WNCC's Balza tabbed Nebraska Female College Player of the Year

WNCC volleyball player Fatima Balza continues bringing the accolades after leading the Cougar volleyball team the past two years to two national tournament appearances.

The latest honor that Balza has be awarded is the Omaha World Herald's Female College Player of the Year. Balza earned the honor over countless other nominees from four- and two-year colleges in Nebraska.

It is also the first time a junior college player from Nebraska as received the Player of the Year honor. It is also the second straight year that someone with ties to western Nebraska received the honor. Last year, Doane Colleges Meagan Bauer, a Gering High graduate, was selected as the top college female.

The complete story, along with a picture of Balza at Penn State, where she will be playing volleyball next year, can be found on the Omaha World Herald website. Follow the following link to read all about Balza and her latest honor.

Click here for the complete story.

Past OWH Player of the Year Winners

2008: Meagan Bauer, Doane College
2007: Katie Kosmos, Doane College
2006: Erin Gudmundson, UNK
2005: Lindsey Bredar, Bellevue
2004: Steph Kirby, UNO
2003: Rochelle Schmidt, Doane College
2002: Kristie Korth, College of St. Mary
2001: Mary Livengood, Doane
2000: April Kockrow, Doane
1999: Darcie Berry, UNK
1998: Stacey Miller, Concordia
1997: Amy Steffel, UNO
1996: Denise Peterson, UNO
1995: Heidi Grappendorf, Dana
1994: Deb Baetsle, UNO
1993: Sandy Skradski, UNO
1992: Cindy Hays, Midland Lutheran
1991: Trudi Veerhusen, Doane
1990: Meri Nienkamp, Doane
1989: Linda Schnitzler, Wayne State
1988: Lori Briscoe, Midland Lutheran
1987: Beth Stuart, Kearney State
1983: Kari Kramme, Midland Lutheran

WNCC’s Groves selected NJCAA Academic All-American

Western Nebraska Community College softball player Katie Groves capped off her freshman season with another honor. This time, though, is not from the field, but in the classroom.

Groves earned Academic all-American honors from the National Junior College Athletic Association, earning a 3.67 grade point average last year.

To be considered an academic all-American, a student/athlete must have at least a 3.6 GPA. Students who have a 4.0 GPA earn Distinguished Academic all-American honors.

Groves also was selected as a third team NJCAA all-American honors as an infielder in June. Groves tied WNCC’s career home run record this season with 17 and broke the season home run record. She also led the team in RBIs (79), runs scored (77) and batting average (.525) this season. The Cougar softball team finished last season 42-18 and as Region IX conference co-champions.

Future Cougar volleyball player Hoehn leads team to win in all-star classic

From the Hastings Tribune as forwarded to WNCC

Brent McCown/Tribune Ashley Schmitz of Doniphan-Trumbull celebrates a point with libero Emily Hoehn of Kearney Catholic during the Tribune Volleyball Classic Thursday night in Lynn Farrell Arena at Hastings College

