Old School Budweiser snares Cougar Golf Classic title on Saturday

The Champs -- Old School Budweiser

The fifth annual Cougar Golf Classic is in the books with the Old School Budweiser team claiming top honors with a 51.9 handicapped score for the team championship on Saturday at Monument Shadows Golf Course in Gering.

The Old School team, made up of Eric Freeburg, Dennis Hill, George Kildrow and John Dyer, won the title over the Bytes Computer team of Todd Lewis, Doug Rupp, Mark Payne and Darrell Lewis. Bytes Computer had a score of 52.6.

Third place went to Burgner's Boys, last year's tournament champs, with a 54.2 over Linweld (54.4) and Hadenfeldt's (54.5). Burgner's Boy's team members were Mike Jones, Ryan Burgner, Doug Scholz and Bob Hessler.

The top women's team was G-MAC, who finished sixth overall with a 55.7 score. G-MAC members included Stacy Mitchell, Wendy Goos, Stacy Celli, and Joy Arnold.

Hole prize winners included, longest put (women), Joy Arnold; longest drive (men), Jeff Rotherham; closest to the pin in 2, Ted Schaff; shortest drive (men), Rod Green; closest to teh water, Rob Jones; longest drive (women), Becky Randall; closest to the sand, Bob Klein; shortest drive (women), Wendy Goos; and longest putt (men), Delmar Porupsky.

There were 28 teams competing in the Cougar Golf Classic this year.

WNCC basketball, softball get players from same high school out of Colorado

Hannah Strauss and Malari Gomer attended Ralston Valley High School in Arvada, Colo., and have known each other for a while. However, the two have never played the same sport.

Now, the two will continue their friendship at WNCC as each will be playing different sports for the Cougars next year. Strauss, a 5-foot-6 infielder will be joining the softball team, while Gomer will be suiting for the women’s basketball team.

Both are excited to be joining two programs that achieved Region IX titles a year ago.

“I’m very excited to come here,” Strauss said. “I decided to come up here to play because I knew I would regret it if I didn’t continue my career after high school. That way, if I hate it, I can still go home after a year and if I love it, I can still keep playing.”

Gomer decided that attending WNCC was a good fit for her as well.

“The classroom size, definitely drew me to WNCC,” Gomer said. “Also, because it is a two-year school so that I can go bigger or not do anything after two years.”

Strauss had a excellent season for Ralston Valley, helping them to the state championship. Strauss was a first baseman this past year, but usually played shortstop or third base. She was also looking at Metro State, Colorado State and Otero Junior College, but settled on WNCC.

“Coach [Maria] Winn actually called me after the state tournament. It was really unexpected,” she said. “I just want to get in and find a good major that I can hopefully pursue after I transfer out . I also want to succeed in softball and do everything I can.”
Strauss brings plenty of experience to the diamond having played the sport for the past eight years. She also hit her first home run out of the ball park when she was 13. She hopes to bring that same success to WNCC and help them back to the national tournament.

“It would be nice to do it [go to nationals] again,” she said.

Strauss realizes, though, that college ball will be a little different, but is up for the challenge.

“It might be a little harder like the work load might be different, but other then that I don’t think it would be that bad,” the all-league softball selection said.

Next year’s softball team will be loaded with freshmen, but Strauss doesn’t see that as a problem of succeeding.

“Not really because sophomores and freshmen are so close in ages,” she said. “It is not a very big age differential. I think it would be different if it was a four-year school.”

While Strauss is anxiously waiting for the college softball season to help the Cougars back to the national tournament, Gomer is doing the same. In fact, Gomer comes to WNCC with plenty of basketball highlights, including being named the Athletic of the Year at Ralston Valley.

Gomer also has her name plastered among the records books in a number of categories such as scoring, 3-point and free throw shooting, assists and steals.

Gomer, who stands 5-8, is primarily a shooting guard, and is excited for the new chapter in her life.

“I am very excited,” she said. “Coach [Dave] Harnish called me and I came up for a visit, looked at the campus and I really liked it.”

Gomer said she was also looking at Adams State and Metro State, but it was WNCC that won out. And, the Cougars are getting a heck of a good athlete in the meantime, especially from a team that finished in the Sweet 16 of the state tournament last year with a 19-6 record.

“We did pretty good this year,” she said. “Two of our key players were hurt during the state playoffs, so we didn’t go as far as we hoped. But we had a pretty good season.”

While Strauss played just one sport in high school, Gomer was an all-around athlete, participating in cross country and track and field. But, it was the basketball court where she excelled the most. Gomer averaged around 14 points a game and hopes to achieve the same success at WNCC as she did at Ralston Valley.

“I think there will be higher expectations here,” Gomer said. “I think you will have to work harder, but I think it should be fun.”

WNCC baseball team loses recruit to Seattle Mariners

Western Nebraska Community College baseball coach Mike Jones thought he found a prized recruit when he signed Miami’s Jarrett Burgess to a letter of intent earlier this spring.

After the Major League Baseball draft last week, the Seattle Mariners found something special in Burgess as they drafted the centerfield in the 6th round with the 196th pick overall. Burgress, thus, signed with the Mariners, foregoing his college eligibility and his trip to Scottsbluff next year.

“I had spoken with him on Wednesday [of last week]. We knew he was going to get drafted, but we just didn’t think it was going to be that high,” Jones said. “I am happy for him. He will get a big signing bonus and a chance at his dream.”

Burgress has all the tools to excel at the next level. The 2008 Florida Christian High School graduate stands 6-foot-3 and Jones said he has all the tools in making it big in the Big Leagues.

“He was a good, strong player,” Jones said. “he was big for a centerfielder and was still pretty quick. He has all the tools to be a great player. We are certainly happy for him. We were excited to have the opportunity to have him and we were excited to watch him grow.”

The loss of Burgess, Jones is back on the recruiting trail to try and find another outfielder.

“He had every intention to play for us and then go on to play in the major leagues [before the draft],” he said. “We now have to replace him and it isn’t easy to find a guy with his ability and talent.”

So far, the Cougar baseball team has signed five players for next season, including Dan Bauer of Bemidji, Minn. Bauer played for the Cougars two seasons ago.

