UTC announces five Athletics Hall of Fame inductees

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Arkansas-SEMO Live Blog

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga announced Monday the 2014 class of inductees for its Athletics Hall of Fame along with four special award winners: longtime booster Herb Adcox, former Moc Don Lepard, adminstrator Laura Herron and current golfer Jordan Britt. The new UTC Hall of Famers, to be formally inducted on March 29 at the Chattanooga Golf and Country Club, are women's basketball player Alex Anderson (2005-08), tennis player Rob Castorri (1974-77), wrestler Michael Keefe (2004-07), baseball pitcher Tommy Sparks (1968-71) and football kicker Matt Vick (1977-2000). Anderson was a two-time Southern Conference player of the year who graduated as the Lady Mocs' fifth all-time leading scorer with 1,732 points and No. 2 rebounder with 1,010. She led the SoCon in scoring and rebounding as a junior and senior, twice was the league tournament MVP, was the 2008 SoCon female athlete of the year and still plays professionally. Castorri was a team MVP all four years of his UTC tennis career and a two-time All-American in doubles with Haroon Ismail, and he has served as president of the Georgia Professional Tennis Association and the executive director of the Ivan Lendl Tennis Academy. Keefe was a four-time qualifier for the NCAA wrestling nationals and a 2005 All-American and was a three-time All-SoCon selection who ended his career with the most wins in league history. His 134-40 record remains the best in win total for UTC. Sparks won the baseball Mocs' home opener at Engel Stadium all four years of his college career and led them to the NCAA tournament as a senior in 1971, when the left-hander went 9-0 with four shutouts, a 1.81 earned run average and 102 strikeouts in 97 innings. He holds school career records with 19 wins, 248 strikeouts, 47 appearances and 14 complete games. Vick played golf for UTC but made his mark as the football team's all-time leading scorer with 242 points and was voted to the program's all-century team. He kicked 22 field goals and scored 97 points as a senior and was a first-team All-American in two listings and second-team for The Associated Press.

Running

• Mitchell Hayes was honored as the Capital Carpet Running Club of Dalton's top 2013 runner of the year at the club's banquet this past weekend at Dalton Golf and Country Club. The 49-year-old Dalton resident compiled 803.76 points in the club's new age/gender scoring system incorporating world age records, and Bret Yaeger, Doug Hawley, Terry Strawser and Holly Kimsey were second through fifth. The competition included 13 races ranging from two miles to 13.1, and the membership includes runners from Alabama and Tennessee as well as Georgia. Chris Zimmerman was the volunteer of the year with 925 points. Five volunteers and 11 runners were honored in all.

• Lee University's Cayce Bryan won the women's 800-meter run at the Emory Crossplex Invitational indoor track and field meet Sunday in Atlanta, and four teammates finished 10th through 18th. Bryan's 2:18.22 is the fastest National Christian College Athletic Association time this season. The Lee men also were strong in the 800, with Emmanuel Kipchumba's personal-best and top NCCAA time, 1:55.12, good for second place and Adam Gullette and Justin Knuth finishing sixth and ninth. Also, the Flames' Camden Perez finished eighth in the fast section A of the 5000 as one of nine breaking the old complex record.

Basketball

• Amanda Rector scored 23 points and Jess Salera and TaQuasha O'Neal added 18 and 17 as Tennessee Temple University defeated visiting Reinhardt 73-64 in women's basketball Monday. Salera led the Lady Crusaders (9-10) with six rebounds, and Rector and O'Neal were a combined 7-of-13 on 3-point shots. April Besley from Dalton had 15 rebounds with 10 points for Reinhardt (9-12), which got eight points and four assists from Sonoraville's Payton Smith.

• Sierra Smith scored 14 points with three 3-point baskets and Charron Woodley had 13 points, eight rebounds and three steals as the Georgia Northwestern women's basketball team won 64-58 over Welch College of Nashville on Saturday. Alyssa Nichelson also scored 13 points while Kiarra Parks and Brecia Hall added 12 and 10 for the Lady Bobcats (4-15).