WNCC Cougar Beat -- Issue 4

The Latest in Cougar Athletic News

COUGAR

BEAT Newsletter

September 18, 2020 – Issue 4

A Different Fall

NJCAA moves fall season to spring

Fall, spring sports will look different this year

Cougar players are adhering to Covid guidelines and staying safe

I

t will be a different look for fall sports at WNCC this season after the NJCAA in June, moved all fall competition except cross country.

The NJCAA, in mid-July, announced that all “close-contact” fall sports including football, soccer, and volleyball, move to the spring. The NJCAA also announced that all winter sports, which includes basketball, wrestling, and swimming, will begin play in January.

What that means for WNCC is that all seven sports will play competitively beginning January 2021. The only sports that won’t be altered is softball and baseball, and everyone remembers what happened last March when their spring seasons were shut down on March 12 because of the

WNCC athletes Maddi Parks, women’s soccer freshman and Gering High graduate, and Olivia Schaub, volleyball sophomore and Gering graduate, use precaution during a the Back-to-School BBQ event by wearing their masks.

The Cougar players are leading by example of how to be safe during the fall semester. so they can play next semester.

start of the Coronavirus outbreak.

Mackenzie Bakel, the only returner from last year’s Cougar softball team, said the softball team is taking precautions to be safe so they can have a season.

Playing is planned for the spring, but nothing is guaranteed.

“There’s already a lot of changes from this time last year to now,” Bakel said. “As a team we have to trust each other and be able to count on each oth- WNCC freshman volleyball players Elli Winkler (left) and Holleigh er and know that Jaime wear their masks while line judging a Gering High School jamboree volleyball scrimmage in August. The Cougar players are we are keeping one doing their part in living by the guidelines so they can play second another safe. We semester. are building a tight and each other accountable. We won’t be bond just from having to keep ourselves playing as many games as we did in the fall last year so we are going to have to rely on each other more this year to make sure we are ready for the spring season. This season is not a guarantee, so we are going to work every day like it’s our last and just enjoy every second we are on the field and around each other. Last year we had the luxury of being able to say, “I’ll be better tomorrow” but we never know if we will be here tomorrow.”

The players are managing the fall season with just practices and a lot more mandates and protocols that each team has to go through, including daily temperature checks.

“Our season looks different because we must follow a lot of protocols due the COVID,” men’s returning soccer player Ygor Ferreira said. “The season got moved

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n A different look to the fall semester ... to spring so we have an unusual off season right now. We would be getting ready for games usually.”

Just like men’s soccer, the women’s soccer team is doing everything they can to do have a season in the spring. The men’s and women’s official season won’t start play until April and run through the middle of May with regionals and nationals the last part of May. Madelin Parks, a freshman on the women’s team and a Gering High School graduate, said they are following guidelines.

“Any meetings we have, we are practicing the CDC and NJCAA guidelines,” Parks said. “We also take our temperature before each practice.”

For Parks and the rest of her team, there are plenty of advantages to having a spring season this year because of the restrictions put on for international players plus it gives them more time to practice.

“I know that our season got moved to the spring and there are many benefits including more time to prepare,” Parks said.

Ferreira said the only way to beat this pandemic is to follow the guidelines.

“Every day before practicing, coach checks our temperature and symptoms.

It’s important so we can get to play in the spring and overcome this pandemic faster than we expect. We’re just trying to be positive about everything as we go through this together we’re expecting the best and working hard that we can still achieve our goals successfully.”

That is the big thing, the players want to play and they are doing everything they can to make it happen and that includes wearing masks.

“To stay safe during the pandemic, we are taking all the precautionary steps to ensure that the team stays safe as well as the community,” Bakel said. “We are doing the basic temperature checks and covid screenings as well as keeping our distance. We are also avoiding large crowds and groups and we are limiting our interactions with others that could potentially cause a spread of the virus.”

Baseball player Collin Channell, a redshirt freshman from Greeley, Colorado, said he is just glad that they are able to

WNCC freshman softball player Chayden Chong utilizes her mask during a scrimmage on September 7.

come to school and play ball.

“As a team, we are wearing our masks around campus as well as social distancing,” Channell said. “Being aware of who we are around with being safe. It is important to stay safe during this hard tome so our team is able to play. All it takes is one and things get all screwed up.”

The players know how important it is to WNCC freshman volleyball players Mariah Fukamoto, and Angel Nahinu, both freshmen from Hawaii, relax in the stands while watching a Scottsbluff jamboree volleyball match on August 24. The volleyball team line judged three matches that night, all wearing maskes. The Cougar players are doing their part in living by the guidelines so they can play second semester.

follow the guidelines during this Covid-19 pandemic. Returning women’s basketball player Zarrea Coleman, said her team is following the guidelines.

“It is very important because we would like to play this season, so we will have to follow guidelines,” Coleman said. “We are all very excited for this season.”

The women’s and men’s basketball teams are limited to 60-days of practice during the fall with a few scrimmages.

The men’s basketball team have a home scrimmage slated for October 30 against Air Force Prep. Otherwise, the men’s and women’s basketball seasons won’t start until January 20 when both teams host Central Wyoming College on a Wednesday night.

Volleyball and men’s and women’s soccer had their seasons affected the most.

Both can’t start until the second semester and volleyball is allowed just 21 matches this season. The volleyball team opens with a home 2-day tournament January 22-23.

Soccer will have a few scrimmages during the first semester and the second semester. The team can’t begin official practice in the spring until March. The soccer teams open up April 2 and 3 on the road at Columbus against CCC-Columbus and Southeast Nebraska.

Hyleigh Fornstrom, a freshman from Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, said the volleyball

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Cougar Trivia Test your knowledge of Cougar Athletics with these trivia questions. Answers are on the second to last page of the newsletter.

1) Who were the goalies for the first women’s soccer Region IX champions?

