Once again, Dalton State College did not have to look far to find a coach for its women's cross country and track program. Coahulla Creek High School coach and longtime Cohutta resident Dean Thompson has agreed to succeed Dee Goodwin in guiding the Roadrunners. A two-time Chattanooga Track Club runner of the year, Thompson ran cross country and track at Georgia Tech, was the oldest winner of the Myrtle Beach Marathon (at 47) and has been the Run for God national race director since 2014. His first Coahulla Creek teams finished eighth in the girls' race and 11th in the boys' standings at the state meet. "Dean has an accomplished competitive background in running and combines that with excellent integrity and character," athletic director Jon Jaudon said in a DSC release Thursday. "I just wish I had a daughter still at home who could run and learn life lessons under his leadership." Said Thompson: "I am very excited to be part of the tradition of excellence that has been the essence of Dalton State cross country and track since inception. I hope to continue that course and build upon the success of the excellent coaches that I am following."
Basketball
» Lee University lost a Gulf South Conference basketball home doubleheader Thursday against Union University, with the Lee men falling 61-57 after nationally 14th-ranked Union (22-2, 15-1) won the women's game 63-56 behind 35 points from former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga starter Chelsey Shumpert. Shumpert was just 10-of-29 from the field but made four 3-point baskets and all 11 of her free throws. Lindsey Roddy was 8-of-11 from the field in scoring 17 points for Lee (18-6, 11-5), and Carrie Cheeks was 6-of-7 with 13 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots. For the Flames (12-11, 7-9), Levi Woods and Cody Jones scored 12 and 10 points. Charlie Wilson and Nick Velasquez scored 16 each for Union (10-14, 4-12), Wilson with 10 rebounds.
» Dalton State, ranked 11th in NAIA Division I, dropped to 19-5 overall and 11-2 in the Southern States Athletic Conference with an 89-86 loss Thursday at William Carey (17-5, 11-3). Carnilious Simmons scored 19 points and Isaiah Box had 18, with four 3s, plus six steals and five assists for DSC, while Reed Dungan had 12 points and Aaron Burress had 12 rebounds with 10 points. Benat Hevia had 10 points and four steals.
» Cleveland State's Abby Hubert and Chattanooga State's Kalin Johnson are the TCCAA basketball players of the week for games Jan. 29-Feb. 4. It is the second women's honor this season for Hubert, a sophomore from Chattanooga and Baylor School who had 58 points in two league wins, including a 3-pointer that forced overtime in one, plus 16 rebounds and four steals. Johnson had 55 points and 14 rebounds for the Tigers in three games, including a win over nationally sixth-ranked Motlow in which he scored 24. He was 20-of-31 from the field for the week, 9-of-18 on 3s.
Softball
» Lee University won 4-3 in eight innings and 9-1 in six in its first home softball games of the season Thursday, against Lincoln Memorial. Erika Greek pitched a three-hitter with 11 strikeouts for Lee (4-3) in the second game, when Abby McKinney homered and batted in three runs, Kayla Gooch was 3-for-3 with a walk, Leigh Beatenbough had a two-run pinch-hit double, Kayla Louie (two hits) and Zoe Miller each scored twice and Stevie Baird doubled, walked twice and drove in three. Beatenbough got the first-game pitching win in relief of McKinney, who was 2-for-4, and Taylor Moran was 3-for-3 with two RBIs. Maddie Davenport was 1-for-2 with a home run.
Baseball
» The Lee baseball team was scheduled to host Saint Leo for three games Saturday and Sunday but instead will play at the Florida school because of the forecast for rain in this area.
» Cleveland State and Gordon State moved up their weekend series at the Georgia school to Thursday and reduced it to a doubleheader, and Cleveland State won 7-6 with six runs in the last two innings but lost 3-1 in game two. Logan Peterson was 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs for the Cougars (1-2) in the first game, when Noah Hill was 2-for-4 and Noah Peterson had an RBI double and scored twice. Noah Peterson had the RBI and Trey Vanderpool scored the run in the loss.
UTC Sports
» In addition to its two home basketball games Saturday, UTC will be hosting Gardner-Webb for senior day in a Southern Conference wrestling match at Maclellan Gymnasium at 2 p.m. and North Alabama at 1 p.m. and Tennessee Wesleyan at 6 in men's tennis at the nearby Manker Patten club. The UTC wrestlers are 6-7, 4-1 in SoCon competition; GWU is 1-9, 1-3. The tennis Mocs are 2-5.