The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga announced Thursday the four 2020 inductees for the UTC Athletics Hall of Fame and four special award winners. They all will be honored at a Feb. 29 banquet in the University Center's Tennessee Room. The cost is $50 per person, with dinner included, but seating is limited and reservations are required through the alumni affairs office at 425-4785. For more information email Jayne-Holder@utc.edu. The inductees are 1989-91 basketball star Derrick Kirce, NCAA volleyball career digs leader Lara Newberry (2005-08), football All-America defensive tackle Ronnie Powe (1976-79) and three-time Southern Conference wrestling champion Cary Waller (1979-83). Former UTC golf great Emma de Groot was in Australia and unable to be present for her induction last year and will be honored in person this time. Basketball senior Lakelyn Bouldin is getting the A.C. "Scrappy" Moore Award as the current Moc who best epitomizes the athletic department's mission of all-around success, Ruby Falls owner and Mocs supporter Movita Steiner the Gordon Davenport Award, former basketball coach Henry Dickerson the Joe Morrison Award and retiring faculty athletics representative Debbie Ingram the Harold Wilkes Award. Kirce scored 1,113 points in his two seasons as a Moc, and his 20.2 points per game in 1989-90 are the second most and his career 19.5 the very most in the program's Division I history. Newberry set national single-season and career records of 942 and 3,176 digs, and she was twice the national libero of the year. Powe played for Mocs football teams that went a combined 25-6-2, and he led them in tackles as a freshman and was second as a sophomore. Waller participated in three NCAA tournaments, finishing 14th in 1983.
Basketball
* Lee University's nationally ranked basketball teams won Gulf South Conference games Thursday night at Montevallo, the men for the 11th straight time, 69-64, and taking over first place at 8-1 to the Falcons' 7-1. The No. 7 Lady Flames (16-1, 8-1) won 71-67 with 16 points and four steals from Abby Bertram and 13, 11 and 10 points from Nicky Widenski, Haley Schubert and Camryn Grant. Lindsey Roddy had nine rebounds. Jason Landman led the Flames (13-3 overall) with 18 points. Quay Kennedy and Ryan Montgomery scored 15 and 14, and Parker Suedekum had 12 points and six assists.
Running
* UTC cross country runners Abby Bateman and Nathan Watson are the 2020 Dayle May Award winners as the school's graduating female and male athletes with the highest cumulative grade point averages. Bateman also is part of the track and field team that is competing this afternoon and tonight in the Samford January Invitational at the Birmingham CrossPlex. She is an all-conference performer and an Academic All-American and has a 4.0 GPA as a marketing major. Watson is a chemical engineering major with a 3.82. Chattanooga's Dayle May Jewelers has sponsored the awards for more than six decades.
* Cleveland State Community College has hired former Lee University runner Brandon Raleigh as its men's and women's cross country coach. He coached cross country and track and field at Cleveland Middle School after graduating from Lee in 2017. Raleigh grew up in Portland, Oregon, and competed for Mount Hood Community College before transferring to Lee.
Tennis
* According to Intercollegiate Tennis Association lists released Thursday, the Sewanee men's team is ranked 22nd in NCAA Division III and the Sewanee women are 31st going into the 2020 season. Both sets of Tigers won their seventh successive Southern Athletic Association regular-season and tournament championships last spring, and both have challenging schedules for this year, beginning Feb. 15 at home. The men have eight opponents in the top 33 of the preseason national rankings, including No. 1 Emory on April 1, and the women have seven in the top 23.