2) Who holds the record for most home runs in a career on the Cougar baseball team?

WNCC athletes show that wearing masks can be down. These athletes Raquel Ferreira, Litzi Delarosa, Andrea Jiminez, Jordan Rollins, and Harold Baez.

n A different look to the fall semester team is adhering to all the new rules put into place such as wearing masks, washing hands, sanitizing during practice, and social distancing.

“Volleyball is different now because of the amount of sanitizing and distancing during practice,” Fornstrom said. “Luckily, we don’t have to wear masks with the team practices. I think that my team is handling the pandemic well. Personally, I hope the pandemic ends soon as we can play.”

The biggest thing for any junior college sports to happen in the spring is for the players to stay smart.

“At this time, it is incredibly important to stay safe and smart during this,” Bakel said. “Nobody knows exactly how long this could be effecting us and if we can help slow the spread and limit the virus from impacting our community, then that is ideal. Taking the necessary steps to avoid spreading this virus is vital to our success as a community and as a country so we have to make sure we are staying safe and smart. Our team is doing what we need to do to ensure the safety of ourselves as well as our community and it is very important to us that we are doing our part.”

By Mark Rein, Sports Information

3) What year was the first Region IX championship won at the college?

4) What is the streak at of the men’s basketball team winning double figure games in a season?

5) What states west of the Missouri River has not had a softball player on the Cougar team?

6) There have been 48 softball players from the state of Utah, but who was the first player from Utah to play for the Cougars?

7) Who holds the season record for most assists in a season on the women’s basketball team?

8) Who holds the record for career setting assist totals for volleyball?

9) Who was the first international player on the men’s soccer team and as a bonus question, who was the first men’s player from Canada?

WNCC freshman softball player Cameron Lyons of Aurora, Colorado, lifts weights with her mask on while her teammate Izzy Quezada stands six feet behind during early morning weight lifting.

10) Here is a fun question for everyone. How many vowels are in this sentence?

Avery signs to play overseas J aleesa Avery is living a dream of playing professional basketball.

Avery, who played for the Cougars from 2016-18, signed a professional deal to play for BC Bashkimi in Kosovo.

Avery said she can’t wait to get started.

“I’m very excited and can’t wait to get over there,” Avery said. “It’s been a dream of mine since I started playing basketball my freshman year of high school and I can’t believe it is finally happening.”

The country of Kosovo became independent in 2008 and is situated next to Serbia and Montenegro. Avery said she is looking forward to playing in the small European country.

“It’s a very small country that came about 12 years ago,” she said. “It’s beautiful and somewhere I can learn more about different cultures and lifestyles. The people seem very nice and welcoming.”

Avery had a nice career at WNCC from 2016-18 and then Morehead State (201820). At WNCC, Avery finished her career with 777 points and 317 rebounds. She shot 45 percent from the field and made 28 treys. She averaged a consistent 11.8 points in her career – 12.5 her freshman year and 11.1 her sophomore year.

“My career at WNCC will forever be unforgettable,” she said. “I won a championship and made it to the tournament my freshman year. My sophomore year we were lucky enough to get bided into the tournament for our hard work all year.

When I transferred my junior year, we went 24-10 and advanced to the second round of the WNIT beating Ohio State!

Wow). My senior year wasn’t what I expected but I was still able to make the best of it with people who forever hold a special place in my heart.”

At Morehead State, Avery averaged 16.5 minutes per game while averaging 4.8 points and 3.2 rebounds. She also added 41 blocks, 35 assists, and 23 steals in her two seasons at Morehead State.

The team that Avery signed with is the oldest professional basketball organizations in Kosovo while also being one of the oldest basketball organizations in the Balkans.

Last season, Bashkimi Prizren fin-

WNCC’s Jaleesa Avery drives to the bucket during a game in her sophomore year (2017-18) against NJC. Avery went on to play two years at Division I Morehead State and recently signed to play professionally overseas in Kosovo.

ished 14-1 and atop the Kosovo-Superleague standings prior to the suspension of the 2019-20 season due to the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic.

Avery is one of many former Cougars playing professionally. Giovanna Silva, who played with Avery at WNCC, is working on playing overseas. Gritt Ryder, who played for WNCC in 2012-13, is still playing professionally in Denmark for the Horsholm 76ers. Ozge Yarga and Yeliz Dogan are also playing professionally in Turkey.

Avery’s advice to the younger players to achieve the same dream she just realized.

“My advice to younger players would be to always work hard and to never give up on yourself,” she said. “Learn to take criticism and you’ll always win. Be patient with your-

self and embrace every obstacle thrown at you on your journey (good or bad). It’s okay to be uncomfortable. There were so many times when I wanted to quit, and thought basketball wasn’t for me, but as I sit here typing this there’s nothing else that makes me as happy as playing basketball.”

Avery has many people to thank along her journey as she went from her days at Cherokee Trail High School in Denver to WNCC to Morehead State.

“I’m grateful and blessed,” Avery said.

“I’m thankful for every coach, teammate, family member, friend, and the communities that I played in the past two years!

Thank you WNCC and Morehead State for your patience with a young girl who was just trying to find her way.”

By Mark Rein, Sports Information

One-on-One with a Cougar Isaac Lu, basketball assistant coach

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saac Lu comes to the WNCC athletic department as the new assistant men’s and women’s basketball coach. Isaac was born in Taipei, Taiwan, but grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii. Isaac attended the University of San Francisco, where both of his sisters also attended.

Let’s get to know Isaac as he beginning his time at WNCC serving as the assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s basketball team.

College(s) attended: University of San Francisco Sports in college and highlights: Manager/practice player for USF’s women’s basketball team Hobbies: Photography, working out, hiking What is it like to be an assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s team at WNCC? Being the assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams is definitely not a small task. I’m at practices four hours a day, two hours on each side, on top of also running weight room workouts for the women’s team and other tasks.

