Scottsbluff’s Abbott signs with WNCC soccer

The "Bearcat Pride" T-shirt that Laura Abbott wore Thursday when she signed a letter of intent with Western Nebraska Community College told the story for the Scottsbluff High School graduate.

Abbott's pride on the field, along with her passion for soccer, came full circle her senior season for Scottsbluff.

Now, that passion has led the talented soccer star to the next level after signing to play soccer at WNCC.

"I think this year she decided to go to that next degree," Scottsbluff coach Chad Larson said. "She was voted team captain and you just could see her conditioning on the field. She did a really good job of holding the ball and creating scoring opportunities. She scored some goals herself and even played keeper. She was a pretty well-rounded player and was just awesome on and off the field."

Abbott, who was leaning on playing soccer at Midland Lutheran College, decided that staying at home to play was a better choice.

"I choice WNCC because I just want to play soccer, and the other schools that wanted me, were too expensive," she said. "WNCC is a good program. I talked to the coach and hopefully he can move me somewhere."

Abbott had a tremendous year on the playing field, which raised her stock at playing college soccer. The mid-fielder earned Star-Herald all-region first team honors in helping the Bearcats to a 7-6 record before falling to Gering in the semi-finals of the Class B district tournament.

"Personally, I thought I did better then I have ever done," Abbott said about her senior season. "I have always loved soccer, but this year was the year I really started to get into it a lot. As a team we did really good. We had a lot of team unity."

Abbott credits her passion for the sport to Bearcat head coach Chad Larson.

"Personally, I really liked what Chad did as a coach," she said. "I think he was more into it and had a lot of love for the game, and so that made me want more love for the sport, too. He really inspired me."

Larson said Abbott's success is due because of her hard work.

"I know she can be as good as she wants to be and I know Todd will push her to be even a better player and improve the skills that she has been working on the past couple of years," he said. "[Coach Todd Rasnic] will probably put her in a couple different positions then where we had her, because she had to be in certain spots for us. He will have a little bit more flexibility where he can put her. I am looking forward to coming up and watching her play."

Rasnic said Abbott will probably be playing the right mid-fielder position and is excited to be getting a local talent like Abbott.

"Our local programs have none a good job of developing players and it is great when one of the players chooses to stick around here," he said. "I know Laura had opportunities at other places and we were fighting to get her to come back and stay with us for a couple of years. I think she will be a great addition to the team.

"I agree with her and Chad's assessment. What I saw when I was looking at Laura is that passion for the game came through. We want to bring on players that have the same type of drive and passion in the sport that us coached do. I think Laura has it and I think she will be a great addition."

Abbott not only excelled on the soccer field, she also was also a key member of the Bearcat cross country team this past year.

"That [running cross country] is something amazing because she never none cross country before and she just decided to do it," Larson said. "She worked hard at it and did very, very well at it."

Abbott has been working out while playing soccer on a traveling team this summer coached by Gering soccer coach John Scott. That traveling team will compete in a tournament in Steamboat Springs, Colo., next weekend.

After that tournament, captains training for the college team will begin July 28 with the first day of practice set for Aug. 1. Abbott is not only looking at the new challenges of college soccer, but playing alongside Gering's Taylor Johns and Keah Brost, who signed with the Cougars in May.

Speedy Hoffman to play soccer for Cougar men

Story published in the Windsor Beacon in May

Even a mysterious injury couldn’t slow down the Windsor 400-meter relay team Saturday at the Class 4A State Track and Field Championships at Jefferson County Stadium in Lakewood.

The foursome of seniors Matt Hoffman and Brian Hanlin and juniors Scooter Wiles and Bob Barbour smoked past the competition en route to the first state title for a Windsor track and field team or individual since 2000 when Bob Harms won the discus.

The same foursome ran the race last year, using this season to hone in on their time.

Overall, Windsor’s boys finished 11th with 30 points and the girls took 15th with 24.
The four posted a school record with a time 42.49 seconds, which would have been good enough for third at the 5A level, to beat rival Greeley Central by almost three-tenths of a second.

