LYNCHBURG — Motlow State’s Moore County Campus plans to host the college’s first 5k race on Saturday, September 21. The event is spearheaded by Lynchburg native and Motlow Athletic Director Ross Fanning, who says he is excited to continue growing the Motlow athletics program and finding ways to engage with the surrounding communities.

The 5k race will begin at 9 a.m., and still has availability for anyone who wishes to participate. Those interested can contact Director Fanning at [email protected] to pre-register or come to registration between 7 and 9 a.m. Proceeds from this event will go toward supporting Motlow’s student athletes, and medals will go to the first three male and first three female finalists.

The 5k is Fanning’s first official event as Athletic Director, and he says he looks forward to hosting more events to foster community involvement at Motlow.

“I’m happy to be back home, and I’m excited to continue the growth and expansion of Motlow’s athletic department,” Fanning stated.

He is a Motlow alumnus and Tennessee Tech (TTU) graduate who has worked with collegiate and high school basketball teams throughout his career. He has two EdS degrees from TTU and a master’s degree from the University of Pikeville. Fanning’s sports career began while he was at TTU where he served in the men’s basketball program. During his time in collegiate basketball, he was the Assistant Coach for the National Championship-winning men’s basketball team at Union College. Before arriving at Motlow, Fanning worked at Upperman High School, where he helped to create archery, tennis, e-sports, and men’s volleyball teams. He was also involved with two state championship teams and three state runner-up teams at Upperman.

Director Fanning says he hopes to increase Motlow’s array of sports, add more sports-related student clubs, attach intramurals, and help each team become nationally ranked. He has already started the process of creating an e-sports program, which allows students to play competitive sports-related games on a PlayStation, XBOX, or PC device.

To learn more about Motlow State’s athletics program, visit Motlowsports.com. Follow us on social media to see the latest updates about events and opportunities through Motlow. •

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