State sports briefs

— FOOTBALL Memphis QB Reed plans transfer to Hogs

Former Memphis quarterback Taylor Reed plans to transfer to Arkansas and redshirt this season and be eligible for the 2013 season.

Reed, 6-3, 215 pounds, 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash, asked for his release from the Tigers not long after going through spring practice. He signed with Memphis in 2011 out of El Dorado and started 9 of 11 games as a freshman, completing 169 of 295 passes for 1,690 yards and 10 touchdowns with 4 interceptions.

“I met with them about a week or two ago,” Reed said of Arkansas. “And got to meet Coach [John L.] Smith for the first time and also met with the offensive and defensive staffs, and they kind of showed me around and had a good meeting with them.”

Reed, who will have four years to play three at Arkansas, said Smith answered his questions.

“I just felt really comfortable after meeting with Coach Smith,” said Reed, whose father Scott is the head coach at El Dorado and played quarterback at Arkansas in 1980-1983. “He was completely honest and straight forward, and that’s what I was looking for.”

In high school, Reed led the Wildcats to back-to-back Class 6A state titles. A lefthander, he completed 155 of 245 passes for 2,417 and 27 touchdowns as a senior.

He had no comment when asked if he would be placed on scholarship or would walk-on.

  • Richard DavenportGREAT AMERICAN CONFERENCE Davis, Jackson named athletes of the year

Arkansas Tech basketball player Johnie Davis was named the Great American Conference’s inaugural male athlete of the year and Arkansas-Monticello softball player Kayla Jackson was the female athlete of the year.

The awards were voted on by conference sports information directors and were announced Wednesday during the league’s year-end banquet at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Little Rock.

Davis helped Arkansas Tech win the GAC regular season and tournament titles and reach the NCAA Division II Tournament for the third consecutive year.

He averaged 19.8 points per game to rank second in the GAC in scoring. He was also named GAC player of the year and was a first-team all-conference selection.

Jackson earned first-team All-GAC honors as a pitcher and second-team honors as a first baseman. She helped the Cotton Blossoms finish 40-14 and win the GAC regular season and tournament titles.

She was 31-6 as a pitcher with a 1.07 ERA and 185 strikeouts. She also hit .374 with 11 home runs and 42 RBI.

BASEBALL Bignall named third-team All-American

UALR outfielder Sean Bignall was named third-team All American by the American Baseball Coaches Association, the school announced Wednesday.

Bignall, a senior from Brampton, Ontario, ranked fourth nationally and set a school record in home runs (18), was fifth in slugging percentage (.696), and sixth in RBI (64). He was also an All-Sun Belt Conference selection.

Earlier this month, Bignall, who batted .346 this season, was named third-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball.

TENNIS Herndon signs with Arkansas

Jacob Herndon has signed a national letter of intent to play at Arkansas for the 2012-2013 season.

Herndon, a native of Gilmer, Texas, is currently ranked 139th nationally by the U.S. Tennis Association and ninth in boy’s under-18s in Texas.

During his high school career at Trinity School of Texas in Longview, Texas, he helped the Titans win back-to-back state titles in his junior and senior seasons, along with a runner-up finish his freshman year.

GOLF UA’s Cappelen, Tracy pick up honors

Senior Ethan Tracy and sophomore Sebastian Cappelen were each named honorable mention All-Americans by the Golf Coaches Association of America on Wednesday.

It was the second consecutive honorable mention for Cappelen, the first for Tracy.

Tracy finished his career with a stroke average of 73.10, which ranks eighth all-time at Arkansas. He was named a first-team All-SEC this season after averaging a team best 71.76 strokes per round.

Cappelen, a Denmark native, ranked second on the team with a 72.21 stroke average, and won his second career tournament in November at the Cabo Collegiate. This summer, he is expected to play in the Palmer Cup as a member of the European team at the Ryder Cup-style tournament in Northern Ireland.

Sports, Pages 25 on 06/21/2012

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