“I didn’t know how it was going to turn out because all the teams were close together,” Hoffman said. “As the race kept going on, and we were pulling away a little bit, I was thinking ‘Wow, we’re going to win this.’”

Windsor was powered by smooth handoffs throughout the race and Hoffman slammed the door shut on the final straight-away to win the title. The Wizards were seeded second going into the finals after a preliminary time of 43 seconds, but came into the state meet with the fastest time of the season, up to that point.

Wiles led off the race with a strong first leg and Hanlin, Barbour and Hoffman, in that order, kept the pressure with each stride. But once the race was over, jubilation hit the four runners as two years of working together finally paid off.

“I wanted to win it for all of us because we’ve been together for two years and it means a lot to me,” Wiles said.

Last season, the four ran a 43.93 in the state finals and placed eighth, but head coach Conrad Crist helped the kids shave off over a second on their time.

“They basically stepped up their training and performance to another level,” Crist said. “Their handoffs were just perfect and that gained us speed. Scooter had a great start off the blocks to get us going and from there on out it just flowed.”

The team had it’s share of frightening moments over the past year and it almost fell apart three days before the start of the meet. Hoffman was plagued by a swollen right knee, an injury he had no idea how he got, but it healed just in time for the meet.

Wiles partially tore his anterior cruciate ligament during the basketball season, but elected not to have surgery until the summer. Barbour ruptured a disk in his back during football and underwent surgery in the winter, and Hanlin fought off illness after illness all year in time to prepare for state.

Though the team went through its fare share of injuries, confidence was never an issue.

“Right when he (Wiles) went out of the blocks I just knew,” Barbour said. “I had that feeling like, ‘We have this.’”

Hoffman and Hanlin will now leave Windsor on top and embark on new adventures in college next year. Hoffman will attend Western Nebraska Community College to play soccer while Hanlin will travel to Boulder and enroll at the University of Colorado.

Hanlin would like to run track for the Buffaloes, but for now will enjoy his team’s achievement.

“It’s been really awesome,” Hanlin said about his two years with his three teammates. “I think, really, the thing that let us win is that we came together.”

School Records set in 2008
Girls
Pole Vault — Chelsea O’ Connor, 9 feet 6 inches
400-meter dash — Emily Elliott, 59.21 seconds
800 — Lauren Bowers, 2:20.0
400-meter relay — Mallory Duran, Katie Hazel, Rachel Weakland and Emily Elliott, 49.77
800 relay — Duran, Hazel, Weakland and Elliott, 1:46.8
1,600 relay — Bowers, Hazel, Ellery Miller, Elliott, 3:57.02

Boys
400 relay — Scooter Wiles, Brian Hanlin, Bob Barbour and Matt Hoffman, 42.49
800 relay — Wiles, Hanlin, Barbour and Hoffman, 1:29.72
3,200 relay — Cal Englert, Chris Ullom, Seth Bott and Zane Hyland, 8:00.09

2008 State Placers
Girls
Shot Put — Katie Olson, 35 feet, 11.5 inches, 7th
Triple Jump — Weakland, 34 feet, 0.75 inches, 9th
Pole Vault — O’ Connor, 9 feet, 6 inches, 7th
400 relay — Duran, Weakland, Hazel and Elliott, 49.77 seconds, 5th
800 medley — Duran, Weakland, Hazel and Elliott, 1:50.72, 5th
1,600 relay — Bowers, Hazel, Elliott and Miller, 3:57.02, 3rd

Boys
400 relay — Wiles, Hanlin, Barbour and Hoffman, 42.49, State Champions
100-meter dash — Hanlin, 11.15 seconds, 5th
200 — Hoffman, 22.0 seconds, 9th
300 hurdles — Adam Winick, 41.94, 9th
800 relay — Wiles, Hanlin, Barbour and Hoffman, 1:30.30, 5th
1,600 relay — Englert, Ullom, Bott and Hyland, 3:31.34, 9th
3,200 relay — Englert, Ullom, Bott and Hyland, 8:01.26, 3rd

Former Cougar baseball player tabbed Omaha World Herald All-Nebraska baseball player of the year

From the Omaha World Herald website.

