A pair of first cousins who went from pickup games as kids in north Georgia to college All-American honors and a Knoxville native now playing pro baseball comprise the Chattanooga State Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2013.
First cousins Alicia Ransom Woolwine (basketball) and Kim O’Kelley Wingate (softball) both earned All-American honors at Chattanooga State, while Drew Bowlin is in his fifth summer of pro baseball in the San Francisco Giants organization.
This trio will be inducted on Fri. June 21 at the Chattanooga State fourth annual athletics hall of fame dinner at the Walden Club (downtown Chattanooga) at 6 p.m.
Distinguished Service Awards: Chattanooga Lookouts owner Frank Burke and the Chattanooga Coca Cola Company will receive the inaugural Distinguished Service Awards.
Ticket Information: Tickets are $50 and the public is invited. For ticket information contact Phyllis Mescon at (423) 697-3380 or phyllis.mescon@chattanoogastate.edu.
Bowlin was all-conference in baseball for Chattanooga State in 2007 and selected 23rd in the 2007 June draft by the Giants. Prior to playing for coach Greg Dennis at Chattanooga State, he led Jefferson County HS to a pair of TSSAA district titles and was all-state in 2005.
Wingate has state (Ringgold HS, 1993) and national (Kennesaw State, 1996) championship rings and was an All-American softball player for Chattanooga State in 1995. Dr. Wingate is a professor at UTC with a doctorate in early childhood special education.
Woolwine earned third team All-American honors in basketball at Chattanooga State in 2001 after a stellar career at Notre Dame High School; all-time leading scorer and rebounder. She also played at Georgia College and State University, leading her team to a conference title in 2004.
Dr. Kim O’Kelley Wingate - Softball
Holds a doctorate in early childhood special education and teaches at UTC … all-state shortstop for Ringgold HS and led the Tigers to state slow-pitch softball championship in 1993 … moved to fast pitch at Chattanooga State and received All-American honors as a catcher in 1995 … 1995 Tenn. Community College Player of the Year … earned All-National Tournament honors as Kennesaw (Ga.) State won the NCAA D-II national title in 1996 … while at Ringgold, Kim played against her sister, Kay (who played at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe HS), in softball and they guarded each other in basketball.
Alicia Ransom Woolwine - Basketball
She earned third team All-American honors at Chattanooga State, leading the Tigers to the national tournament in 2001 … is Notre Dame’s all-time scorer and rebounder ... all-city and all-state in basketball and all-city in volleyball ... Finalist for TSSAA Miss Basketball Award in 1999 … her dad, Jim Ransom, played basketball at Rossville, while Alicia’s brother and sister also played at Notre Dame … she learned the game at an early age as her dad painted a half court complete with 3-point line in the family driveway in the early 1980s … played two years at Georgia College and State University (Milledgeville) ... led the Bobcats to a Peach Belt Conference title in 2004.
Drew Bowlin - Baseball
All-Conference pitcher for coach Greg Dennis and Chattanooga State in 2007 … record of 6-2 with 105 strikeouts and 3.84 ERA ... drafted by San Francisco Giants in 23rd round of June 2007 draft … currently plays for the Richmond Flying Squirrels in the Eastern League (AA) … five-year pro career stats include 7-5 win-loss record, 139 strikeouts (in 153 innings) … best season was 3-1 for the Fresno Giants in 2012 … member of Northwest League (A) champion Salem-Keiser Volcanoes in 2009 … at Jefferson County HS, was all-state in 2005 and led the team to a pair of district titles.
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net