The Golden Eagles seem intent on continuing that growth for the upcoming athletic calendar year, evidenced by much of the sports happenings going on with the school the past few months.
CTC athletic director/head men’s basketball coach David Archer, a native of Cartersville, was named the 2011-12 assistant director for Region 17 of the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association — one of 24 National Junior College Athletic Association regions nationwide.
“It is a great honor to be able to have the opportunity to get involved in the administrative side of athletics on the national level,” Archer said in April of his position, which will span a two-year term before being put to vote. “I think it will offer not only me personally, but also our institution, a bird’s-eye view of the developing trends within the NJCAA. It will also serve to supply me with the necessary knowledge to continue to build and maintain the Chattahoochee Tech athletic program to the highest standards.”
Archer has helped spur the Golden Eagles’ athletic pursuits, including Year 1 of their football club. As it enters its second club season, CTC continues to explore the possibility of moving up to the JUCO ranks in football. More than 60 incoming football signees are expected to make it to campus for the fall, a list that includes Bartow County players like Melvin Bell of Woodland High and Albert Catron and Deion Loyal of Cass High. Returning sophomore Demonte Smith, a former Woodland player, was part of CTC’s first club football team last year.
Smith also runs track and field for the Golden Eagles.
CTC managed to pluck another athlete from Woodland’s strong track program with incoming freshman Chayna Thompson, who will be a part of the women’s program after transferring from Iowa Central, a two-year school in Fort Dodge, Iowa.
Thompson helps comprise CTC’s largest incoming recruiting class in cross country/track and field, with a total of 65 men’s and women’s athletes.
Below are a couple of storylines from the Golden Eagles’ busy summer.
Women’s basketball headed to NJCAA
Following its time as a club team, the CTC women’s basketball program will leave its former status to join the NJCAA in 2011-12.
The Lady Golden Eagles enter their first JUCO season with 12 new commitments, including 10 Georgians. They are Tykolyah Chester, Cusseta (Chattahoochee County); Tiayra Green, Riverdale (Riverdale/University of Tulsa); Tasia Holdorf, Roswell (Roswell/Converse College); Martice Hyman, Covington (Newton High); Tenisha Little, Manchester (Manchester); Vontavia Martin, Manchester (Manchester); Meosha Morris, Adel (Cook); Kendra Patrick, Valdosta (Valdosta); Tasicianna Taylor, Macon (Central); Tequilla Vaughns, Tallulah, La. (Madison); Tyrea White, Clinton, La. (East Feliciana); and Tyresha Williams, Cochran (Bleckley County).
Cross country program to host
JUCO half-marathon
In April, the NJCAA announced that CTC will host the 2011 Men’s and Women’s Half-Marathon Championships on Nov. 19.
The half-marathon, a one-event sport, will be hosted at Silver Comet Trail, near CTC’s Paulding County campus.
“Hosting the half-marathon should make us more known nationally,” CTC cross country coach Steve Prettyman said. “And hopefully once the word gets out that we’re hosting a national meet, I think it will be a very positive thing in the Atlanta area and of course Paulding County. I think we’ll see pretty good community involvement once we get closer to the event.”
“We are very excited about the opportunity to host the top junior college teams in the nation,” Archer added. “Coach Prettyman worked hard on the project and the Silver Comet Trail will be a wonderful site to host the event. We will be ready for the challenge.”
— Information from CTC press releases was used in this article.