His time with Bellevue University lasted just one season, but Ulysses Roque made it count.

Roque was named Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year and helped lead the Bruins to an MCAC tournament championship, their second in as many years.

"Ulysses knows how to win," Bellevue coach Mike Evans said. "He's a great competitor, and he's the kind of kid that, when he was pitching, we felt we had a chance to win against anyone in the country."

Roque, an honorable mention All-American, is the honorary captain of The World-Herald's All-Nebraska NAIA team. The squad is chosen by NAIA coaches in the state.

The 6-foot, 220-pound Roque fooled hitters with his one-seam fastball, which Evans said was a rare pitch to see. It dove to the hitter's feet at nearly 85 mph.

But after suffering a loss in his first start, the pitcher from Florida also showed his resourcefulness and guile.

Roque won 12 in a row before being handed his second loss to Embry-Riddle University in the NAIA World Series, finishing 12-2 overall and 9-1 in conference play.

"When he walked out there, you could never tell if he was going good or bad," Evans said. "But you knew he was going to go out there and be as tough as nails."

Roque's 12 wins ranked fourth among all NAIA Division I. He ranked 17th with a 2.20 ERA, and he led the MCAC in conference games with a 1.50 ERA.

"After that first game, he said that it's not going to happen again," Evans said. "And it's neat to have a guy on your team like that. I just wish I could have had him for more than one year."

Roque recently signed with the Southern Illinois Miners of the independent Frontier League to replace closer Travis Hope, who suffered a rotator cuff injury. In his debut, Roque went six innings, allowing seven hits, giving up two earned runs and striking out two.

Evans said he knows Roque will do well for the Miners.

"He will compete just like he did for us," he said. "He's not going to be intimidated."

On a journey that took Roque through family hardships in Coral Gables, Fla., Evans said, the pitcher found a life of simplicity and camaraderie through baseball in Nebraska.

"Everybody on the team just loved his personality and being his teammate," Evans said. "Everything he did was for the team and not for himself."

World-Herald All-Nebraska NAIA baseball team
Psn: Name, school.........................Record/Avg.
P: Zane Cascini, Nebraska Wesleyan.........................6-1
P: Ulysses Roque, Bellevue.........................12-2
C: Joe Jeanjaquet, Hastings..........................370
1B: Matt Huggins, Midland Lutheran.......................321
2B: Tim Jacoby, Midland Lutheran..........................361
3B: Nolan Koehn, Midland Lutheran..........................372
SS: Bret Compliment, Hastings..........................336
OF: John Richards, York College..........................426
OF: Mike Mendenhall, Doane..........................429
OF: BJ Juelfs, Concordia..........................357
OF: Nick Damas, Bellevue..........................420
DH: John Rust, Nebraska Wesleyan..........................382
U: Pat Morey, Hastings..........................256
Honorary captain: Ulysses Roque, Bellevue.
Honorable mention: Drew Farley, Dave Powell, Matt Anderson, Josh Northrup, Brett Scarpetta, Bellevue; Jack Holmberg, Casey Rodriguez, Concordia; Quentin Connealy, Austin Lunn, Robert Riggs, Dana; Bryan Dutcher, Tim Engelhaupt, Chris Williams, Doane; Leigh Jochimsen, Hastings College; Mike Burdine, Adam White, Midland Lutheran; Andy McGowan, Jared Meays, Corey Petersen, Steve Schaffer, Nebraska Wesleyan; Gary Hall, Jonathan Harder, Will Hays, Mark Houck, Peru State; Nick Jones, Kellen Love, Dylan Connolly, York College.

Former WNCC softball players Marsico, Ventoza to play against Team USA softball team in Bound 4 Beijing softball tour

The USA Softball National team is preparing for next month’s 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China with a Bound 4 Beijing tour across the United States. And, for three area players with local ties, they will get a chance to play against Team USA, the reigning World Champions.

Chadron State junior-to-be Stephanie Hillman and former Western Nebraska Community College player Kari Marsico will be part of the South Dakota softball team that will take on Team USA July 15 in Rapid City, S.D., while former WNCC and current University of Washington softball player Jessica Ventoza will compete against Team USA July 10 in Spokane, Wash.

