Bryan College fishing coach Mike Keen has moved up from assistant athletic director to athletic director at the NAIA school in Dayton, and Will Tholken was promoted to assistant AD after serving four years as coordinator of athletic operations. In his new AD role, Keen succeeds Taylor Hasty, who resigned last week as Bryan's baseball coach and AD to head the high school athletic department at Silverdale Baptist Academy. Bryan's first athletic contest of the 2018-19 school year is set for Aug. 21, when the women's soccer team hosts Campbellsville. "The athletic director's job is one of service to his coaches and his department," Keen said in Bryan's release Wednesday. "I hope to continue the path that Coach Hasty has put us on and keep our coaches in a position to be successful." Keen began the school's bass-fishing program in 2014-15 and guided Bryan to the Cabela's School of the Year in 2017 as the best of all college fishing teams in the nation. The Lions were in the top 10 again this year. Keen previously operated an insurance agency for 34 years, retiring in 2012.
Soccer
* The Lee University women's soccer team was ranked No. 9 in the United Soccer Coaches' preseason Top 25 poll for NCAA Division II. Coach Chris Hennessey's fourth set of Lady Flames was the highest-ranked Gulf South Conference team, one spot ahead of West Florida, which edged Lee (17-4-2) in a penalty-kick shootout in the 2017 national tournament round of 16. UWF, Mississippi College and Lee were picked first, second and third in the GSC coaches' preseason balloting. The Lady Flames had significant graduation losses that included All-American Summer Lanter, two-time GSC player of the year and the conference's overall female athlete of the year for 2017-18, but her preseason All-GSC sister Anna is back and could play more offense as a sophomore this season. Junior defender/midfielder Carly Smoltz, daughter of Hall of Fame baseball pitcher John Smoltz, and junior goalkeeper Taylor Green are the team captains. Hennessey also expects strong leadership from seniors Kate Carney, Mia Hollingsworth, Anna Leslie and Lauren Peters as well as from sophomore midfielder/forward Riley Engels, and the team's 11 freshmen have "a lot of character and quality," he said in a Lee release Wednesday. The Lady Flames begin their season Aug. 30 at Rollins, which edged them 1-0 last year in Cleveland.
* The Lee men open their second season under coach Derek Potteiger also in Florida on Aug. 30, against Florida Tech, and visit Embry-Riddle in Daytona Beach two days later. After going 6-6-4 overall and 4-5-2 in GSC play in 2017, the Flames were voted seventh in the preseason. Junior defender Samir Williams was a preseason All-GSC choice, and his brother Samaan is another key returner along with Alfie Coldron, Jared McWhorter and seniors Drew Jackson, Jose Orellana and Craig Quinn.
Golf
* Clemson junior golfer William Nottingham from Kingsport turned his second consecutive 3-under-par 69 into the lead Wednesday of the 103rd Tennessee Amateur at Spring Creek Ranch in Collierville. Nottingham, the 2015 and 2016 State Junior Amateur champion, led by one over Brock Ochsenreiter of Nashville, who carded a 67, with Nolensville's Brayden Garrison and Cookeville's Lee Maxwell another shot back at 140 and Knoxville's Kyle Cottam in fifth place at 141 after a 66. Six-time State Amateur champ Tim Jackson of Williston was in a three-way for sixth at 142. Evan Spence of Ooltewah was tied for 34th at 149, and Tommy Oliver of Sewanee and David Watts of Benton also made the cut with 151s.
* Tullahoma High School senior Ashley Gilliam of Manchester lost 4 and 3 to Yuka Saso of the Philippines in the round of 64 Wednesday in the U.S. Women's Amateur at The Golf Club of Tennessee at Kingston Springs.