The other recruits signed so far include Ben Dorn of Calhan, Colo., Elvis Garcia of Miami, Armani Gonzlaez of Coral Gables, Fla., and Tim Kupfner of Superior, Colo. Kupfner’s brother Josh played for the Cougars a couple of years ago.

Ryman, Garner make NFCA second, third team for softball

Western Nebraska Community College’s Kara Ryman and Kelsey Garner continue to earn honors after helping the Cougar softball team to a 54-10 overall record and a Region IX championship. This time, the two players received recognition from the coaches in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

Both players earned first-team NFCA All-West honors — Garner for pitching and Ryman for her play at second base. There were three all-region teams and then those selections were pared down to an overall first, second and third team national NFCA all-American selection.

In the overall selection process, Ryman earned second team NFCA honors, while Garner took third team honors overall. The selections were voted on by member coaches of the NFCA. Ryman said receiving All-American honors in both the NJCAA and NFCA, was surprising.

“It is definitely an honor and something that I had never thought I would be,” Ryman said. “It wouldn’t have been possible [without the other players]. There are nine players on the field for a reason and without one we wouldn’t have made it as far as we would did. The other 13 players supported me everyday and some have supported me for two years. Another thing is that we all learn new things from each other, whether it was offense or defense, we were always there to help each other out.”

Ryman said that in her two years at WNCC, she has became a better player as well as person going through head coach Maria Winn-Ratliff’s program.

“I have grown a lot on the softball field. I think that my skills have improved immensely, especially my hitting,” she siad. “I also think that I have grown more knowledge about the game then I knew before.

“ I knew that I was going to learn new things from Coach Winn that would help me to move onto a four year school, but I never imagined that it would have turned out as well as it did. When I first came, she was in the process of building a winning program and it’s a great feeling to know that I was apart of two great teams that had winning seasons.”

While Garner is only a freshman and is slated to return next year after earning Region IX Freshman and Player of the Year honors, Ryman will be headed to the NCAA Division One level and the University of Northern Colorado. Ryman hopes to continue her outstanding softball playing at that level.

“I hope to continue developing my skills and learning new things,” she said. “I also hope to be a part of a new tradition and hopefully a winning one. I hope to make new friendships just like the many friendships that I made in my past two years at WNCC.

“A big reason as to why I chose UNC was because it was close to home and I was offered an opportunity to play Division 1 softball, something that I have always dreamed of doing since I was younger.”

A lot of the success to the season not only lies with the goal the players had at the beginning of the season, but also the head coach.

“This team was so good because when we needed to we worked together as a team on the field and no team is good unless they work well together on the field,” she said. “I also think that this team all had one goal in mind and that was to win regional’s and when everyone is on the same page then it all clicks together. Coach Winn pushed us to be the best that we could be and the ending result shows how good we were.”

In two years at WNCC, Ryman has gained plenty of special bonds and memories. It is two years that she will remember for a long time, including a national tournament appearance in Plant City, Fla.

“It was very different from the teams that we play in our region, but it was a once in a lifetime experience, that I was glad to be a part of,” she said. “It was a great experience to get to play against teams from different regions and different parts of the United States.”

Even though the team lost two games at nationals — the opener to the national champions Wallace State 4-1, Ryman will remember this season.

“Probably the biggest memory from this year that I will always remember is winning Region 9 for the first time in school history,” she said. “I will also remember the numerous fans that supported us the entire tournament. Lastly I just want to thank the community for all of their support and all of the support that I received the past two years from the dorm parents that were there supporting us at all of our home games."

Bayard's Kistler inks with WNCC women's basketball

Bayard’s Amber Kistler has a dream of playing Division I basketball someday. She also realizes that to get there, her first step is to start small.

Monday, Kistler took the first step in achieving that dream by officially inking a letter of intent to play for Dave Harnish and the national power Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team.

Kistler said the decision was an easy.

“I always wanted to play college basketball and I want to go D1 after two years here,” the 5-foot-8 guard/forward said. “I was also looking at a school in Texas, but I decided to go to WNCC because they have a good program and I think I can work hard here for two years and then go where I want to in two years.”

Harnish is getting a player that was a bear on the court for the Bayard Tigers the past four years, earning Star-Herald All-Region First Team honors this past winter. Kistler averaged 17.4 points and 8.8 rebounds a game, as the four-year starter collected over 1,000 points in her career.

“I think Amber will definitely bring us some very good athleticism. I like what she is able to do and I followed her for four years,” Harnish said. “She came to our summer camps and our summer league on Monday nights. She is able to play all four positions. Early on in her career, she played more of a guard and the last couple of years she played more of the forward and was able to post up. She brings us the ability to be able to play all the positions on the floor.

Kistler is no stranger to the Cougar Palace flow this past year. The multiple sport standout played Western Trails Conference basketball game at WNCC in February, as well as just finishing up two all-star game appearances at the college in the Panhandle Prep basketball game as well as the West Nebraska All-star volleyball game. Kistler will even be back on the Cougar Palace hardwoods next week when she will help instruct in the Cougar girl’s basketball camp that begins Monday.

It is that all-around mentality that has Harnish extremely pleased of what he is getting in a talent like Kistler, especially after what she did in the Panhandle Prep game last month. Kistler finished the game with 10 points to pick up the MVP honors of the contest.

“I thought she had an outstanding weekend here [in the basketball all-star game] and proved the level that she can play at in being the MVP of the game,” Harnish said. “She will be able to come in and shoot for us and play the guard position. We will get her to play a little bit harder and get some defense under her. But, she certainly has the skills and athleticism to play at this level and we are excited to have her.”

Kistler was not only stellar on the basketball court, but she was also a fierce middle hitter as well as one of the top hurdlers in the region and state. Kistler earned all-state honorable mention honors for both volleyball and basketball, as well as Academic All-State with a 3.9 grade point average. Kistler was an Star-Herald All-Region First Team selection in volleyball, and finished 8^th in the 300 hurdles at the Nebraska Track and Field Championships.

While Kistler will be leaving the halls of Bayard, she is excited to begin a new chapter in her life.

