Two administrators, three coaches, one official and one member of the media were announced Monday as recipients of the 2013-14 A.F. Bridges Awards for the TSSAA’s Athletic District 3, which covers Southeast Tennessee.
The local winners include Jerry Levengood of Rhea County High School, the school system adminstrator of the year; Danny Coggin of Walker Valley, the principal of the year; Mike Turner of Walker Valley, the athletic director of the year; Christie McElhaney of Bradley Central, the female coach of the year; Eric Zensen of Whitwell, the male coach of the year; Mike Parker of Chattanooga, the official of the year; and John Wilson of chattanoogan.com, the contributor of the year.
Named for A.F. Bridges, the first executive secretary of the TSSAA, the awards are given for achievement, service, sportsmanship and other qualities that enhance positively high school athletics in Tennessee.
The award winners were nominated by a Citizenship/Sports Committee in the district, and were selected by a State Selection Committee.
In addition, Grundy County, Bradley Central and McMinn County high schools were three of only eight high schools in East Tennessee named finalists for the A.F. Bridges Divisional Award. That award is given to schools that have displayed an overall positive effort to teach, expect and demand a positive atmosphere of sportsmanship during athletic competitions.
The announcement of the awards came at the TSSAA’s board of control meeting at Hardin Valley Academy’s auditorium in Knoxville.
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