JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - Carson-Newman football's Damian Baker (Columbus, Miss.) and women's golf's Taylor Hayes (Lake Ozark, Mo.) have been named the Chick-Fil-A Male and Female Athletes of the Week.
Also the South Atlantic Conference Offensive Player of the Week, Damian Baker cemented himself in the Carson-Newman record books with his performance Saturday in the Eagles' 62-38 win over Mars Hill. Baker rushed for 249 yards and four scores, both career highs for Baker.
The 249 yards amounted to the seventh highest single game rushing tally in Carson-Newman football history and the four touchdown-day is the eighth time a C-N back has done that since 2004.
Baker reeled of rushing touchdowns of 64, 52, 42 and two yards. It's the first four touchdown day for an Eagle since Andy Hibbett went for four scores against Wayne State last year,
Baker ranks second in the nation in scoring and rushing touchdowns. He's averaging 15 points per game and has 10 scores. He is sixth in the nation in rushing yards with 646.
Carson-Newman freshman golfer Taylor Hayes (Lake Ozark, Mo.) guided the Eagles on the final day of the Smokey Mountain Intercollegiate with her second consecutive round of 76 as the team finished second with a two-round total of 620 at Sevierville Golf Club's Highlands Course on Monday.
Hayes finished her second collegiate tournament in third-place with a combined score of eight-over 152.
Hayes started her round three-straight pars on three par-fives, before five-consecutive bogies put her at five-over through the first eight holes. Birdies on the par-five nine and par-four 10 were the freshmen's only two birdies heading into the final hole. Hayes birdied the par-three, 150-yard 18th to finish her round at four-over.