Madison Pernicek and Melanie Placke won’t officially be teammates for a few more months, but they seem to have the routine of playing together down to a science.
The two future Wayne State College teammates combined for 30 kills to lead the LouPlatte Conference to a 25-22, 25-18, 24-26, 15-25, 15-13 victory over the Tribland All-Stars in the inaugural Tribune Volleyball Classic Thursday at Lynn Farrell Arena.
St. Paul’s Placke posted a match-high 17 kills, while her future college roommate — Pernicek — added 13 kills in the five set victory.
“It’s nice playing with Melanie, because we have gotten the chemistry down and gotten to know each other and know each other’s tendencies,” Pernicek said. “When we go up to college, it will just fit.”
Pernicek, a 6-foot-0 outside hitter from Ravenna, had five of her 13 kills in the decisive fifth set, as the LouPlatte squad held off a strong comeback bid from the Tribland All-Stars.
The LouPlatte team took a 12-7 lead in the fifth set before the Tribland team scored six straight points and took a 13-12 lead on an ace serve by Minden’s Lindsey Sitorius.
Trailing for the first time in the fifth set, the LouPlatte squad reeled off three straight points to win the match — with Pernicek slamming the game winner.
“I think everybody is competitive, so believe me, even if it’s only one set, you don’t want to lose,” Pernicek said. “We wanted to win, so that feels good.”
The LouPlatte team overcame an early 15-12 deficit in the opening set to earn a 25-22 win and then took control of the match with a 25-18 win in the second set.
LouPlatte had match point at 24-22 in the third set before the Tribland team rallied to extend the match.
A Stasia Ott kill cut the lead to 24-23. After a pair of errors gave the Tribland team a 25-24 lead, Lawrence-Nelson’s Mackenzie McCartney forced a fourth set with a kill.
“I really felt like if we found a way to win a game, then maybe they would think they could actually win. When that happened, they did,” Tribland coach Ed Rowse of Minden said. “That is when the fun really started, because the kids just started to loosen up and play.”
The Tribland team took a 6-5 lead early in the fourth set and never trailed again on its way to a 25-15 win.
Giltner standout Stasia Ott had three kills during the fourth set and finished with a team-high 16 kills to lead the Tribland team.
The 2008 Tribland player of the year and Morningside College recruit also added five ace blocks and an ace serve.
“We just kind of loosened up and played,” Rowse said. “They made some errors that we had been making in the first two sets. It wasn’t always pretty volleyball, but I think we relaxed and played.”
The LouPlatte squad jumped to a 5-1 lead in the fifth set and led 12-7 before the Tribland team used a six-point run to take its first lead of the match.
“I was happy that we could come back and fight through to win that fifth set,” LouPlatte coach Abie Ott of Doniphan-Trumbull said. “We had two games in a row that we lagged a little bit. So to come back strong in the fifth was pretty admirable I think for them.”
Ravenna graduate Mallory Irvine added 11 kills for the LouPlatte squad, while high school teammate Ashley Kulwicki finished with eight kills.
Hastings High graduate and Hastings College recruit Allison Kern had nine kills for the Tribland team, while Deshler’s Ashley Dahl and Hastings High’s Taylor Powers each added eight kills.
In its first year, the event raised about $1,000 for the Hastings Family YMCA.

Tribland 22 18 26 25 13
LouPlatte 25 25 24 15 15

44 girls from three states take part in WNCC girl's basketball camp

The Western Nebraska Community College girl’s basketball camp saw nearly 50 girls learn the skills of basketball from shooting, ball handling, conditioning and offensive and defensive situations during a four-day basketball camp at Cougar Palace Monday through Thursday.

There were 44 girls that took part in the camp, ranging in age from six years old to 14. Girls from Omaha, Rapid City, S.D., and many Panhandle communities such as Chappell, Oshkosh, Bayard, Mitchell, Bridgeport, Hemingford, Gering and Scottsbluff, to name a few took part.

The three local women’s basketball players – Hemingford’s Shelby Campbell, Bayard’s Amber Kistler and Scottsbluff’s Maddie Keller helped with the camp along with WNCC women’s coaches Dave Harnish and Jennifer Pedersen, and WNCC men’s assistant coach Gianno Bianconi.

Next week the boys basketball camp will take place as Bianconi along, with Gering High graduate and Kody Christensen, who is now coaching at Fremont, will conduct the camp. Boys interested in attending the camp can still register for the camp on Monday. The boys camp runs through Thursday.

Former WNCC baseball player, Miami-Dade police officer killed while on duty

Gonzalez played for Cougars from 2004-05

For the complete story, visit the Miami Herald Newspaper at http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/story/1099398.html

Former Western Nebraska Community College baseball player Giovanni Gonzalez was killed in an automobile accident on Tuesday in Miami.

Gonzalez, 23, was a Miami-Dade police officer. He died after his police car collided with a dump truck on Florida’s Turnpike. Rescuers worked to free Gonzalez, who was trapped in the wreckage. But by the time they pulled him out, it was too late. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Miami police continue to investigate the accident.

Gonzalez played baseball at WNCC during the 2004-05 season.

WNCC baseball coach Mike Jones remembers Gonzalez as a student-athlete that everyone enjoyed being around.

“As a person, he was awesome. He was a great individual and he was a very, very hard-working individual,” Jones said. “He was a little bit undersized for a college baseball guy, but he made up for his size with his big heart.”

After returning home to Miami, Gonzalez coached high school baseball before graduating from the police academy.

“It is terrible. It is tragic. It is tough for all of us,” Jones said. “There have been a lot of phone calls and text messages going on with between everybody that has been involved with Giovanni and our program. He was a great teammate and a great individual to have in the program.”