University of Tennessee at Chattanooga senior quarterback Nick Tiano is the Southern Conference football offensive player of the month for November, the league office announced Thursday. The Baylor School graduate helped the Mocs to a 2-2 record in November, wrapping up a 6-6 season and a third-place showing in the SoCon at 5-3. UTC led the league in total offense in conference-only games, averaging 444.1 yards per game. Tiano accounted for 11 touchdowns in four November games, rushing for one score in each contest and throwing for two touchdowns in three of them. He ran for 192 yards and threw for 858, averaging 262.5 yards of total offense per game. "We are very proud of Nick and this is a well-deserved honor," coach Rusty Wright said in a school release. "He did an outstanding job for us this season, and we look forward to what the future holds for him."
Tennis
* Kay McDaniel, a former WTA touring pro who has lived in Cleveland, Tennessee, and worked for Lee University since 1987, is being inducted Friday night into the Louisiana Tennis Association Hall of Fame. The ceremony is in Baton Rouge, where McDaniel was a three-time NCAA All-American for LSU. She grew up in Shreveport and won three Louisiana high school state singles titls. A Southern junior champion and a member of a USTA Junior Federation Cup team, she was No. 1 in the national USTA 21-under rankings in 1978. She turned professional in 1979 and reached No. 38 in the world ranking in 1984. She retired as a touring pro three years later and became the women's tennis coach and an assistant professor at Lee, later moving into a counselor's role at the school's career center.
* Wesley Cash of Chattanooga and Mark Vines of Naples, Florida, went to 3-0 in their Doubles A round robin with two victories Thursday in the Crabel Capital Men's 60 Masters Invitational tennis tournament at Mission Hills in Palm Springs, California. Cash and Vines defeated Timothy Garcia of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Jeffrey Winkler of St. Petersburg, Florida, and then won 6-4, 6-3 over Californians Randall Berg and Doug Ditmer.
Soccer
* Covenant College senior midfielder Jesse Riggs was included Thursday on the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III All-America third team. He was one of only 13 midfielders on the three All-America teams and one of only two USA South players. Riggs had six goals, including two game-winners, and eight assists as the Scots went 18-2-2 overall and 13-0 in USA South play in the regular season. He had four assists and four goals in those 13 games, and he helped defensively for a team that registered 11 shutouts. He had 26 goals, 11 game-winners and 17 assists in his 69-match Covenant career.
Golf
* Lee University announced Thursday the signing of women's golfer Emma Pittman from Pike Road, Alabama, and Trinity High School. She said in a Lee release that she picked the Lady Flames over other NCAA Division II schools and some Division I programs. A National Honor Society member interested in elementary education, Pittman led Trinity to a 2017 state championship and wound up ranked fourth in Alabama in the class of 2020. In 2019 she won the Southeastern Junior Golf Tour event at Saugahatchee, was third in the American Junior Golf Association Preview at Brookhaven and finished in the top five in seven of 13 tournaments. "Throughout the recruiting process it became very apparent that Emma exhibits all the qualities that we expect in a student-athlete here at Lee University, and I think she has a great understanding of our program and what we're trying to accomplish," coach John Maupin said in the release. "She's going to be a great fit for our team and university. Emma is a strong player who I think can come in and have an immediate impact on our lineup."
Compiled by Ron Bush. Contact him at rbush@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6291.