“I will miss playing at Bayard because of all my friends and just having everyone know you. I will also miss my coach as well as the community support,” she said. “I think I had a good career at Bayard. It was fun.”

Kistler said by her staying here for two years, she can have the Bayard faithful follow her two more years.

“I chose WNCC because it is close and everyone from Bayard will get to watch,” she said.

Harnish said it is hard to get local stars to come to WNCC to play. But, it is a credit to his program when they do stay at home in the Panhandle.

“We are always excited to have the local kids that really want to come out to WNCC to play,” Harnish, who will beginning his 21^st year coaching at the college, said. “We are always looking for the community support and we will be getting that from Bayard. It is an honor here to keep the kids here especially for the kids that can come in and help our program and play at this level.

“I think we have built such a great program and tradition here to help Amber go on to the next level after two years. I think it will be good for her as well as us. It really brings in that community support and brings in that local flair. She knows she can play here and that is the biggest thing in having the confidence of playing at this level.”

Kistler said that she was only looking at basketball to play in college and would love to take the Cougars back to the national tournament as well as improving her skills.

“I think I am ready for [college basketball practices],” she said. “There is always room for improvement.”

WNCC offering volleyball camps this summer

First-year Western Nebraska Community College volleyball Giovana Melo will conduct four volleyball camps this summer.

The volleyball camp sessions begin June 23-24 with a team camp for varsity and junior varsity teams, followed by specialty camps. The first specialty camp is an Individual Skills Camp June 30 and July 1 for girls in grades 5th through 8th. A Setter/Hitter Camp will follow for girls in 11th and 12th grade on July 7-8, followed by a Skills Camp for girls in grades 9th – 12th on July 9-10.

The purposes of the camps are to help the area volleyball players fine tune their volleyball skills. The Setter/Hitter Camp will be an intense camp with a lot of reps and one-on-one instruction. Hitters need to be physically prepared for heavy use of shoulders and legs. The Individual Skills Camps will give the campers an opportunity to develop and fine tune the fundamental skills of serving, blocking, hitting, passing, setting and defense.

The camps will be conducted by Melo, who was hired as Cougar volleyball coach in May. Melo is no stranger to WNCC volleyball, having played for the Cougars in the 2001 and 2002 seasons and leading them to the national tournament. While a member of the Cougar squad, she earned second team NJCAA All-American honors her freshman year and first team All-American honors her sophomore year.

After WNCC, Melo went on to star at Arizona State University, where she played two seasons, where she earned PAC-10 All-Academic honors in 2005. She has been a graduate assistant and assistant coach at ASU the past two years.

For more information on the volleyball camp, contact Melo at 308-635-6028, 308-635-6151 or via email at giovana.wncc@gmail.com. Camp brochures can also be downloaded off the Cougar Athletic website at sports.wncc.net.

WNCC making name for itself in Australia, Colwell home for the break enjoying Australia life

WNCC is making a name for itself in Australia, as this story on Cougar basketball player Jenna Colwell appeared in the Townsville Bulletin in Townsville, Queensland, Austalia. For the complete story instead of the brief about Jenna, you can go to this link: http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2008/05/27/13396_talknorth.htmlu

Jaws sign grows on southside publican
FORMER Queensland rugby league prop forward and founding member of the unofficial North Queensland Rugby League Hall of Fame Marshall Colwell has an interesting sign above the doorway of his vibrant Commonwealth Hotel in South Townsville.

Marshall's nickname is Jaws or The Jawman, a fact not missed by local signwriter Scottie Peters, who designed and put up the new sign while Marshall was away.

It's become the talk of the pub and even the big fella himself admits to having grown to like it.

Meanwhile, much ado in the Colwell household today with the arrival home from America of basketball-playing daughter, Jenna, 20 (pictured below).

The former St Joey's on The Strand student, who honed her basketball skills in Year 12 at Town High and went on to play for Queensland, is now on a full scholarship to the Western Nebraska Community College.

Hit that college's website and you'll see her name up in basketballing lights.

She's on summer break and has just had a few days in Brisbane playing catch-up with older brothers, the twins, Sam and Dan.

She'll be home in Townsville tonight for a roast dinner with a very excited mum and dad. While here she will probably even grace the bar of the old man's rubbidy for a cold glass of lemonade.

Three WNCC softball players named NJCAA All-American

The Western Nebraska Community College softball team continues adding honors to their record-setting season. This time three Cougars were named NJCAA All-American after helping the Cougars to a 54-10 season and a berth at the national tournament.

It is the first time in school history that any WNCC player earned All-American recognition. Freshman Kelsey Garner led the team, earning first team honors as a pitcher, while sophomores Lauren Mills received second team outfield honors and Kara Ryman picked up second team infield honors.

WNCC coach Maria Winn-Ratliff said these honors are a testament of hard work from not only these three players, but the entire team as well.

“This is exciting for our program,” the Region IX coach of the year said. “We had a wonderful year and had a lot of great things happen, and do have our program have its first NJCAA All-American is amazing of what our program stands for and what these young ladies have done.”

Garner, Mills and Ryman, however, were just a part of a Cougar team that achieved plenty of success last season. The team won the college’s first Region IX championship in May and then competed at the national tournament in Plant City, Fla. Winn-Ratliff said while she is proud of what these three did, it is the end result of the entire team that helped everyone achieve success.

“I am very proud of those three, but when we look at the these awards, we have to look at the whole team aspect because they got supported day in and day out by the other 14 young ladies on the team,” she said. “This is just an honor for our program. I couldn’t be more excited and I wish the two sophomores success in their journeys where they are going to go, and I look forward to having Kelsey returning and doing bigger and better things next year.”

Garner had one of those seasons that turned out just magical in the circle. The freshman from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, went 32-4 and set school records in innings pitched (208.33), wins (32), strikeouts (259), and ERA (1.32). She also earned two NJCAA Pitcher-of-the-Week honors last season, including coming within one batter of throwing a perfect game.

“Kelsey had an amazing season going 32-4 and being a first team All-American, which is well-deserving,” Winn-Ratliff said. “We hope she can continue that success next year and then on to the next level.”

Garner was just one of three freshmen on the first team. There were 16 first team individuals on the team. The other two freshmen on the All-American team were Iowa Western Community College outfielder Toni Dance, and Sante Fe Community College outfielder Brittany Cannon.