All three players said this is a dream come true to play against some of the top softball players in the world.

“I am really excited and it will be a fun experience to get to play against the best team in the world,” Ventoza said. “It will be a great experience. It will be tough but it will be fun because not too many girls get to play against the best in the world and the best players in the world. It will be fun to see what I can do against them and compete.”

Hillman is steal in disbelieve that she will be playing against the best in the world.

“It is awesome to say the least,” she said. “I have been playing the sport since I could remember and now I get to play against the best in the sport. It is hard to even think about it. Once I step on that field, it will be surreal.”

The three college players earned the right to play against Team USA through different avenues. University of Washington softball coach Heather Tarr asked Ventoza if she wanted to play against TEAM USA. Ventoza didn’t hesitate in saying yes, so Ventoza along with her Husky teammates Ashley Tuiasosopo and Alicia Blake will be facing the likes of Jennie Finch, Cat Ostermann and Monica Abbott.

“I am looking forward to meeting Jessica Mendoza and Crystal Bustos. That will be fun,” Ventoza said. “And then depending who pitches, it will be fun to play against Jennie Finch and Cat Ostermann. I am just excited for all of them and it will be a great experience.

While, Ventoza didn’t have to go through a try out to play against Team USA, Hillman and Marsico, both Rapid City natives, had to try out for the chance to play against the best softball team in the world. Only players with South Dakota ties, whether through high school or college were eligible to try out for the all-star team.

“Playing softball all my life [since I was six years old], I knew this was going to be my last year for collegiate softball and I could have my last game be with Armstrong or have an opportunity to play against the Olympic team,” Marsico said. “For me to say my last collegiate softball game was against Team USA, in the last year they had softball in the Olympics, is priceless.”

Hillman, who grew up as a pitcher in high school but has played first base primarily at Chadron State, said she had butterflies when trying out for the team.

“I had butterflies when trying out for the team that was going to play against the team, but it wasn’t like I was really nervous,” Hillman said. “At the same time, I thought, ‘what do you have to lose.’ It is a once in a lifetime thing for you so you have to go for it.”

It still hasn’t set in that the three are actually going to be playing against Team USA.

“I didn’t even know what to say when I found I made the team,” Hillman said. “It is just so big to me that even right now; I don’t think it has set in that I am going to play the US Olympic team. I know I am, but it hasn’t set in. I think once we start practicing it will hit me. I am stoked about it and excited. I am really excited and I think we will be having a really good group of girls and we will have a good team.”

Tickets for the Rapid City game July 15 at Post 320 Pete Lien Field are sold out. Marsico said at one time there was a waiting list of 700 individuals that wanted tickets, so they added another 500 seats to the baseball diamond that was turned into a softball field for the event.

Marsico and Hillman will start practices next week for the contest, and will also have a day where they can hang out with Team USA. Ventoza will also begin practice next week for her chance to play against the USA softball team.

Chances are that Team USA will come away with a win. Team USA lost just once on the Bound 4 Beijing tour sponsored by Kentucky Fried Chicken, and that was to the University of Virginia Tech 1-0. In fact, Team USA was no-hit by Virginia Tech, a team that made the College Softball World Series. Team USA has a 50-1 record so far on the tour.

“You have to be realistic, this is the US Olympic team, so you probably not are going to win,” Marsico said. “But we are going to try to give them the best competition. We can and put on a good show and try to win. But this is the best team in the World, so we probably not going to win.”

Ventoza and her Washington teammates had a chance to watch Team USA play in California in March when they went to a Cal-State Fullerton tournament in March and she it won’t be easy to pull out a win.

“Anything can happen. Virginia Tech beat them. I don’t know the girls I am playing with, but it will be fun. I am just going to go out and play and whatever happens, happens,” Ventoza said. “They are a lot bigger in person, but they are pretty nice. It was cool to step on the same field as them and now playing against them will be even better.”

For the three players, though, they won’t get a chance to play for Team USA since the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is eliminating the sport after this year.

