Around the Region: Blue Tornado senior signs scholarship papers after missing entire season

Isaiah Walker
Isaiah Walker

- Hixson resident and Baylor School graduate Selena Popp of Samford University is the 2017 Southern Conference outdoor track and field most outstanding women's field athlete. She also was the most outstanding field performer at the SoCon indoor meet, where she won the pentathlon. At the conference outdoor meet she won the heptathlon with four first-place finishes and apart from the heptathlon was second in high jump, third in javelin and seventh in long jump.

- Five Lee University athletes have qualified for seven events in the NCAA Division II outdoor track and field meet May 25-27 at Bradenton, Fla. Adrian Martin, Lee's only representative last year, when she was ninth in the women's 100-meter dash and 12th in the 200, will be in both again - with the nation's fourth best 2017 time so far in the 200. The Flames' Justin Brooks is set for the men's 200 and 400, Christian Noble for the 3000, Harold Smith for the 800 and Josiah Brooks for the triple jump. Joining those five as all-region from Lee were Jordan Allison, Cayce Bryan, Hannah Buttolph, Jessica Childers, Seth Eagleson, Nicolette Gordon and Audrey Smith.

Golf

- Dalton State was among the teams rained out of at least part of the second round in the NAIA men's national tournament at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill., but the Roadrunners are in second place at 23 over par after finishing only three holes Wednesday. First-round leader Cardinal Stritch from Wisconsin completed a second-round 306 and led those who finished at 27 over. DSC's Ben Rickett was announced as one of five finalists for the Dave Williams National Coach of the Year Award presented by Golf Pride. He is a former UTC player and assistant coach. The Roadrunners won five tournaments this year, including the Southern States Athletic Conference event in a romp, and tied for first in another.

Basketball

- Despite not having played a second of basketball this past season at McCallie School because of injuries, Blue Tornado senior Isaiah Walker from Swansea, Wales, signed scholarship papers Wednesday morning to resume his playing career at Tennessee Wesleyan University. The 6-foot-7 Walker, whose father was recruited to East Tennessee State in the 1990s by John Shulman, now McCallie's coach, played on the Wales youth national team but injured his left knee before coming to McCallie. "We brought him back too quick and he had a very average junior year," Shulman said, adding that Walker was showing his true ability in the 2016-17 preseason when he reinjured the knee. "This guy went through a lot to get to this point," Shulman said. Veteran Wesleyan coach Mike Poe has not got to see a healthy Walker and expects to redshirt him this coming season but is excited nonetheless. "We don't get 6-7 guys who can step outside (and shoot well) very often. Big schools snap them up," Poe said. "But nobody got to see Isaiah play, so hopefully we've stolen one. And he's just 17 and still growing," said Walker: "The coach is really appealing, and the campus is small. You get to know all the teachers. I like that."

Soccer

- The Chattanooga Football Club will have its home opener at 7:30 p.m. Saturday against the Birmingham Hammers in a National Premier Soccer League South Division match at Finley Stadium. CFC is 0-1-1 overall after tying 1-1 at New Orleans last Saturday. Tickets cost $7 at chattanoogafc.com until game time and $9 at the gate.

General

- Robin Hines is the new executive director of the Georgia High School Association. Hines was unanimously approved during a meeting of the GHSA's executive committee Tuesday in Thomaston and will be given a three-year contract with a starting annual salary of $125,000, according to minutes posted at ghsa.net. He succeeds Gary Phillips, who will retire at the end of this school year. Hines was superintendent of the Houston County school system from 2010 to 2014 before retiring and was football head coach at Westover High School from 1990 to 1994. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Hines is the first executive director in 70 years who has not worked previously on the GHSA staff.

Upcoming Events