Ryman and Mills also were deserving of the honors as each overcome many obstacles in their two years at WNCC.

“What a way for Kara and Lauren to go out in getting second team All-American,” Winn-Ratliff said. “It proves of their hard work and what they have done to buy into what we want to accomplish.”

Winn-Ratliff said both players played several positions in their two years in the Cougar program.

“Kara comes in as a high school shortstop and we move her over to second. She also bought into our hitting a little bit more this year then last year and made huge strides,” she said. “She also played hurt and a lot of people didn’t know that. She worked hard and got through a lot of things.”

Ryman finished the season batting .450 and holds the school record for doubles in a season (28) as well as career (36). She played primarily second base this season, except for a 12-game stretch when she was shifted to shortstop for the injured Jessie McNabb.

Ryman will take those talents to the University of Northern Colorado, as she tries to lead the Bears to the NCAA Division National Tournament just as she did at WNCC.

Mills, just like Ryman, also played hurt off and on during the season. But, one never realized it with her toughness, said Winn-Ratliff.

“Lauren Mills was juggled all over the place from playing right, left and center fields. She did some DP [designated player] work for us,” the coach said. “She probably played injured more then she played healthy, but she just worked hard and she is a gutsy kid.”

Mills led the team in home runs this season with 13, including many that either led off the game or an inning. Mills also batted .460 this season along collecting a team-leading 67 runs 78 hits, and 54 RBIs. Mills is still undecided where she will be playing next year.

Winn-Ratliff said these three hopefully will be the first of many more NJCAA All-Americans in years to come.

“I couldn’t be more proud of those three, but there are more then those three that should have had the opportunity to have those awards. I see our whole team as All-Americans,” she said. “It is just a great honor for us and I hope we continue to have that success in years to come in being recognized by the NJCAA. I hope to continue having coaches buy in and believe in what we are doing, seeing that we are a success, and seeing that this program will continue to be a success.”

Northern Colorado hit by tornadoes

Many of the WNCC athletes are from the Northern Colorado area and that area was hit hard by tornadoes on Thursday. Photos of the disaster from the athletes and their families and friends will be posted here for individuals to view.

Anybody that has photos or video or comments about what they saw, please email them to mrein@wncc.net and they will be posted on this blog site.

The first photo is courtesy of Kendra Schauermann, Cougar volleyball player, who was driving home in the storm.

Despite falling twice at nationals, WNCC softball team's season had plenty of success at 54-10

PLANT CITY, Fla. -- The Western Nebraska Community College softball team’s magical season and a run at a national championship came to a close Thursday at the NJCAA National Tournament in Plant City, Fla.

The Cougars dropped two games in the double elimination tournament to finish the season at 54-10.

WNCC fell 4-1 to Wallace State Community College and then dropped an 8-0 5-inning contest to Tallahassee Community College. Both teams were seeded in the top five of the tournament.

Even with the two losses, WNCC coach Maria Winn-Ratliff couldn’t be happier with how her team achieved success this season, including becoming one of the final 16 teams in the nation.

“There are 16 great ball clubs and 300-plus great athletes,” Winn-Ratliff said. “There is no bad team here and you can’t have an off day. I don’t think it was our best day of softball. We have performed much better then we did today. But we can’t be disappointed about being here. If we had one bad day in our season, it was today. Unfortunately, it had to be at the national tournament.”

The tournament definitely was a learning experience in many ways for the team, as they know what it now takes to be a championship ball team.

“You have to fight every game you are in to just get here and this team did that this year,” the coach said. “Now, they know what to do when they get here and they know what the teams are like. The teams are tough and they play hard.”

The weather also might have played a factor in the team’s performance. The Cougars played in 90-degree heat with humidity levels in the 80s.

“The heat might have got to us a little bit,” Winn-Ratliff said. “Not to make any excuses, it is a whole different environment of what we are used to playing in. It is a big venue and I am proud to be a part of it.”

The Cougars, however, did battle in the first game before falling 4-1 to Wallace State. The Cougars made a late-inning run, after falling behind 4-0 after three innings. The Lady Lions scored their four runs on four hits, one error and three walks.

The Cougars, fought back in the sixth and seventh inning, getting to winning pitcher Jennifer Sexton. In the sixth, Mandy Pounds led off by drawing a walk. After Lauren Mills sacrificed Pounds, the speedy freshman scored on a Jessie McNabb double. Lauren Bourdon followed by stroking a single to centerfield, only to have McNabb tagged out at the plate to end the inning.

WNCC tried to make a seventh-inning comeback. With one out, Kara Ryman singled followed by Alec Voci reaching base on a fielder’s choice to put runners at first and second. That was it as Sexton struck out the final two batters to end the game.

Sexton, a sophomore from Harvest, Ala., struck out 10 Cougar batters, while scattering five hits.

Kelsey Garner took the loss in the circle. The freshman scattered six hits, while walking six and striking out four.

In the second game, the Cougars couldn't find an answer to Tallahassee's ace pitcher Amanda Reyes, who threw a one-hitter and allowing just two WNCC runners in five innings.

The Cougars' only hit of the game came in the fourth inning when Jessie McNabb hit a shot up the middle. That, though, was it for the Cougar's offense.

Tallahassee, on the other hand, bettered the Cougar pitching staff for eight runs on 13 hits, including a 3-run home run in the fourth inning. Kelsey Garner took the lose, allowing six runs on 10 hits. Ashley Patton finished off the game, giving up two runs on three hits.

“We made some adjustments in the sixth inning, but it was a little late,” Winn-Ratliff said. “We started to get to their pitcher, but we had one bad inning in the Wallace game and that is all they needed. Tallahassee put up runs in the third, fourth and fifth. Both are both ball clubs and they made adjustments offensively. We were a little outmatched today.”

While it is disappointing for now to watch the rest of the tournament from the stands, Winn-Ratliff said they hopefully be back to the national tournament in future years.

The Cougars lose 10 sophomores that paved the way for the team this year. It was those players that set the tone for the championship run.