Despite the amount of hours I put in, I enjoy every moment and am excited to see what we will be able to accomplish this season.

What do you bring to WNCC? I’ve been around basketball for a very long time and have a strong passion for the game. There are many aspects of being a successful team which produces high-level players that have nothing to do with the X’s and O’s.

I think I have a diverse set of skills which will allow me to contribute in a variety of ways not only to the men’s and women’s basketball teams, but to

Issac Lu, in his first year as the assistant coach for the men’s and women’s basketball teams, rebounds the ball from a player during a shootout in September.

the WNCC community.

What is the talent like on the two teams?

Both teams have the talent to be extremely successful this upcoming year. What’s

going to take us from a good team, to a very good team, to a great team, however, will be our dedication towards getting better day-by-day as individuals and as a team.

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n One-on-One with a Cougar What brought you to WNCC and was it your first trip to Nebraska?

I came here simply to coach basketball. It was my first trip to Nebraska.

In your short time here, what things in Scottsbluff/Gering have you enjoyed so far going to or whatever?

People here are very nice and friendly.

Having grown up in the city my whole life, it’s nice to never have to deal with traffic here. There are some great food spots and I can’t wait to get to know this town more as time goes on.

How did the Covid Pandemic effect you last year and how has it changed the game this year and what are the keys to playing in the Spring?

I finished the three months of my undergraduate degree online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thankfully, in Scottsbluff, the spread of COVID has been

Cougar Culture

Cheyenne Ausborn Carter Brown Softball Men’s Basketball

Esteban Tavira Men’s Soccer

pretty limited compared to where I have previously been. It’s going to be essential that we continue to do our best in taking the necessary precautions to limit the spread, such as practicing social distancing and wearing masks.

Future goals?

I wanted to get into coaching so that I could help basketball players grow as athletes and as people. At the end of the day, no matter what level I am coaching at or who I am coaching, if I am able to help these athletes maximize their potential on and off the court, that is the most important thing.

Are you the oldest or youngest in your family and have others attended college and played sports (and where)?

I have two older sisters and a younger brother in high school. Both of my sisters attended USF.

By Mark Rein, Sports Information

Dylan Jones Baseball

Elli Winkler Volleyball

TV show to binge to

Grey’s Anatomy

The Office

Friends

Criminal Minds

The Office

Who will win the Super Bowl

New England Patriots

Kansas City Chiefs

Denver Broncos

Kansas City Chiefs

Denver Broncos

Favorite Cereal

Coco Puffs

Fruity Pebbles

Honey Bunches of Oats

Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Honey Bunches of Oats

Bad Habit

Biting Nails

Rolling My Ankles

Thinking I am always right

Procrastination

Procrastinating

A Shaky Dog

A little fuzzy thing on your keychain

No Idea

Someone who is being an idiot

The skin in between your pinky toe and your ring toe

What is Collywobbles

Cougar Icon Toney is first Cougar drafted in the NBA

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ot a lot of people know this, but former Cougar Sedric Toney was the first Western Nebraska Community College player drafted in the NBA. Toney, who played for the Cougars in 1982-83 scored 612 points in his one year at WNCC, which is 17th in a season.

The team went 26-10 and lost in the Region IX finals to Southeast Community College and head coach Dana Altman, who went on to coach at Creighton and Oregon.

Toney said he originally went to play basketball at Phillips Junior College in Mississippi, which at the time he played, it was a first-year program.

He transferred (or was placed at WNCC

by Dayton) for his sophomore year, and then played his final two seasons at the University of Dayton. At Dayton, he averaged 12.2 points in 59 games and shot 49.2 percent from the field.

Toney said it was a big adjustment for him to come to the smaller community in western Nebraska.

“I remember, for me, it was a huge adjustment. Coming from Dayton, Ohio, Dayton wasn’t a large city but certainly larger than Scottsbluff. I had never been to a small, small city like that,” Toney said.

“Then, for being an African American, being in a town that was mostly white or Mexican, it was another adjustment for me. But it helped me to become more diverse. I know that for a fact I had to grow up and had to think about life in a different perspective. My mother and my dad told me, because I wanted to go home, and they said you can come home but when you come home we will have your application to the service waiting for you.”

The move to Scottsbluff actually helped Toney in life.

“The whole situation in Scottsbluff changed my life,” he said. “It really put me in a different mindset after I left there. I

was a good basketball player, but going to Scottsbluff and playing there taught me a lot about other talented players in the world and country and made me realize I had to step up to be better. That is what I did; I did that and it was quite an experience. Met a lot of nice people out there.

Once I settled in to making the adjustments to the culture, the school, and getting away from my family and home, once I made that adjustment, I was ready to roll.

I really enjoyed it.”

Toney learned the game and grew as a player and person because of head coach Ron Brillhart, who was the head coach of the Cougars at the time. And, knowing the fact that if he left school and knowing his mom and dad had military papers ready, changed Toney’s outlook on an education.

“So, that right there changed everything,” he said. “I wasn’t going to the military. I am glad that I was able to stick it out. Coach Brillhart was a really good coach and really taught me a lot of mental toughness.”

After a year at WNCC (when Toney played the college was called Nebraska Western College) Toney was ready to go on to play for the Flyers at Dayton University. Toney did say that he had other college’s looking at him.

“I already committed to the University of Dayton and that was the reason I came out here,” he said. “Schools that were coming after me, Brillhart would tell them he is already taken. I already knew I was going back to the University of Dayton. That was my dream anyway to play at home and play for the University of Dayton. That was a dream come true and it all worked out.”

Toney said playing at Dayton was a dream come true.

“It was my hometown and growing up I watched them on TV all the time and dreamed about what it would be like to

From a Dayton Daily News newspaper, Sedric Toney shoots during a game in 1985.

