The Times Free Press sports department has been recognized by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association with multiple awards. The TSWA's annual honors were announced Wednesday. Competing in Division I for the state's largest newspapers, sports editor Stephen Hargis was named the state's Best Feature Writer and Mark Wiedmer won second place for Best Columnist. TFP page designers swept the top three awards for Best Individual Layout, with Jamie Poole taking first place, Dylan Chesser second and Shelby Farmer third.
Track & field
* GPS has named Beverly Blackwell its new head coach for track and field. Blackwell, who previously coached Signal Mountain's boys' and girls' programs, was a GPS assistant last season. "I am so excited about being given the opportunity," Blackwell said. "When I came to GPS, I stepped away from being a head coach and am looking forward to being in that role again. I'm very excited about the potential for our track program in the near future." Blackwell guided Signal Mountain's girls to a pair of state championships in 2014 and 2015, earning Times Free Press Best of Preps track and field Coach of the Year honors after each of those seasons. "We are fortunate to have someone with Beverly's impressive résumé already on campus," GPS athletic director Jay Watts said in a news release. "This is a natural fit for our program. Beverly knows our athletes and what it will take to get them to perform at the highest level. I look forward to seeing our track team grow and flourish under her leadership."