Dawgs To Assist With Wheelchair Football

Football

Members of the University of Georgia football team will be volunteering at the 2009 Wheelchair Football Championships Saturday at Clarke Central High School.

"This is a great event," said University of Georgia football coach Mark Richt. "We are truly inspired by these guys. We admire their competitiveness and their love for the game of football. I look forward to our players learning a great deal from this experience."

The event will take place in the Clarke Central gymnasiums beginning at 9 a.m. and concluding with the trophy presentation at 7 p.m. The players will volunteer in shifts and work in various positions including announcer, distance markers and guest coach.

The annual state championship is organized by the American Association of Adapted Sports Programs (AAASP) and will conclude their football season. There are eight teams participating from the members of the AAASP Athletic Association competing from all over the state; including teams from Oconee County, Athens-Clarke County, Henry County and DeKalb County. A winner will be chosen for both junior varsity and varsity teams.

"The high school athletes are ecstatic to spend the day with the UGA football players and the association is honored to have them there," said Scot Hollonbeck, Director of Partnerships and Community Outreach for AAASP. "We are excited to introduce the UGA players to wheelchair football and looking forward to the interaction between the athletes."

The AAASP partners with educational agencies across the country to establish programs, policies and regulations in interscholastic adapted sports for students with physical disabilities.

Men's Golf

Georgia golfer Adam Mitchell has been selected to participate in the Palmer Cup for Team USA, according to an announcement Thursday by the Golf Coaches Association of America.

The annual Ryder Cup-style competition between collegians from the United States and Europe will be played June 3-5 at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver.

Mitchell will be making his second Palmer Cup appearance. He played for the Americans last year in their loss in Scotland. Mitchell is the seventh Bulldog chosen to play for Team USA (joining Michael Morrison, Nick Cassini, Erik Compton, Ryan Hybl, Brian Harman and Chris Kirk), plus Georgia coach Chris Haack twice captained the Americans.

Mitchell, a senior from Chattanooga, will be joined by Bud Cauley of Alabama, Oklahoma State¹s Morgan Hoffmann and Trent Leon, Jamie Lovemark of Southern California, Cameron Tringale of Georgia Tech, Marquette's Mike Van Sickle and Steve Ziegler of Stanford.

Women's Tennis

Third-ranked Georgia defeated 24th-ranked Alabama 4-1 to advance to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament in Fayetteville, Arkansas today.

Georgia (21-2) claimed a 1-0 lead by capturing the doubles point outside and then singles was moved inside due to sustaining winds of 20-plus miles per hour. It marked the second day that play was forced inside due to heavy winds.