Toney led Dayton to two NCAA tournament bids.

play there,” he said. “Then, getting an opportunity to do that, it was incredible. The fans got to see me play all the time and came to the games. For me, it was an opportunity. In high school, I was good but I didn’t get the accolades I should have got in high school. So going to Dayton and having success there, for me it showed a lot of people they missed out on me. They didn’t know how good I was going to be.”

His skills at Dayton led to another dream – the NBA. “My other dream was to play in the NBA and how many guys get a chance to play in the NBA?” Toney said. “For me it was a bunch of dreams that I wanted to do and they came true and made me feel special.”

After his two years at Dayton, Toney lived another dream, playing in the NBA.

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n Cougar Icon: Toney Toney was selected in the third round of the 1985 draft by the Atlanta Hawks.

Toney played with the Hawks on two different occasions during his NBA playing career. He also played for Phoenix, New York, Indiana, Sacramento, and Cleveland until 1994. He played in the playoffs when he was with the Knicks against the Celtics when the Celtics had Larry Bird, Robert Parrish, and Kevin McHale.

After his 10-year NBA career, Toney still stay involved in the NBA and college basketball.

Toney served as an NBA scout for the Grizzlies for four years. He then joined the New Knicks front office as Director of Player Personnel for four years. He worked in the NBA league office as an NBA observer for three years. He also joined ESPN as a color analyst for college basketball for four years. Toney also served as a trainer for

NBA players such as Paul George, Norris Cole and others. He is also inducted into the University of Dayton Hall of Fame.

Today, Toney is a mentor for guys to help them get to the NBA. “In some degree I am still with the NBA, but I am on the other side,” he said from his home in Atlanta. “I help mentor guys that have a chance to make it in the NBA. I help mentor them and put them on the right track and working with sports agencies to put them on the right track.”

When Toney played, college basketball was a totally different sport with no 3-point line. He also said it is more of an offense game then defensive now-a-days.

“College basketball has definitely changed,” Toney said. “With the way things are now, it is all about scoring, it is all about freeloading, There is so much other stuff that comes into play now. With

the NBA, it is about run up and down the court and score. Not a lot of defense being played until you get to the playoffs.”

Toney was a scorer in college and the NBA, but he was the guy that loved to play defense as well. Now, Toney has given up his basketball playing, trying to preserve his 58-year-old body.

“I play golf now,” he said. “I am 58 and I am trying to preserve this body as long as possible.”

Toney’s advice to the younger players is they have to take playing series and listen to the coaches.

“You have to take it real serious,” he said. “You just have to listen to what the experts are saying and pay attention. You have to make sure you follow the guidelines of what they are telling you what to do.”

By Mark Rein, Sports Information

Day of bringing everyone together

All 7 Cougar teams practicing hard for spring

ABOVE: WNCC baseball player Drew Book takes a crack at a pitch during an inter-squad practice. BELOW: Madi Parks, a Gering High graduate, kicks the ball during a drill during early season practice while sophomore Letzi Delarosa gets ready to return the ball.

The men’s soccer team jogs around the soccer field during an early season practice. The men and women would usually be playing games in September but this year they are practicing as their season has been postponed until a April start.

BELOW: Sophomore James Felton goes up for a shot while being defended by freshman Ahzarian Douglas during a shootout in September.

ABOVE: WNCC freshman Lexi Butterfield delivers a pitch during a scrimmage with North Platte recently.

LEFT: Ky Buell, of Cheyenne, looks to drive to the bucket while being guarded by Martrice Brooks of Springfield, Illinois.

All 7 Cougar teams practicing hard for spring

WNCC sophomore softball player Mackenzie Bakel delivers a hit during a Labor Day inter-squad scrimmage.

ABOVE: WNCC sophomore Alex Hernandez digs the ball during one of their first practices. The volleyball team will open the season in January after all of the fall sports got moved to the second semester.

RIGHT: WNCC’s Will Potter delivers a pitch during an intersquad scrimmage over Labor Day.

WNCC freshman Madison Blaney from Cheyenne, Wyoming, brings the ball up the court while being defended by Bella Sparaco, a sophomore from Denver and a transfer from Iowa Western CC.

WNCC sophomore men’s basketball player Tayler Johnson of Minneapolis, Minnesota, brings the ball up the court during an early season workout. The Cougar men will open the season January 20 at home against Central Wyoming College.

Cougar Alumni Spotlight

Brad Ryan

Megan (Burdett) Stratton

Brad Ryan came to play basketball for the Cougars from Australia and played for two twwo seasons (2001-2003). Brad is married to Kate and they have two kids, Jake, age 9, and Ruby, age 4. Brad lives in Sydney,, Australia..

Megan (Burditt) Stratton played for WNCC in 2009 and 2010 where they qualified for the national tournament in 2010.

Megan graduated from Los Alamos High in New Mexico, and currently lives in Alva, Oklahoma, with her husband and 6-month old son, Maddux, and their angel daughter Hadley.

Men’s Basketball (2001-2003)

What are you up to now: Brad is a Field Biologist, service manager for a Pest management company What are some of the fun things you remember about your time at WNCC: Friendly people, generous people. A school that cared about the students and student athletes. The social aspect was great.

Who are the teachers, staff, community that helped you during your time at WNCC: Stacy Wilson -- such a kind beautiful soul, helped me and a lot of the foreign students so much during my time there, will be forever grateful!. Tillman family, from Bayard, were very good to me personally also, such wonderful people. Sam Segrist and the Segrist Family must also be mentioned because they were very good to me. Also special mention to the late great Bud Heiser. He was an inspirational man and our team loved him dearly and I was very sad to hear of his passing years ago.

