Dalton State College plucked its league’s men’s soccer coach of the year, Saif Alsafeer, from his alma mater to be the director of soccer and coach both Roadrunners teams. He guided the Florida College Falcons to a 66-16-4 record the past five years, including 11-2-4 in 2018, when they were 5-2-1 in the Southern States Athletic Conference. “What a great day for Dalton State. Coach Alsafeer brings excellence to every area we desire,” interim chief of staff Jon Jaudon said in a school release Wednesday evening. “Most of all he will contribute to the development of the total person under his care.” Alsafeer’s pre-SSAC 2016 and 2017 teams went 14-0 and 12-0 in the regular season, with a 72-3 goal differential that latter year, when he was the USCAA coach of the year. He previously was a three-time first-team USCAA All-American and three-time Academic All-American as a Falcons player (2009-12) and then played on two Gulf Coast Cup champions with the semipro Tampa Bay Marauders FC. He was the Marauders’ general manager and head coach in addition to his college duties the past three years, and he has a master’s degree in soccer coaching education from Ohio University. “My wife and I are very excited to become a part of the Dalton State family,” Alsafeer said. “The atmosphere in athletics and amongst the administrative team on campus is outstanding.”
Track & Field
» The Lee University men’s team moved up 17 places from its preseason spot to seventh this week in the NCAA Division II indoor national rating index of the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The preseason rating was the Flames’ first Top 25, and now they have their first Top 10 in the computerized listing. Ashland University is No. 1. Lee’s leap came from its success Nov. 30 and last weekend at two meets at the Birmingham Crossplex.
Basketball
» The Lee University basketball teams each won by 10 points in their Gulf South Conference doubleheader Thursday night at Mississippi College, 62-52 in the women’s and 74-64 in the men’s. It was the eighth consecutive victory for the Lady Flames (16-3, 10-1), who remain tied for first place. Becca Cheeks led them with 12 points on 6-of-6 field-goal shooting and six rebounds, and Abby Bertram, Taylor Boggess, Haley Schubert and Lindsey Roddy scored 11, 10, nine and eight points. For the Lee men (11-8, 8-3), Colton Blevins and Ryan Montgomery scored 21 and 15 points on 9-of-11 and 6-of-8 shooting, and Cody Jones added 10 points and matched Blevins, Parker Suedekum and Kentrell Evans with four assists. Montgomery made three steals.