The Tullahoma Sports Council will induct five individuals and one team permanently for their lifetime achievements and recognize three individuals and one team for their outstanding performance in 2024 during the seventh annual Tullahoma Sports Council Hall of Fame Awards Banquet on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, at the D.W. Wilson Community Center.

Individuals earning permanent HOF induction include Lamont Snipes, Mario Braston, Rick Moore, Mary Rickman and Chris Harrington. The 2001 State Champion 1600-Meter Relay Team will also be inducted. Team Members include Adam Dawkins, Russell Crosswy, Chris Harrington and Tavarus Taylor.

Additionally, the Sports Council will recognize the 2024 Tullahoma High School State Champion Baseball Team; Miss Katie Grace Nichols, 2024 State Champion in the middle school 800-meter run, and Caiden Mears and Connor Avans, 2024 Tullahoma State Champion Wrestlers.

Tickets are $70 per person and available, with sponsorships still being accepted. Please contact the Tullahoma Sports Council at tullahomasportscouncil@gmail.com or Jim Bratcher (931-247-5734) for further information about tickets or sponsorships.

L&H Distributing is the title sponsor and First Bank plays a significant role in additional sponsorship. The eventful evening will begin with a reception and social hour at 5 p.m., followed by the induction ceremony with reserved seating at 7 p.m.

The 2025 slate of inductees includes:

Lamont Snipes has been a Tullahoma sports fixture for over 50 years. Lamont was the first African American to earn the Keller Award at Tullahoma High School in 1967. He took over the West Middle School girls’ basketball team in 1988 and created a dynasty, losing only seven games in nine years. As basketball coach for both the THS girls and boys at different times, Lamont won multiple district and region titles while making four TSSAA state tournament appearances. After coaching softball and track & field, Lamont was named the THS bowling head coach in 2013 and led them to the state tournament in 2021. He retired last year and he and his wife, Darlene, live in Tullahoma.

Mario Braston set a Tullahoma High School record while winning the 1990 TSSAA track & field state championship, outpacing the competition with a time of 11.1 in the 100-meter dash. Mario graduated from Tullahoma and MTSU and holds a master’s degree in educational leadership. He is the head boys’ basketball and track & field coach at Glencliff High School. In 2015 he led the Franklin County girls track & field team to a district championship. He also won multiple championships as head coach of the West Middle School boys. He is a member of the National Education Association and Tennessee Athletic Coaches Association and a recipient of the M.L. King Achiever’s Award and the Stanley Hall Academic Scholarship.

Rick L. Moore won the 1968 state championship in the 120-yard-high hurdles for Tullahoma with a time of 14.6 seconds. Rick was a founding member of the track & field program at THS, which started in 1966 and was coached by Milner Carden. Rick led the team in total points all three years, competing in the 180-yard low hurdles, high jump, long jump, and relays along with the 120-yard-high hurdles. He was the Middle Tennessee Regional Champion in high hurdles all three years, and the District 2 low hurdles champion all three years. He also lettered in football in 1965-67 and won the Lions Club Sportsmanship Award in 1967.

He began coaching soccer in 1985 and continued for over 36 years. He coached boys’ and girls’ teams in recreation leagues, travel teams, and middle school. Rick coached 3 state championship teams in the Tennessee State Soccer Association: 1994-97 (also won the Sportsmanship award); U-17 Division 2 in 1995-96 (also won the Sportsmanship award) and U-18 Division 2, in 1996-97.

Rick grew up in Tullahoma and was an Eagle Scout and a member of the Order of the Arrow. After graduating from law school in 1975, he returned to Tullahoma with his wife Jan and has been active in various leadership positions in community organizations and in King’s Cross Church. They have two children, Mason, and Becca and four grandchildren.

Mary Rickman Dayton has been around sports her entire life, with a father as a PE teacher, basketball, and track coach. She took that natural interest and talent and made the most of it. She played basketball and ran track until her junior year at THS when she joined the volleyball team. By her senior season, she led THS to a district title and earned tournament MVP. Her basketball team made it to the regionals, and she was All-District in both sports both years. She earned the Bob Hammers Female Athlete of the Year Award in 1987 & 88 and was named Most Athletic in her class.

Much to John and Barbara’s financial joy, Mary earned a full scholarship in volleyball at MTSU. She was a two-time All-Conference player and the first at MTSU to reach 1,000 kills. She kept the kill record for 11 years. In records kept from 1977-2000, known as the “Sideout Scoring Era,” she is first in kills, second in digs and service aces, and top 10 in blocks.

Mary has a highly successful volleyball coaching career. While at Riverdale, her first team won the district championship. While only being open for 4 years at Blackman High School, her team was back-to-back State Runner Up. They were the first team sport at BHS to make it to any state tournament. While at Stewarts Creek High School, her team earned district, regional and sectional titles and she was voted Coach of the Year 3 times. Mary is in her 32nd year of teaching and coaching in Rutherford County. Mary lives in Murfreesboro. She has a daughter, Marcy, and a son, Zach. She is the color commentator for the TSSAA State Volleyball Championships on the NFHS Network, which she has done for 14 years.

Chris Harrington was the 2001 State Champion in the 300-meter Low Hurdles with a time of 38 seconds. During his career at THS, Chris also ran the 110-meter hurdles and was a member of the 2001 State Champion 1600-meter relay team. He went on to attend the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where he was a member of the indoor Distance Medley Relay team and ran the 55-meter and 400-meter hurdles and the outdoor 110-meter and 400-meter hurdles. During his time at UTC, Chris became the first athlete in Southern Conference history to win three straight hurdle titles and was the UTC record holder in the 400-meter relay.

He graduated at the top of his class at UTC, earning the Outstanding Senior Award with a degree in Sports Administration. He has worked at State Farm for 19 years and lives in Murfreesboro with his wife, Mandy, daughter Jansen (age 10), and son Ellis (age 8).

2001 State Champion 1600-Meter Relay Team The team won the state title with a record time of 3:18.67. Team members include Adam Dawkins, Russell Crosswy, Chris Harrington, and Tavarus Taylor.

Sponsorship opportunities are available now and are being filled quickly. For information on how you or your business can sponsor, or for tickets, please contact the Tullahoma Sports Council at

tullahomasportscouncil@gmail.com or Jim Bratcher at 931-247-5734