WNCC Softball (2009 and 2010)

What are you up to now: Member of McDermott and Associates Insurance agency and Head Softball Coach Alva High School What are some of the fun things you remember about your time at WNCC: I remember the volleyball and basketball games. Visiting in the commons lounge in Conestoga and the Halloween dorm events we used to have..Thursday night team dinners at Applebees.

Who are the teachers, staff, community that helped you during your time at WNCC: Coach Winn was a great mentor. I still keep in touch with Scott and Amy Winters (they were teachers and our dorm parents).

What is your advice to all the student-athletes at WNCC now and the future: Make the most of your opportunity, Time goes by so fast and if its there in front of you; grab it with two hands and give it your all and have no regrets.

What is your advice to all the student-athletes at WNCC now and the future: Enjoy the friendships and memories you make. WNCC is one of a kind.

Where did you end up after WNCC for schooling: I returned to Australia to play in a semi professional league. I Started my working career in Pest Management which i still do today. I also found love, got married, and had two beautiful children.

Where did you end up after WNCC for schooling and highlights: I transferred to Northwestern Oklahoma State University.

Played until 2013 when I graduated with my B.S. in Health and Sports Science.

Do you still play the sport that brought you to WNCC: Retired from serious Basketball a few years ago, but still play socially and coach the next generation of players.

Anything Else: Thank you to the people of Western Nebraska, I will be forever grateful of my time with you all.

Do you still play the sport that brought you to WNCC: Ha. Ha. I try but just can’t move the way I used to. I enjoy coaching softball. It keeps me close to the game without hurting my body

Cougar Alumni Spotlight

Danielle Hearn

WNCC Softball (2012 and 2013) Danielle Hearn played for the Cougar softball team in 2012 and 2013 and was an infielder. Danielle went to Palo Verde High in Las Vegas. Today, she lives in Las Vegas, Nevada and is a first grade teacher. Her family consists of herself, her boyfriend, and their dog.

What are you up to now: I am a 1st grade teacher, and I coach nn18u softball team.

What are some of the fun things you remember about your time at WNCC: Playing softball at WNCC, playing for coach Winn, spending time with my dorm family, writing for the sports section of our school paper and the people I met.

Who are the teachers, staff, community that helped you during your time at WNCC: Maria Winn, Molly Bonuchi, Doug, Amy Winters, the Halley Family (dorm family).

What is your advice to all the student-athletes at WNCC now and the future: Enjoy every moment because when its gone you will miss this place and part of your life.

Where did you end up after WNCC for schooling and highlights: Culver Stockton College, played softball there and finished school with a BS in Psychology.

Do you still play the sport that brought you to WNCC: Yes

Gianno Bianconi

Men’s Basketball (2003-2005) Gianno Bianconi came to WNCC to play basketball from Brazil.

Gianno is now married to former Cougar Ku’ulei Kabalis and they have two kids, Kapualikoamaluhiaokalani Pierluigi Bianconi (5year old) and Pueokahikealoha Guerino Bianconi (almost 2 years old) What are you up to now: I am a financial adviser at Northwestern Mutual What are some of the fun things you remember about your time at WNCC: I have great memories about WNCC and the community. I remember my first snow storm and walking to class on snow was a very different experience for me, I thought classes were canceled (it wasn’t even a inch of snow on the ground) so I went back to my room. Later on, I found out that we had class and I had to run after practice because I missed class. Not a fun memory but funny.

Who are the teachers, staff, community that helped you during your time at WNCC: I Remember Stacy Wilson, my Spanish teacher, Maria and Rich Robles and my dorm parents Kathy and Dick Gatch. The Gatch’s took me intro they family and it made my transition so much better and easier, we are still talking, I still call them mom and dad. The Bibb’s also were a big part of my life and a big support. I remember the community in general and all the support I had from them.

What is your advice to all the student-athletes at WNCC now and the future: My advice to all the students athletes is to enjoy your time there, focus on the good, have a goal for yourself and drive to that goal every single day.

Where did you end up after WNCC for schooling: After WNCC I went to Spain and Brazil to play professionally.

Do you still play the sport that brought you to WNCC: I do still play basketball every now and then. Plus I want to thank all my teacher, my dorm parents and the community in general for all the support and. You guys made me a better person and made my life much much easier.

Cougar Alumni Spotlight Who are the teachers, staff, community that helped you during your time at WNCC: Jennifer Pederson was one of the people I remember the most. She really helped me through my experience at WNCC. Also my dorm parents are the most incredible people ever. Joanie and Roger Frahm (RIP Roger). I’ve still kept in touch every once in a while with Joanie.

What is your advice to all the student-athletes at WNCC now and the future: Enjoy your time at WNCC and get involved! Be a part of the community and you’ll get out what you put in. Work hard and do your best always.

Krista (Nugent) Perry

WNCC Softball (2003 and 2004) Krista (Nugent) Perry played for the Cougar softball team in 2003 and 2004 under head coach Dan Lewis. Krista was the first Utah player to play at WNCC, having attended Hurricane High in Hurricane, Utah. After WNCC, Krista went to the University of Southern Indiana where she played softball.

Currently, Krista leaves in Hurricane, Utah, and is married to Joey Perry for the last four years and has three step kids and two of her own.

Where did you end up after WNCC for schooling and highlights: After graduating from WNCC with my associates, I transferred to University if Southern Indiana and finished up my four years and was a student coach for my fifth year while I finished my math degree. We took eighth in the nation my senior year.

Do you still play the sport that brought you to WNCC: I don’t play a lot of fast pitch, but play a lot of slow pitch softball. We get to do it year round here in southern Utah!

What are you up to now: I am the Academic Director of a Residential Treatment Center/Therapeutic Boarding School called Sunrise Academy.

I’ve been in this job for 10 1/2 years. I also teach math.

What are some of the fun things you remember about your time at WNCC: I loved the people and living in the dorms was an interesting experience. I was an RA. I remember walking to class in the snow in flip flops. Playing softball and traveling with those people and living with them was an incredible experience.