“It has been a special all year and I am especially proud of them [the sophomores],” Winn-Ratliff said. “It was sad today to see the 10 sophomores in their blue and gold uniform one last time. But the reality that it is, the kids played hard all year and lived up to my expectations. We now know what it takes in the program to be national title contenders. Those expectations will be there every year for us.”

“This has been a great year for us and I want to thank everybody that has supported us and I hope we can continue to build a winning program and continue to have success with Western Nebraska softball,”

WNCC 000 001 0 – 1 5 1
Wallace (65-8) 004 000 x – 4 6 0
WP – Sexton, LP – Garner; 2B – WNCC (McNabb), Wallace (Ashley Smith).

WNCC (54-10) 000 00 -- 0 1 1
Tallahassee (29-23) 003 32 -- 8 13 0
WP -- Reyes; LP -- Garner; 2B -- TCC (Heather Maulden, Mary Helen Tyler 2, Alayshia Jarrell; HR -- TCC (Tyler).

WNCC softball ends season at 54-10 with loss to Tallahassee Community College at nationals

The WNCC Cougars magical season and run to a national championship came to an end Thursday at the NJCAA National Tournament in Plant City, Fla., after falling 4-1 to Wallace State Community College and then 8-0 to Tallahassee Community in an elimination game.

In the second game, the Cougars couldn't find an answer to Tallahassee's ace pitcher Amanda Reyes, who threw a one-hitter and allowing just two WNCC runners in five innings.

The Cougars' only hit of the game came in the fourth inning when Jessie McNabb hit a shot up the middle. That, though, was it for the Cougar's offense.

Tallahassee, on the other hand, bettered the Cougar pitching staff for eight runs on 15 hits, including a 3-run home run in the fourth inning. Kelsey Garner took the lose, allowing six runs on 12 hits. Ashley Patton finished off the game, giving up two runs on three hits.

WNCC (54-10) 000 00 -- 0 1 1
Tallahassee (29-23) 003 32 -- 8 15 0
WP -- Reyes; LP -- Garner; 2B -- TCC (Heather Maulden, Mary Helen Tyler 2, Alayshia Jarrell; HR -- TCC (Tyler).

WNCC falls to Wallace State 4-1 in first round of national tournament

The Western Nebraska Community College softball team will have to earn a national championship the hard way after dropping their opening round game to Wallace State Community College Thursday at the NJCAA national tournament in Plant City, Fla.

The Cougars, despite making a late-game run, fell to the Lady Lions 4-1. WNCC, 54-9, drops to the loser’s bracket and an elimination game against either San Jacinto College-South or Tallahassee Community College at 4 p.m. today in an elimination game in the double elimination tournament.

WNCC fought hard in the game, but couldn’t string together enough back-to-back hits. Wallace State, in the mean time, took advantage of a 4-run third inning to claim the victory. The Lady Lions scored their four runs in the third inning on four hits, one error and three walks to bolt to a 4-0 lead.

The Cougars, fought back in the sixth and seventh inning, getting to winning pitcher Jennifer Sexton. In the sixth, Mandy Pounds led off by drawing a walk. After Lauren Mills sacrificed Pounds, the speedy freshman scored on a Jessie McNabb double. Lauren Bourdon followed by stroking a single to centerfield, only to have McNabb tagged out at the plate to end the inning.

WNCC put together a run in the seventh. With one out, Kara Ryman singled followed by Alec Voci reaching base on a fielder’s choice to put runners at first and second. That was it as Sexton struck out the final two batters to end the game.

Sexton, a sophomore from Harvest, Ala., struck out 10 Cougar batters, while scattering five hits.

Kelsey Garner took the loss in the circle. The freshman scattered eight hits, while walking five and striking out four.

WNCC (54-9) 000 001 0 – 1 5 1
Wallace (65-8) 004 000 x – 4 8 0
WP – Sexton, LP – Garner; 2B – WNCC (McNabb), Wallace (Ashley Smith).

WNCC softball ready for national tournament action

It’s not hard to see the smiles on the Western Nebraska Community College softball players faces as they get ready for the National Junior College Athletic Association national tournament in Plant City, Fla.
The players, however, are not just satisfied with being a participant at the tournament; they want to make a statement that they belong among the elite 16 teams in the nation.

WNCC will begin that trek for a national title today at 9 a.m. when they face 64-8 Wallace State Community College in the double elimination tournament that runs through Saturday. The game can be heard on KOZY 101.3 FM as well as the Internet.

“[I’m] nervous but excited,” sophomore Ashley Patton said. “I have never been to a big tournament like this but I am really looking forward to it. We just need to stay focused game to game, make sure our defense is good, get a good performance in the circle, and make sure our hitting is on.”

WNCC, who enters the tournament with an eye-popping 54-8 record, is fresh off winning its first Region IX tournament championship two weeks ago with a dominating performance. The Cougars, in getting the regional trophy, blanked 7-time defending champs Otero Junior College twice, 7-0 and 6-0.

Sophomore Jessie McNabb, who missed 12 games this year because of a broken jaw, was one of the catalysts behind the team’s success.

“We are real excited to be at the national tournament. It is like a lifetime experience that we never had before,” she said. “It is definitely an accomplishment because we have been working on it since last year and Coach [Maria] Winn has been working on it for a while. We finally got there.”

The Cougars went through a practice Wednesday to get adjusted to the Florida weather. Sophomore Whittany Foster said the team is pumped for their opening game.

“I think practice went pretty well, actually. It is pretty hot down here so we are adjusting to that,” she said. “We are excited to be here and we didn’t come down here to lose. We are just going to do what we do every day.”

The Cougars, though, aren’t overlooking any opponent but are gaining a positive attitude heading into the tourney opener today.

“The competition will probably be pretty good. This tournament is the 16 best teams in the nation, so we are excited to be a part of it,” Foster said. “We have enough confidence but we are not over confident. I think we will do well.”

The national tournament definitely won’t be easy. WNCC could play as little as six games to win a national title, if they stay unbeaten. If they drop their opening game, the team will need to win eight straight games to win a championship.

“I think we will do very well,” Patton said. “If we keep winning, we only have to play five games [for a championship]. If we lose, we can end up playing a bunch more. We just need to stay focused. But, if we have to play a lot of games, we will do what we have to.”

