David PerezLee University junior David Perez from Dalton, Ga., and Northwest Whitfield High School has been named an NCAA Division II All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, making him the first NCAA men's soccer player for the Cleveland school. Perez was the Gulf South Conference player of the year after leading the league with 17 goals and 39 points for the season. "I'm really happy and proud of David to be recognized as an All-American," Flames coach Paul Furey said in a school release. "He worked hard at it and is certainly a worthy selection. I'm delighted to have him around for another year." Perez was a first-team member of the NSCAA All-South Region team, and Lee goalkeeper Tom Halsall was a second-team all-region pick with fellow seniors Jonathan Finley and Gabe Franco making the third team.
Basketball
* Lee point guard Haris Price was voted the Gulf South Conference women's basketball freshman of the week for her part in league victories last Thursday and Saturday. She had nine assists in a 65-51 defeat of Valdosta State and 24 points and five assists in an 85-82 win over West Florida. "Haris played really well this past week and seems to be growing with confidence the more she plays," Lee coach Marty Rowe said in a Lee release Tuesday. "She is becoming more and more comfortable with the things we're asking her to do on both ends of the court."
Football
* Jerry Odom was introduced Monday as the new football coach at NCAA Division II member Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tenn., which almost always has some players from the Chattanooga area. A former Florida linebacker, Odom spent the past six seasons as associate head coach at Jacksonville (Fla.) University, an NCAA Football Championship Subdivision program that went 9-2 each of the last two years. Odom masterminded the Dolphins' defense that led the nation with 24 interceptions in 2014 and 20 in 2015 and finished in the top 25 in the FCS in seven categories this season. "Jerry Odom is a perfect fit for Tusculum College. He is a man of character who is committed to the overall development of our student-athletes," interim athletic director Doug Jones declared in a school release. "Jerry has been very successful at the highest levels of college football. His reputation as one of the best defensive minds in the game was very attractive to us." Odom played for the Gators from 1987 to 1990, was a Florida graduate assistant in 1991 and returned to his alma mater as linebackers coach and special-teams coordinator from 2000 to 2002. He was in charge of the defense and special teams at East Carolina the next three years, then was the head coach at Coffee County High School in Georgia for three before serving as associate head coach of the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League in 2008 and 2009. While he was there, the Soul had a 17-win championship season. Odom played linebacker and running back for Orlando in the AFL from 1992 to 1998, with four Arena Bowl appearances and one championship, and retired as the Predators' career rushing yardage leader.
Baseball
* Chattanooga's Dan Creed, known to many in the area for his long career officiating sports, for selling sporting goods and apparel and for his extensive memorabilia collection, is accelerating progress on a book he plans to publish about black baseball teams in Chattanooga in the 1940s through 1960s. He welcomes information and photos that would enhance the project. His focus includes youth leagues in addition to adult teams. Creed is affiliated with the Birmingham-based Negro Southern League Museum Research Center as a senior researcher and may be reached at 423-313-8888.