WNCC Cougar Alumni: If you want to be featured in this section, please send some information to Mark Rein at mrein@wncc.edu or text to 308-631-0459. You may also send a Facebook message.

Once you send a message, questions will sent out (or answer what the questions are in the alumni spotlight section.

Check out the latest Cougar news on the Internet.

Visit the Cougar website at wnccathletics.com Updated schedules, rosters, new stories, and other information.

Remembering Remem bering 9/11

WNCC athletes, coaches remember 9/11 What were you doing on September 11, 2001, the day that the World Trade Center where over 3,000 Americans lost their life?

WNCC athletes and coaches and people that were involved with Cougars remember that day well. Many of the current athletes today were not even around back then, but many people involved with Cougars remember the events well.

What happened that day on September 11 was the deadliest attacks on the United States since the Pearl Harbor attack during World War II. Nearly 3,000 Americans lost their lives because of three attacks. The first happened at 8:46 a.m. when an airplane crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center followed by another plane crashing into the South Tower at 9:03 a.m.

Both towers were burning with at least 200 falling or jumping from the building.

A third airplane crashed into the Pentagon in Washington D.C. at 9:40 a.m. and a third plane, which was hijacked, crashed into a field at Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at 10:03 a.m. That plane was believed to be headed to the U.S. Capitol building.

9/11 will be a day that will be remembered the most by Americans and that is why September 11 is now known as Patriot Day. WNCC athletic trainer Doug Jones was a graduate assistant at Creighton University at the time and was one day from being in Washington D.C. when everything happened.

“The weekend before [September 11], I was with the Creighton soccer team In Washington DC.,” Jones said. “Because we had a late game on Sunday, the next flight for us back to Omaha was on Monday, Sept 10 at 4 in the afternoon. We had been at the Pentagon less than 24 hours before it was hit. The thoughts always went through my head that had our plane been delayed or a different flight, things could have been different.”

When Jones arrived back in Omaha, he didn’t have cable, but he did that September 11.

This was a photo taken four years ago when the softball team played a game on Sunday, September 11 and they put the flags at half-mast in honor of Patriot Day.

“The morning of Sept 11, 2001, I had told my supervising Athletic Trainer that I was going to be late for work, because the cable installer was coming to my apartment to install cable and hook up my internet,” Jones said. “When he got there, he said ‘We need to get your cable up because we’re under attack.’ He hooked up the cable (faster than I have ever had someone install something) and we sat and watched as the WTC was burning.”

Having been that close to everything the day before was something that made the tragedy of 9/11 stand out.

“When I finally left my apartment, I drove to campus and listened on the radio as the first tower fell. When I got into work, everyone had computers on watching the

events unfold,” Jones said. “I spoke with Bob Warming, the soccer coach at Creighton, and he said, ‘We were just there...crazy, huh?’ It definitely was. About that time, we had gone outside to get away from everything that was going on, and to go talk with our team chaplain Father Hart. As we were walking, we saw a very large plane fly overhead and became a little distressed, because planes were grounded according to news reports. When we were visiting with Father Hart, we heard on the news that President Bush had landed at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska, just south of where we were.”

That Tuesday in September will hang with many individuals as they remember

Continued on next page

n Remem Remembering bering 9/11 what they were doing and reflect on the day that brought America together.

Jennifer Pedersen, who at that time was the assistant volleyball coach, greatly remembers that day.

“When it happened, I was eating Biscuits and Gravy in the Dining hall. Deb Prichard had made a fresh batch and let me come in to eat before the students got up. We watched it together,” Pedersen said.

“I was the assistant coach for volleyball at that time and we had a game in Sheridan, Wyoming. We didn’t know if they were going to let us travel — especially through Wyoming since they were hiding the President there. We went to Sheridan and played and we were the only vehicle on the road that day.”

Amy Winters, who at that time was doing play-by-play on the radio for the Cougars, remembers the day because the volleyball team was getting ready to play at Sheridan, the same game Pedersen was talking about. It was a back and forth decision whether to have the team go or not.

“The WNCC volleyball team had a match in Sheridan that night. I did not want to go,” Winters said. “Eric was 6 at the time. I was hoping it would be cancelled with everything that was happening, but it wasn’t.”

Chris Green, who was the volleyball coach at the time at WNCC and is currently the coach at Alaska Anchorage, said he didn’t realize how serious it was at first.

“I was very busy getting ready for that trip, and doing other things,” Green said. “I heard that a plane hit the tower, but I had no idea about the seriousness of it all. We actually went to Sheridan that day to play the game on 9/11. That night watching the news from the hotel room was very tearyeyed ... finally realizing how terrible it all was.”

That is it, it was a confusing time for many of what to do and what is really happening.

“The main thing I remember is the confusion felt by everyone,” Pedersen said.

“Little bits of information kept popping up, but it wasn’t until days later when we finally started to get the full story.”

Pedersen, who played for the Cougars in 1995 and 1996, said she didn’t think the

younger generation realized the freedoms we had.

“I don’t think younger people understand how many of our freedoms with travel were taken away with that incident,” Pedersen said. “Travel throughout the United States and internationally looked much different than it does now.

The players also had memories. Brad Ryan, who was in his freshman year from Australia, didn’t know what was happening or why people were in shock. He thought it was a movie.

“Yes, it was my first month in America away from my family. Scary times,” he said. “I remember being in class when the teacher turned the TV on. I thought I was watching a movie until I noticed everyone around me was in complete shock. Class was cancelled and I ran back to the dorm to wake my fellow Australian teammate and turned on the TV and he thought I was joking until he saw it for himself. We were in shock and during that period of time. We were not able to comprehend the change to all our lives.”

