With their 2020 USL League One season yet to start due to the coronavirus pandemic and no practices allowed for the professional soccer league's teams though at least April 19, the Chattanooga Red Wolves have found another way to make an impact on the community. According to a news release from the second-year team, the Red Wolves will donate 100% of their merchandise sales on their website (chattanoogaredwolves-sc.com) from April 3-17 - and possibly longer, depending on the status of the coronavirus outbreak in Hamilton County - to the free meals program operated by the Downtown Family YMCA. Sean McDaniel, the team's president and general manager, said the Red Wolves "will also be rolling out additional initiatives in the coming week to help serve and support our community as much as we can." Families seeking or looking to provide food assistance can visit ymcachattanooga.org.
Honors
* Cleveland State has announced its award winners for the 2019-20 school year, and members of its athletic teams were among the honorees for both sports and classroom success. Britnay Gore (basketball) received the Hugh Walker Female Athlete of the Year Award as well as the Pace Award as the student who shows the most promise in calculus. Basketball player Demonte Person received the Dr. D.F. Adkisson Male Athlete of the Year Award, with both athlete of the year honors based on athletic and academic excellence. The Dr. George L. Mathis Award, given to the sophomore student-athlete with the highest overall GPA, went to baseball player Andrew Carpenter for the men and cross country runner Jordan Wagers for the women. Wagers also was recognized in the Leadership Merit Award category for serving as president of the student senate this school year, and she was honored as the education major student who shows the most promise and academic success. The L. Quentin Sportsmanship Awards went to basketball player Kerry Pratt for the men and cheerleader and cross country runner Sadie Lane for the women; Lane also was honored as the most promising and academically successful criminal justice student. Golfer Seth Ward received awards for math and engineering, and cheerleader Miranda Smith received the mass communications award.
* The Gulf South Conference all-academic teams for winter sports, announced this past week, included seven Lee University student-athletes. For indoor track and field, Lee had three each for its men's and women's programs, which swept the team titles at the inaugural GSC indoor meet. The Flames' honorees were senior Gari Garmendia, sophomore Casey Guthery and junior Daniel Surman; the Lady Flames' honorees were seniors Charlee Boxall, Hannah Buttolph and Kendra Irvine. The seventh Lee honoree, senior Abby Bertram, came from the women's basketball team that finished the season - ended abruptly due to coronavirus concerns - 26-4 after winning the GSC regular-season title and being seeded No. 1 in the South Region of the NCAA Division II tournament. GSC all-academic selections, voted on by league members, must have at least a 3.25 GPA and be major contributors for their teams. Lee also had 51 student-athletes on the GSC winter sports academic honor roll (GPA of 3.0 or better), second most in the conference.
Basketball
* Lee women's coach Marty Rowe has announced three signees for the 2020-21 season: 5-foot-9 guard Julia Duncan of Tullahoma, guard Ally Welfel (5-10) of Nashville's Goodpasture Christian and guard/forward Addi Smith (6-1) of Bishop Guertin in Nashua, New Hampshire. The three freshmen will be tasked with helping replace the production lost with the exit of six players who were seniors for the 2019-20 Lady Flames, including D-II All-American guard Bertram.
Volleyball
* University of Tennessee at Chattanooga volleyball coach Travis Filar is glad to have right-side hitter Mikaela Gauthreaux back for 2020. Gauthreaux's senior season ended before it started when she was injured early in training camp last year, but she recently received a medical redshirt and has elected to return for a final go-around. The former Johns Creek (Georgia) standout had a breakout junior campaign for the 2018 Mocs, finishing third on the team in kills (172), total blocks (49) and hitting percentage (.241). An accounting major who has received multiple academic honors, she expects to graduate this spring, according to UTC's release announcing her return to the court.
Compiled by Marty Kirkland. Contact him at mkirkland@timesfreepress.com.