“That would be amazing to get to play for Team USA,” Ventoza said, “But, I know they are taking it out of the Olympics and it is unfortunate for the softball world because it is starting to get big and grow a lot. It would be great to play on a USA team of some sort.”

Marsico and Hillman agreed.

“It is a huge disappointment that they are taking it out of the Olympics just because it is associated with baseball,” the WNCC career home run hitter said. “I think they overlook softball and the kind of competition and vive it brings to the Olympics. Just because Team USA is so dominate, I don’t that is a good enough reason to take it out of the Olympics. I think it is a huge sport especially for women’s sports. A lot of women’s sports are overlooked.”

Hillman said dropping softball from the Olympics will be a big blow to the sport.

“I think [dropping softball at the Olympics] will be a big hit to softball in general,” she said. “That was the epitome or as high as you could get in softball, and now we are not going to have that. I think it will take a hit to the softball programs.”

Marsico, in fact, is thankful to get the opportunity to play another softball game. In fact, she never thought she would even have this kind of softball success coming from Rapid City. Marisco played for the Cougars in 2005 and 2006, and them played the last two years at Armstrong Atlantic, earning pre-season conference honors her senior season.

“Being from Rapid City, there are not a whole lot of opportunities to play college softball,” she said. “When I had the chance to come to Western Nebraska, I didn’t know what to expect at all. After I had a good sophomore season, I never thought I would be in Savannah, Georgia. And now since I am here, I never thought I would be playing Team USA.

“It is every girls dream to do play for Team USA or keep playing after college, and they do have those women’s fast pitch leagues. But, I think it is a good way to end my career against team USA.”

Former Cougar coach Chris Green to help with Setter/Hitter camp on July 7-8

Western Nebraska Community College first-year head coach Giovana Melo has announced that former coach Chris Green will help with the July 7-8 Setter/Hitter camp. It will Green’s final time on the volleyball court of Cougar Palace before heading to the University of Alaska Anchorage, where he accepted the head coaching position in March.

Green, who was the Cougar’s head coach the past nine years and helped led them to the college’s first national championship last November, will instruct the hitters during the camp. Melo, who was an all-American setter for the Cougars in 2001 and 2002 before moving on to the University of Arizona State, will instruct the setters.

The Setter/Hitter camp is for girls in the 11^th and 12^th grades. The camp will run 8:30-11:30 a.m. and 12:30-3:30 p.m. each day. The cost of the camp is $75.

The Setter/Hitter camp is designed to fine tune setting and hitting techniques. The camp will be an intense camp with a lot of reps and one-on-one instruction. The camp is limited to 24 hitters and 12 setters, and there are still openings.

For more information on the camp, contact Melo at 308-635-6028 or at melog@wncc.net. A camp brochure can be downloaded from www.wncc.edu and then College Athletics.

WNCC to host soccer camp July 21-25

Western Nebraska Community College, along with the RECCOS Futbal Clulb, will host a soccer camp for individuals ages nine and up from July 21-25 at the Landers Soccer Complex in Scottsbluff.

The camp will have two sessions. Recreational players will attend from 9 a.m. to 12 noon all five days, while competitive players will have their camp from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. each day. The cost of the camp is $90 for one session and $160 for both sessions. There is a $10 discount per player if more then one player from a family is attending. The cost for children 8 and under is $75.

The aim of the recreational camp for is to help all ages with their soccer abilities. The camp will have fun and creative activities planned, as well as small-sided games. Players 8 and under will attend from 9 – 11 a.m.

The evening camp is aimed more for the advanced and competitive players. This camp will be more intense then the morning session, with fun and creative activities planned as well as small-sided games.

Also, during the advanced camp, there will be a 3-day goal keeping session for anyone interested in improving their goal keeping skills. That mini session will be directed by Gering High School boy's coach Justin Clark.

The soccer camps will be directed by WNCC men's and women's soccer coach Todd Rasnic, along with assistant coach Jim Miller. Past, current and incoming Cougar soccer players will also help with the camp.

For more information on the camp, contact Rasnic at rasnict@wncc.net or at 308-635-6150. A camp brochure can be downloaded at www.wncc.edu and then College Athletics.