WNCC, win or lose, will have one more game today against either Tallahassee Community College or San Jacinto College-South. If they win, they will play at 6 p.m. and if they falter, they will play at 4 p.m. in an elimination game.

The players know they can’t overlook any opponent and the key for them to succeed is to take it one game at a time.

“It will take a lot of team work and we will all need to come out ready to play strong,” McNabb said. “I think we will all need to show up to play every game and not be worried who we are playing. Just play our game.”

The Cougars game is a stingy defense, a strong and deep pitching core, and an offense that has sparkled for 59 home runs, 22 triples and 134 doubles this season.

Freshman Kelsey Garner leads the pitching staff with a 1.13 earned run average and a 31-2 record. Garner has already struck out 254 batters in 198 innings of work. Garner also garnered Region IX’s Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors this season.

Garner will see the majority of the innings in the circle this weekend. However, sophomores Natasha Dypchey and Patton will be ready in a heartbeat when called upon. In fact, Dypchey and Patton have picked up clutch wins this season. Dypchey enters the tournament with a 12-3 record and a 2.31 ERA, while Patton has a 6-2 record and a 1.69 ERA. Patton said that all the pitchers have to be ready in case they are called upon at the national tournament.

“We have to be ready at all the time,” Patton said. “We need to stay focused, pay attention to the game of what is happening, and pay attention to the hitters. We need to understand what is going on at the point that you come in off the bench.”

As well as the pitching staff has sparkled this season, the offense has also come up clutch. The team has a .380 batting average, led by McNabb’s .509 average, including 53 RBIs and 60 runs scored.

The team is also paced by Kara Ryman, who leads the team with 69 runs batted in and 28 doubles. Ryman is also batting .446 on the season and is second on the team in home runs, tied with sophomore Lauren Bourdon.

Lauren Mills has also been dangerous as the team’s lead-off hitter. Mills leads the team with 13 home runs. She is also batting .462 with 67 runs scored and 54 RBIs. In fact, Mills’ has had a number of lead-off home runs, including a shot against Otero Junior College in the winner’s bracket final.

Bourdon and Amanda Torimaru are also two more hitters who have stepped up big this season. Bourdon is hitting .412 with eight home runs and 54 RBIs, while Torimaru is hitting .425 with 56 RBIs, five triples and five home runs.

But the one player that really has contributed the last few weeks of the season is sophomore Foster. Foster is batting .380 on the season, including batting .625 over the last two weeks of the season.

Foster said this team can do well; all they need is to play like they have in the 54 wins this season.

“We have to have good pitching for one thing. Then we will have to have good bats and good defense,” she said. “We usually feed off of each other pretty well. If the pitching is going well, we hit well and play defense well.”

WNCC Athletic Banquet Award Winners

Photos of the Athletic Award Night can be viewed by clicking following the following link -- http://wncccougars.albumpost.com/cougar-special

Western Nebraska Community College’s Soriana Pacheco continues raking in the honors after the WNCC Athletic banquet on Wednesday.

The setter from Venezuela earned the Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year honor after helping her team to the National Championship in November. Pacheco also garnered MVP honors off the volleyball team.

while Pacheco snared the Female honor, men’s soccer player Edwin Enriquez took home the top honors for the Male Athlete of the Year. Enriquez also earned another honor on the night; that of top Grade Point Average – Male.

The other big winners on the night included Gering High’s Stacie Meisner. Meisner received recognition for three honors. She earned the Cougar Award, which is given to an outstanding athlete that shows excellence off and on the court, as well as leadership. Meisner also earned the top Grade Point Average – Female. Meisner also picked up the volleyball team’s Cougar Pride Award. The Cougar Pride Award is given to a player that is the epitome of what a Cougar athlete should be with sportsmanship, and work ethic on and off the playing surface.

The softball team also garnered a huge award on the night, claiming their fourth straight team GPA honor.

The night also included each team presenting their MVP and Cougar Pride winner. MVP honors in the seven Cougar sports included Jessie McNabb, softball; Pacheco, volleyball; Tawny Drexler, women’s basketball; Steven Estrada, men’s soccer; Stacey Agnew, women’s soccer; and Rich Miller, baseball. Men’s basketball coach Brian Joyce didn’t give a MVP honor saying that all through the year, different players stepped up at times and picking just one player was to hard to do.

As for Cougar Pride winners, though, Joyce presented Chris Hamblin with that award. Other award winners included Lauren Mills, softball; Meisner, volleyball; Emma Beddome, women’s basketball; Zach Gillis, baseball; Aaron Oesterle, men’s soccer; and Amanda Arrant, women’s soccer.

athletic Director Jennifer Pedersen also presented Sports Racquet and TEAM Chevrolet the Patron of the Year awards. She also gave special recognition to women’s basketball coach Dave Harnish, who has won 20 games every season in his 20 years at the college.

WNCC softball team to face Wallace State in first round of national tournament

The Western Nebraska Community College softball team found out who their first round opponent will be at the NJCAA national tournament May 15-17 in Plant City, Fla.

And, the match-up with the No. 4 seed Wallace State Community College-Hanceville Lady Lions and the No. 13 seed Cougars will teams of similar proportions. The two will do battle at 9 a.m. (MST) Thursday at the Randy L. Larson Four-Plex in Plant City, located between Tampa and Orlando. The Cougars are making their first appearance at the national tournament after capturing the regional title with a 6-0 win over Otero Junior College, the 7-time Region IX champions.

“We had opportunities to see Wallace State play,” WNCC coach Maria Winn-Ratliff said. “They were down in Texas when we were there, playing some of the teams that we played. I also have had an opportunity to work some events with their coach.”

The two squads, also boast similar records, Wallace State entering with a 64-8 record, while WNCC enters at 54-8. The two squads also boost sensational pitchers between the Lady Lions’ Holli Hill and WNCC’s Kelsey Garner, who each were named NJCAA Pitcher of the Week twice. The two flame throwers even shared the Player of the Week honors the same week.

“Obviously, Hill has done some nice things in the circle. She will do a nice job in the circle for them,” Winn-Ratliff said. “I talked to a couple of buddies of mine that have already played them and we just need to come out and put the ball into play and hope we can find a way to score runs.”

