Christian Noble's 18th-place finish out of 261 runners in the NCAA Division II meet Saturday in Pittsburgh made him the first NCAA cross country All-American in Lee University history. The official designation was released Monday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, and Noble was the only Gulf South Conference runner, male or female, to earn it. He won the GSC and South Region meets leading up to the national race. "It was kind of a main goal going into the season," Noble said in a Lee release about the All-America honor. "Nice to finish the season off on the right foot."
Basketball
* The Lee women's basketball team went out of conference Tuesday evening and lost 49-47 at Young Harris with four missed shots in the last 13 seconds. Haylie Shope put Young Harris (2-5) ahead 47-45 with a 3-point basket with 1:48 to go and followed Becca Cheeks' tying layup 11 seconds later with free throws with 39 and 21 seconds remaining. Lee (5-2) led 17-2 after one quarter and 25-20 and 34-26 after the next two but was outscored 23-13 in the fourth. The Lady Flames shot only 19-of-72 from the field, 4-of-33 on 3s and 5-of-14 on free throws. Lindsey Roddy led them with 11 points, while Abby Bertram had nine rebounds with nine points and Kayla Tillie added eight rebounds. Lindsey Caudell scored 11 points for the winners, who got 10 and nine plus 12 and 13 rebounds from Pamela Diokpara and Shope.
* Abby Dalton scored 30 points with five second-half 3-point baskets as the Georgia Northwestern women's basketball team won 64-41 Monday evening against the Covenant junior varsity on Lookout Mountain. Also for the Lady Bobcats, Jerriale Jackson had 13 rebounds with nine points and Tori Harvey had 10 rebounds and three steals. They will face Oakwood from Huntsville at 3 p.m. Friday in tipping off the Georgia Northwestern Lady Bobcat Holiday Bash that also includes Trinity Baptist from Jacksonville, Florida, and Southeastern Baptist from Laurel, Mississippi, at the Rossville Athletic Center. After a 3:30 p.m. men's game Saturday between GNTC and Southeastern Baptist, the women's third-place game is set for 5:30 and the championship game for 7:30. Admission costs $5 for adults, $3 for students and nothing for ages 12-under. Also admitted free will be anyone bringing a new, unwrapped toy for GNTC's Christmas drive.