Zac Bibb, a Gering High School graduate, played one year of basketball at the college. When everything hit, Bibb was in the first grade at Geil Elementary. Bibb remembers it well being just a youngster at the time.

“I remember it was a normal morning; we were only a couple weeks into the new school year,” Bibb said. “Then, I remember our teacher getting a call and then hurrying over to the little television we had hanging in the wall and her turning in the news. I remember, even being little kids, we were all silent. We didn’t really know what was going on but there was a very weird feeling in the room as we watched the towers on their last day of existence.”

Bibb said today, he still thinks about it because of all the close friends he has that were in the area at the time.

“To this day, I have very, very close family friends who were involved that day. Several NYPD officers and detectives,” he said.

“I have another close family, whose mom/ wife is a big attorney in NYC. She was in the towers that morning. The rest of the family couldn’t get ahold of her all day or that evening. Then by the grace of God, she walked through their front door later that night. She had left the twin towers maybe 30 minutes before the attack. Those people I consider family are still being affected by 9-11 to this day.”

While Bibb was on a first-grader, Sean Curtis, who played baseball for the Cougars in 2005, was attending Cheyenne Central High in Cheyenne at the time.

Continued on next page

n Remem Remembering bering 9/11 Curtis remembers greatly the details when everything unfolded.

“I was in Auto Tech class at Central High School in Cheyenne Wyoming. I was outside sanding a fender on my car when our teacher ran out and told everyone we needed to get inside immediately because we were being ‘bombed,’ Curtis said. “We all dropped everything and ran inside while looking up trying to figure out what the hell was going on. We realized we (Cheyenne) weren’t getting attacked once we got inside and saw the horror on every TV.” Curtis said the scenes of that day and the unity of the people really stood out.

“What I remember most, is the aftermath of the terror was our nation emerging as the most cohesive unit we may have ever been,” he said. “Sure wish we could get back to the unity we had without a terror event to get us there.”

Another student, who played softball for the college just a few years ago and is now serving an internship in the athletic training office, is Christina Nelson from Colorado. At the time, she was only four years old, but still remembers what was

happening.

“I was at home with my family. I was on 4 years old when it happened, but I remember it vividly,” Nelson said. “I remember my dad yelling for my mom and I to come see the TV. We thought he was talking about Ed McCaffrey’s leg injury from the previous night, but it was the attacks on the TV instead.”

While she was only four, she knew it was bad.

“I didn’t fully understand what was happening, but I knew something terrible had happened based on my family’s reactions,” she said. “I remember sitting on the couch with my mom watching it and she was crying.”

Today, Nelson said it is “incredibly important to remember 9/11.

“It is a piece of our nation’s history that needs to be remembered,” she said. “Too many people sacrificed their lives that day and so willingly jumped in to save the lives of perfect strangers, it would be disgraceful to forget. It changed the world essentially.

It is something that has been important in my life and in my family. I have many

family members who are first responders and it is equally, if not more important to them.”

Winters said 9/11 is a special time in America.

“There were so many lives lost and so many heroes,” she said. “We remember them. Every year I get emotional when I talk about it with my students. I reflect on how proud I am to be an American. It was a time when our country came together.”

Jones said to this day, 9/11 changed everyone’s lives.

“Our days became different, and life changed,” he said. “In November of that year, our team qualified for the NCAA tournament and our first-round game was at St Johns University in New York. We flew into New York, and never having been there before, the skyline looked empty when we drove from the airport. We had a chance to get close to Ground Zero, but not close enough to see much. It was an experience that will humble you, but it was amazing to see the unity that sprang forth from a dark time in our recent history.”

By Mark Rein, Sports Information

FCA fellowship at the college

ALUMNI ATHLETIC NEWS

Scottsbluff Junior College l Nebraska Western College l Western Nebraska Community College

11 former Cougars currently playing pro bball overseas There are 11 active former WNCC Cougars that are currently playing professional basketball overseas in leagues that are currently active.

The top former Cougar recently is Raul Delgado, who played for the Cougars in 2010-11.

Raul, a 6-foot-3 guard, played professional in Mexico and led Dorados de Chihuahua to an easy victory against the sixth-ranked Fuerza Regia, crushing them 86-65 in the Mexican LNBP (second division). He scored 11 points and grabbed four rebounds in a mere 16 minutes. This season Delgado averages 9.0ppg and 3.5rpg.

Other former Cougars who play professional overseas include: l Joao Paulo Batista, played in 2002-03, signed for Minas Belo Horizonte in Brazilian NBB l Francisco Cruz, played in 2009-10), signed for HDI Sigorta Afyon Belediyespor in Turkish BSL l Scott Bamforth, played in 2009-10, signed for Le Mans Sarthe Basket in French Jeep ELITE ProA l Julio Guity, played in 2013-15, signed for Kumanovo in North Macedonian Prva Liga l Djordje Dimitrijevic, played in 2016-18, signed for Rio Ourense Termal in Spanish LEB Gold l Phil Fayne, played in 2015-16) signed for Kataja in Finnish Korisliiga l Sami Harun, played for Fryshuset in Swedish Basketligan l Du’Vaughn Maxwell, played in 2010-12) plays for Chartres Basket Masculins in French NM1 l Diamond Onwuka, played in 2016-17) signed for Valls Nutrion in Spanish EBA l Leon Tomic signed for KK Cedevita Junior in Croatian Prva Liga

Former Cougar Bianca Duran named head coach at LATech

Former WNCC softball player Bianca Duran has been named interim head coach of the Lady Techster Softball program for 2020-21 at Louisiana Tech University, a Division I program. Duran replaces Maria Winn-Ratliff, who stepped down in late July.

The former Lady Techster letterwinner begins her fifth season in Ruston as a member of the coaching staff. She served for three years under Mark Montgomery, helping the Lady Techsters capture both the 2017 and 2019 Conference USA titles and advancing to the NCAA Regionals.

