Heading to Austin Peay: Chattanooga Christian senior Anna Pope (middle front row) signed scholarship papers with Austin Peay and plans to play college golf next fall.
front row (l-r) Matthew Pope, Anna Pope, Claudia Pope; back row (l-r) Tyler Pope, CCS golf coach Jim Whitaker, former CCS golf coach Don Holwerda and CCS high school principal Forrest Walker.
What do Chattanooga Christian senior Anna Pope and Michael “You
Better Eat Your Wheaties” Jordan have in common?
They were both cut from their basketball teams and took up
golf.
“I was cut from the sixth grade basketball team and since
middle school golf is a spring sport (varsity golf is played in the fall), and
follows basketball I thought I would try out,” said Pope Wednesday after signing
scholarship papers with Austin Peay State University (Clarksville).
In seven years she has earned all-state honors for CCS, won
summer tournaments and now heads off to college to compete on the D-I stage in
the Ohio Valley Conference.
“I like the coach, her strict practice schedule and the
current players made me feel welcome when I made my official visit,” stated Pope
who is a member of the National Honor Society with a 3.56 GPA and is considering English or Geology as possible majors.
Whether Pope will ever make the front of a Wheaties box or
challenge Tiger Woods or Bubba Watson to a trick shot contest (aka Bird and
Jordan) is yet to be determined, but evidently the Austin Peay golf coach
believes Pope has enough “game” to play on the D-I stage.
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net