COKEVILLE, Tenn. -- When members of the Cookeville/Putnam County
Chamber of Commerce gathered Tuesday morning for their monthly
"Before Hours" event, the featured guests were Tennessee Tech
basketball coaches Sytia Messer and Mike Sutton, and several
members of their teams.
A large crowd was on hand at the Leslie Towne Center, and the
chamber members took advantage of the opportunity to meet and talk
with the players and coaches.
"We are very proud of our student-athletes, and they are champion
students as well as champion athletes," said University President
Bob Bell. "They are succeeding in the classroom as well as on the
fields of competition. Our student-athletes graduate at a higher
rate than our general student body and they have a higher average
GPA than our general student body.
"They do an outstanding job of representing our university," Bell
said.
Messer, in her first year as head coach of the women's basketball
team, spoke to the group with pride about her team's progress in
2009-2010. She introduced her assistant coaches and players who
were on hand (the entire team was at the event early, but many had
to depart to attend classes). And, she thanked the group for their
support and attendance at the recent games in Eblen Center.
Mens basketball players, from left, Terrell Barnes, Byron Pickens and Zach Bailey visit with chamber member Dexter Collett of MacKool Mfg. LLC. |
From left: Women's basketball assistant coaches Dee Bell and Coretta Brown, players Katherine Barker, Alison Mason West and Rachel Glidden, and head coach Sytia Messer listen to one of the Tuesday morning speakers. |
Veteran men's coach Mike Sutton introduced four members of his
team -- freshman Terrell Barnes, sophomore Zach Bailey, junior
Byron Pickens and redshirt junior Zac Swansey. He entertained the
audience wth a couple of anecdotes and encouraged continued support
for both the women's and men's teams over the final month of the
season.
Tech hosts two doubleheaders later this week, with Eastern
Illinois invading Eblen Center Thursday night and Southeast
Missouri coming to town Saturday. The women's game begins eachnight
at 5:30 p.m., with the men's contest following at approimately 7:30
p.m.
Tickets for the games are available by visiting or calling the
Athletics Ticket Office in Eblen Center (931-372-3940).
