Middleton named to SEC All-Academic Honor Roll
MURFREESBORO – Not only did Alexa Middleton fit in nicely on the court in her first season with Tennessee women's basketball, she also excelled in the classroom as well.
The former Riverdale standout has been named to the Southeastern Conference's First-Year Academic Honor Roll.
Majoring in advertising, Middleton had a 3.60 grade point average. She was one of three Lady Vols named to the honor roll, joining teammates Jaime Nared and Kortney Dunbar. In all sports, 39 Tennessee and 822 SEC student-athletes from all 14 league schools were honored.
To make First-Year Academic Honor Roll, a student-athlete must have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above, be on scholarship or a letter winner, have completed 24 semester hours of non-remedial credit and have been a member of the varsity team for the sport's entire NCAA Championship segment.
As a freshman for the Lady Vols (30-6), Middleton played in all 36 games, starting three, and averaged 3.8 points and 13.4 minutes per game. As a starter in the season opener against Penn, the 5-foot-9 guard recorded a double-double of 20 points and 11 assists, the most assists ever by a Lady Vol in a freshman debut.
At Riverdale, Middleton was named McDonald's All-American and Class AAA Miss Basketball while helping the Lady Warriors win consecutive state titles in 2012-13 and a national championship in 2013. She is the daughter of Murfreesboro's Celeste and Michael Middleton.
"It's a great women's basketball program at Tennessee," said Celeste Middleton, a former Oakland standout who played at Lipscomb University, "but there is also so much support academically. Alexa has always been diligent and able to handle the pressures and time demands from both academics and athletics. We are very proud of her."
Paint the Town Blue
The annual Paint the Town Blue will be held Friday in conjunction with the third annual #TRUE Blue Summer Tour. Sponsored by MTSU athletics marketing, the Summer Tour includes various events and opportunities to interact with Blue Raiders coaches, players and administrators.
MTSU football players and cheerleaders will canvass Murfreesboro on Friday, distributing schedule posters and schedule cards to local businesses. Fans spotting the entourage are encouraged to take photos and post them via social media using the #BlueRaiders hashtag.
For more information and a schedule of other Summer Tour stops, visit GoBlueRaiders.com or call MTSU athletics marketing at 615-898-5135. MTSU football opens the season Sept. 5 against Jackson State at Floyd Stadium.
Tebow tickets available
Tickets are still available for the God's Purpose for America event, featuring Heisman Trophy winner and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tim Tebow, to be Saturday at 3 p.m. in MTSU's Murphy Center.
Tickets in advance start at $15 and are available through Ticketmaster. Doors open at 2 p.m. A private meet-and-greet gathering for table sponsors will be held from 5:15-6:30 p.m.
Tebow played on two national championship teams at Florida and won the Heisman Trophy as the top college football player in the country in 2007. Recently signed by the Eagles, Tebow spent the past football season as an analyst for the SEC Network.
Other speakers include Dinesh D'Souza, best-selling author and filmmaker; David Fowler, former senator and president of Family Action Council of Tennessee; Carol Swain, Vanderbilt professor; and Phil Valentine, radio host. A surprise Christian artist is also scheduled to perform.
Middle Tennessee Christian School, Mt. Juliet-based Music With A Purpose and MWAPevents are conducting the event. Tebow's appearance is sponsored by The School of Christian Thought at North Boulevard Church of Christ.
For more information, visit www.mwapevents.com.
Greg Pogue is former executive sports editor at The DNJ. E-mail him at grpogue@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @ThePoguester.