At the Odessa Tournament, Wallace State went 7-1 only falling to Central Arizona College 12-4. The Cougars, at that tournament, went 3-2 falling to Midland College and West Texas State College. WNCC lost 5-3 to Midland, while Wallace State won 6-5. The other two common opponents between the squads saw both beat Odessa College and Howard College. WNCC beat Odessa 7-5 and Howard 9-0. while Wallace State beat Odessa 7-3 and Howard 5-3.

“Regardless [of who we are playing], it really doesn’t matter where we are ranked [or seeded] or who we are playing,” Winn-Ratliff said. “The only team that matters is us. We have to come out and do the things that we have been doing all year no matter who our opponent is.”

The rest of the bracketing for the tournament has No. 1 Santa Fe Community College (56-3-1) against No. 16 Spartanburg Methodist College (34-11); No. 8 Midland College (41-17) against N. 9 Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (36-11); No. 5 Tallahassee Community College (28-22) against No. 12 San Jacinto College-South (37-15); No. 3 Yavapai College (48-18) against No. 14 Iowa Western Community College (51-11); No. 6 College of Southern Idaho (45-20) against No. 11 McLennan Community College (39-17); No. 7 Wabash Valley College (46-3) against No. 10 Butler Community College (47-6) and No. 2 Chattanooga State Technical Community College (56-7) against South Georgia College (33-19).

Winn-Ratliff said it will be a tough tournament and the key is staying out of the loser’s bracket. The tournament in double elimination with the championship slated for Noon on Saturday
“We have our hands full. There are 16 teams that are in this tournament that are phenomenal and you don’t want anything more than that,” she said. “We are in the bracket with the No. 1 seed. A lot of people wouldn’t be happy with that, but we are happy to be here and we want our kids to know that no matter what ranking [seed] that we got, we just need to go out and continue doing what we have been doing all year, find ways to score runs, contain the other teams and play defense.”

Win or lose their opening game, the Cougars will face either Tallahassee or San Jacinto-South. If they lose, they will play Thursday at 4 p.m., and if they win they will play Thursday at 6 p.m.

Winn-Ratliff said it will take six games to win it all if you stay in the winner’s bracket. Otherwise, a team could be playing a lot of softball battling their way through the loser’s bracket.

“It will be tough. Obviously, any tournament you are in, you have to avoid the bottom bracket and fight as hard as you can in the top bracket,” she said. “It will make it a tough road for us if we can’t find a way to find a way to be victorious in game one, but we just need to go out and do the little things right.”

The Cougars are set to fly to Florida Tuesday morning for the 3-day national tournament.

Meisner inks with Alaska Anchorage, Jones signs on with Hawaii Pacific

The final three sophomores from the Western Nebraska Community College national championship volleyball team signed to continue their athletic careers at different institutions.

Shawntell Jones, a middle blocker from Lakewood, Colo., will be attending the University of Hawaii Pacific, while Gering graduate Stacey Meisner will be following former Cougar coach Chris Green to the University of Alaska Anchorage. Chelsea Lyles also signed, but instead of volleyball, she will be playing basketball at Division I Florida Gulf Coast.

Meisner and Jones are already joking around with each other when their two teams meet up in the NCAA Division II championship match.

“We already talked about that in that we will be playing against each other in the championship,” Meisner said. “I said ‘may the best team win,’ and then I look at her and said, ‘Don’t worry, it will be me.’”

WNCC assistant coach Amy Winters feels that both Meisner and Jones will bring success to their new programs.

“These two girls were huge leaders for our team as freshmen and sophomores,” she said. “I expect them to lead on the courts at the next level. They both work hard and they take on whatever role that is asked of them. Stacie, in high school, was an outside hitter and when she came here was a defensive specialist and did a great job in the back row for us. Shawntell dominates at the net, and both of them will do very well at the next level.”

Both players, who were a major force in the Cougars finishing second at nationals their freshman year and national championship this past year, are excited for the opportunity to be playing college volleyball at the next level.

“I just kind of lucked out with [going to Alaska Anchorage] because I hadn’t made a decision by the time [Coach Green] decided to go up there,” she said. “I was looking at a couple of other places, but after I went up to visit Anchorage, I loved it. Plus, the fact that Coach Green was going to be up there, it was really comforting to me that I was entering a program that I already know what the coach is like.”

It will be a different feel for Meisner when she heads up north to play volleyball. The Gering graduate has always had her family and friends cheering her on while playing athletics either for the Cougars or the Bulldogs.

“I guess for me what I am going to miss is having my entire family cheer for me every single game. It is always like I had my own cheering section, which was fun,” she said. “I have played in the Scottsbluff area my entire life and I will definitely miss the Scottsbluff community and all the support I got.”

Meisner is looking to take her leadership role up to Alaska Anchorage for the next two years.

“I am mostly looking at being a defensive specialist and maybe playing outside hitter,” she said. “Coach joked with me before he left that I might have to set because he hasn’t recruited a setter yet, but he got someone else to do that; thank goodness. I am also hoping to be a big leader on that team as well just I know they have been lacking in leadership over the past couple of years.”

Meisner definitely has plenty leadership capabilities inside her after winning several awards at the WNCC Awards banquet last month. Meisner garnered the Cougar Award, which is presented to an athlete that shows excellence on and off the court; the Board of Governor’s Award, which is given to an outstanding sophomore graduate showing leadership; the Journalism Excellence Award; as well as earning the female athlete highest GPA honor.

“I have never been there before until I went to visit a couple of months ago,” she said. “I really loved it up there and I heard really good things about Anchorage.”

Jones enjoyed her visit to the Islands of Hawaii over Christmas break and said that warm weather was a big selling point.

“I went there and visited and obviously I loved the place because it is Hawaii,” she said. “I got to know the coach and a few of the girls, and I love the atmosphere and that is where I see myself the next two years.”

Jones was recruited as a middle blocker, but realizes she has to work for a starting role. But, she is ready for the challenges; while at the same time will miss the tight-knit bond the Cougar team achieved.

