BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Gulf South Conference coaches picked the University of West Florida men’s soccer team to finish first in the league’s preseason coaches’ poll announced today. The Argonauts topped the poll for the 11^th consecutive season. Defending Gulf South champion Christian Brothers University of Memphis, Tenn., was the runner-up.

UWF’s women’s soccer team was second in the coaches’ poll. Defending champion North Alabama nipped the Argonauts by three points and third-place Valdosta State by 17.

Several Argonauts also were named to the men’s and women’s preseason all-conference teams. Forwards Frank Cope and Stephen Munoz, midfielders Richard Dixon and Nick Salafrio, and defender Trey Kramer represent West Florida on the preseason men’s squad.

Three Argonauts, defenders Daniela Cruz and Rachel Cutts, and midfielder Monica Malavassi, were selected for the women’s preseason team.

The Argonauts’ men will open the season Sept. 1 at Saint Leo University in central Florida and host Rollins College on Sept. 7.

The UWF women start their season Sept. 1 against Mount Olive and play Belmont Abbey two days later. Both games will be played at Dahlonega, Ga. The 2012 home opener will be against Rollins on Sept. 7.

For information on all UWF athletics, visit www.GoArgos.com.

Dejon Funderburke, one of the area’s best high school football players, plans to play his senior season for the Milton Panthers.

The 6-foot, 180-pound Funderburke, who has committed to play collegiately for the University of South Alabama in Mobile, will join Florida State commitment Isaiah Jones. The duo could be one of the top receiver tandems in the state. Funderburke caught 31 passes for 720 yards and seven touchdowns and ran for 362 yards and four scores as a junior for Pensacola’s Washington High School in 2011. He has lived with his uncle in Milton for three months.

Jones is 6-4, 210, and caught 33 passes for 462 yards and five touchdowns last season.

CRESTVIEW — An athlete's parent has filed a formal grievance with the Okaloosa County School District accusing Crestview High School assistant football coach Blake Moore with violent behavior with three student-athletes.

Moore, 27, began coaching at Crestview in April 2011. According to the report, Moore slapped a player in the ribs on June 19 during summer workouts to correct the player's form during a drill. The complainant's son allegedly "jokingly" pushed Moore to persuade Moore to go easier on the son's friend. Moore allegedly grabbed the son, who pushed Moore again. Moore then reportedly took the player to the ground and choked the boy "until he turned purple."

Other players finally managed to get Moore to release the boy, but Moore grabbed another player and pushed his face to the concrete bleachers because the second victim had told Moore to release the first victim.

The Okaloosa School District are investigating the incident.

Bullseye!

U.S. archer Khatuna Lorig, who trained actor Jennifer Lawrence for Lawrence’s role as the bow-slinging heroine in “The Hunger Games,” has competed in five Olympics Games for three nations. Lorig was born in Tbilisi, Georgia, then a member of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, on New Year’s Day 1974. She competed for the post-Soviet dissolution Confederation of Independent States’ Unified Team at the 1992 Barcelona Games and for the new Republic of Georgia’s teams at Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney, Australia in 2000. She became a United States citizen before the 2004 Athens games and is appearing in her second Olympics for the American team.