seasons, Coach Laurendine has led the Sewanee football program with great integrity and an unwavering commitment to the student-athlete experience,” Webb said. “He leaves the university with our deepest gratitude and very best wishes.” Laurendine, previously the offensive coordinator at The Citadel, leaves after six years with a 15-45 record, including 0-10 in 2016. The program has not had a winning season since 2000, but Laurendine went 5-5 in his first year, 2011, and was the conference co-coach of the year. His wife, Shawna, is Sewanee’s volleyball coach.
Basketball
* Bryan College sophomore Amber Levi from Rhea County is the Appalachian Athletic Conference’s women’s basketball player of the week after her 42-point game that included a Lady Lions record of 10 3-point baskets in Saturday’s win over St. Andrews. She also had nine rebounds, five assists and three steals in that game and scored 20 points with two 3s earlier in the week against Columbia (S.C.).
Softball
* Loaded with sophomores, although several are transfers, Chattanooga State began its fifth softball season under coach Blythe Golden with a 4-1 record at a tournament this past weekend at Panama City, Fla. The only loss was 9-7 to host Gulf Coast State, Golden’s former team, and that was after the Lady Tigers fell behind 5-0 in the first inning. Before that they run-ruled Faulkner State 11-0, Andrew 9-1 and sixth-ranked Northwest Florida State, also 9-1, and after the loss they beat Spartanburg Methodist 19-9 after losing all of a 9-0 lead. That made Chattanooga State 189-56 under Golden, with a 45-20 record last year. Her new assistant coach is former Girls Preparatory School and East Tennessee State standout Jackie Baird, who came home to Chattanooga from Tennessee Tech’s staff. Colbie Thomas went 10-for-16 with a triple, four stolen bases and seven runs scored in the weekend in Florida, and Lillie McCrary was 9-for-15 with three home runs, three walks, eight RBIs and eight runs. Alaeni Ray was 8-for-12 with a homer, seven RBIs and seven runs, and Tori Barnes was 5-for-12 with a homer, two steals, three RBIs and three runs. Two area freshmen getting their feet wet with good showings were Aimie Davidson from Ringgold (3-for-4, 2 runs, RBI) and Haley Johnson from Ridgeland (3-for-6, RBI). As for the pitchers, Abbey White was 2-0 and Kaleigh Wynne and Abby Hicks each was 1-0, all with good strikeout totals.