“Obviously, I am going to miss the girls. We built a pretty good family over the past two years with the sophomores and this year’s freshmen,” she said. “I am going to miss the girls and the atmosphere and miss the WNCC family.”

Melo selected as the next Cougar volleyball coach, pending board approval

Giovana Melo spent two years as a setter for the Cougar volleyball team. Now, Melo has even bigger shoes to fill after being selected to succeed former coach Chris Green, who took a head coaching job at the University of Alaska-Anchorage.

All that is left before Melo can officially be named the head coach is approval from the Board of Governors at its May 21 board meeting. The announcement of the selection was made at the WNCC Athletic Banquet.

Melo was a setter for the Cougar team back in 2001 and 2002, earning second team NJCAA All-American honors her freshman year and first team All-American honors her sophomore year. She helped guide the Cougars to a 104-14 record in two seasons, including a third place finish at nationals in 2001.

After WNCC, Melo went on to play for Arizona State University, where she played two seasons, before tearing her ACL in her senior season for the Sun Devils and had to use a red-shirt season. She earned PAC-10 All-Academic honors in 2005.

But, it was Chris Green, who brought Melo over to the states from Ribeirao Preto, Brazil, and gave Melo a chance to flourish on the volleyball courts.

Once the Board of Governors officially approves the hiring, Melo will take over a Cougar program that went 54-2, and won the college’s first national championship. Green has guided the Cougars the past nine years, compiling a 453-35 overall record, including nine straight regional titles.

WNCC's Beddome, Lyles sign with Division One Florida Gulf Coast

Western Nebraska Community College’s Emma Beddome and Chelsea Lyles didn’t even now each other before they became members of the women’s basketball team two years ago. Now, after two seasons sharing the same court, the two teammates will be partners for another two years when they signed with Florida Gulf Coast, a NCAA Division I institution.

“I always think it is an honor and great accomplishment whenever we are able to send kids to the next level and these two kids is deserving,” WNCC coach Dave Harnish said. “I think they have done very well this year and done the things necessary to get where they are suppose to be, and that is why they came to Western Nebraska.

“It is a joy for me and Coach Ped [Jennifer Pederson, assistant coach] to see them grow and develop, and have the opportunity to go down there and play at a Division One school. They just moved up from Division Two to Division One a year ago and did make it to the WNIT and won a game the first round and then lost by five to Florida. So, of all the schools they have been looking at, they have been the most successful.”

The Eagles, out of Ft. Myers, Fla., finished the season at 22-9 and winners of 17 of their last 19 games after moving to the Division I level. Both players said going to FGCU was a perfect fit.

“I liked the campus and I loved the weather, and I wanted to go someplace that wasn’t as cold as here,” Beddome said. “I knew there was a possibility that Chelsea was going there, and I knew that if we went there together, it would be a lot more fun. The program is really good and going Division I is something that I wanted to do.”

Beddome was also looking at University of Bridgeport, St. Francis in New York, Seattle University and Missouri Southern. Lyles, who was looking at attending Southern Illinois, San Jose, James Madison and New Mexico State, said that it will be an honor to play another two years with Beddome.

“It is nice to go with someone that you know and have that trust base with where you don’t have to come accustomed to again. She is always in your corner no matter what,” Lyles said. “When we went there, the weather was really nice and the campus was really beautiful. The team went to the WNIT tournament this year and did really well. I think I can be pretty successful there.”

Lyles said that coach is looking at her to become an impact player.

“He [head coach Karl Smesko] can’t guarantee any playing time, but he expects me to come in and be an impact player right away,” she said.

Lyles did, however, have an inkling to play volleyball, but had to settle with her first love. Lyles won a national championship with the Cougar volleyball team in the fall.

“There is always a thought in my mind to play volleyball, but I knew that basketball is my passion. It is what I love doing and I love being out there,” she said. “I might, however, play it for a fifth year just to get some money. Florida Gulf Coast has a really good volleyball program as well.”

For Beddome, she is going even further from home. Beddome, from Melbourne, Australia, said she has become accustomed to Scottsbluff after spending the last two years here. Beddome was also selected as the women’s basketball team’s Cougar Pride recipient at the Athletic Banquet Wednesday night.

“It was a big culture shock when I first got here,” she said. “Flying into here it looked like a big city with the lights. But once I got here, it was a big culture shock because of the size. I come from a town of about 3 ½ million and coming to a town of 14,000 is a big difference. I had to get used to it, but I am going to miss it. I really am.”

Harnish will also miss his two stars that helped lead them to the national tournament.

“It is always disappointing when you have sophomores that have contributed so much leave,” Harnish said. “What they did and what they accomplished this year in getting us to the national tournament in playing well at the right time, they had a lot of schools interested in them. They definitely will be missed. They will be tough to replace, but hopefully we will find someone like these two.”

Send-off celebration for Cougar Softball team Friday, March 9

There will be a send-off celebration to honor the Western Nebraska Community College softball team on Friday, March 9 at 9:50 a.m. in the "Pit" area of the college. The 10-minute celebration will give students, faculty and the community a change to wish the team good luck at nationals and congratulate them after claiming their first Region IX championship and ending Otero Junior College's 7-year reign as regional champions. The softball team will leave early next week for the NJCAA National Tournament in Plant City, Fla., which will be held March 15-17.

Where is Tanya Kluck now? Nice feature on former Cougar player from Windsor newspaper

Where is Tanya Kluck now?
Physical therapist raising trio in Kersey

From the Windsor Beacon

Three weeks ago Bret and Tonya Schissler erected a basketball goal in their driveway.

The main intent of adding the sports equipment outside their Kersey home is to hone the shooting skills of their three children - Ben 6, Cora 4, and Andrea 3.

However, since Tonya is a former high school and collegiate basketball standout, it took only a matter of minutes for her to chuck up a couple of jumpers to see if she still had it.

"My stroke has been long gone," said Tonya (Kluck) Schissler, a 1991 Windsor High School graduate. "The Greeley Rec Department recently had open gym for women's basketball and I couldn't shoot at all. I've lost my shot and I'd love to play again."

For the rest of the story, visit the Windsor Beacon website at --- http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080503/WINDSORBEACON02/805030320/1132