She has worked closely with the Lady Techster pitching staff during her time at Tech, including working with first team all-league arms Preslee Gallaway and Krystal De La Cruz.

She was an assistant coach under Winn-Ratliff in the COVID19-shortened 2020 season.

During her two years as a player in Ruston in 2014 and 2015, Duran helped elevate the Lady Techster program. As a senior she earned first team all-Mideast Region honors by the NFCA and was

named to the Conference USA All-Tournament team.

Her career offensive totals in Ruston included a .295 batting average with 20 doubles, 11 home runs and 58 RBIs, while she recorded a 20-32 record in the circle with a 3.25 earned run average. As a senior she was 14-13 with a 2.78 ERA and led the Lady Techsters to a 30-plus win season.

During her two years at Western Nebraska Community College, Duran set the program record for career home runs (40), single season home runs (23), single season doubles (29), single season batting average (.545), single season hits (110), career wins and single season wins (36).

She earned Region 9 Freshman of the Year and All-Region 9 honors as a freshman and Region 9 Pitcher and Player of the Year honors as a sophomore.

After earning her bachelor’s degree from LA Tech in May of 2015, Duran spent 2016 as an assistant coach at California State University Stanislaus State where she worked directly with the pitchers and catchers while also assisting with the hitters.

ALUMNI ATHLETIC NEWS

Scottsbluff Junior College l Nebraska Western College l Western Nebraska Community College

A look back of Cougar athletics in pictures

Answers to the Cougar Trivia from earlier in the newsletter 1) The first Region IX championship for women’s soccer happened in 2003 and the goal keepers were Leah Kleager of Scottsbluff and Whitney Wardrop of Calgary, Alberta. Wardrop went on to have a successful career at Tusculum University.

2) Pete Rogers, who played for WNCC in 2003 and 04, hit 24 home runs with second place Victor Odreman, who hit 20 in 2004-05.

3) That was in 1973-74 when the golf team won a regional title.

4) The last time the men’s basketball team

didn’t win double digits games was back in 1959-60 when Shelby Edwards was coach.

So, it is a 59-year streak of winning 10 or more games in a season.

7) Alaska, Hawaii, Arizona, North Dakota, Kansas, and Oklahoma.

State. Gritt is playing professionally in Denmark.

8) The record for the career assist totals is held

by Brittany Isakson with 4,129 assists. Isakson played for WNCC in 2003 and 2004.

6) That belongs to Krista Nugent who played for the Cougars in 2003 and 2004. Krista was from Hurricane, Utah.

9) In 2003, Tomas Fox played for the Cougars from Buenos Aires, Argentina. The first Canadian was Troy O’Neill in 2004 who was from Calgary, Alberta.

7) That record is held by Gritt Ryder with 175 assists. Gritt played one season (2012-13) for WNCC before going o to play at Colorado

10) The answer is 11 with 1 in How, 1 in many, 2 in vowels, 2 in are, 1 in in, 1 in this, and 3 in sentence.

Cougar Word Search Freshman Cougar (Last Freshman CougarAthletes Athletes (Last Names) Names) Freshman Players Last Names D C R O N Q U I S T P D I D M Q O C K B

Y N E NJ JY YH HV VP PTTDDAA G GC CA A P K BD GB YG E K SS C V T Q U O U O D I U N H D C D G N S V T Q U O U O D I U N H D C D G N S EE HD Z D F N OA A U U P AR HA Z F N R RN NS SAASSYY FF DD O PW W O F B S C H W E I T Z E R W I U O N T F B S C H W E I T Z E R W I U O N T EE CH WL H Y L M Y M B K K JJ LL CNW WW Q QC CGGKK I I NN EE EE B QQ I T A T O A QU I N N K J S L R P L Q I T A T O A QU I N N K J S L R P L U C N T M Y H B G V T S A HN E HD A Q CI NJ TK M Y U HU B VG KV ATMSAARHO NU ED HI D AY Q MH S S JS KS M H U U V K A M A R O U D I S S L A M O O I E N N E M J T H B M O AY ST LL AE M ON A E O E O F MI RE VNANAE J ML J J TE H YB MM A N LP ER ER E R PV GAUAZ J J LM JP E A N H FJ M B O WY DM L G J N I RD RD H J BI G O TP XG SU YZDJ YMN PJ W L G G P A DI M E IJ BI DI GO PT G I G T LX USWY ODCYANF JF AE IR M B A S T E Y CI B N AI W OD TU G S YL M UY WCODCNAS FL FD EG RT W T U Y E C CB T Y E D S U I G UMNG IX W M UY DC YD JNYSHLF DK GD TA W E YC Q L O Z O B T H K W I A T K O W S K I G G X T E DUD Y J Y H F K D A S I G Y O A B U E L L Y A D E O L L O S S P C L O Z O B T H KW I A T K OWS K I R G DE Z U WS Y N AC BS U L Q L KY FA EDREROALO LR OA S PW CM R K Z D Z R E T V DU T Y V Q X R B O S C S D Z U Q K F E R R A O R A W Y NWM B C P N F F E J P M F F F P X HH F O R Z D Z R E T V DU T Y V Q X R B O S C C P N F F E J P M F F F P X HH F O R

Kwiatkowski

Kamaroudis

Schweitzer

Thompson Kwiatkowski

Cafferty Kamaroudis

Winkler Schweitzer

Thompson

Cafferty

Winkler

Douglas

Nywesh

Eymann

Ferrao

Buell

Veazy

Fields

Jaime

Cook

Mejia

Ohu

Douglas

Nywesh

Ferrao

Buell

Fields

Jaime

Mejia

Ohu

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Drawing Challenge How is your imagination? Do you love to draw? Each week there will be a topic and it is your chance to get creative and draw what is asked.

This week is

Soccer Time Draw your best soccer photo showing the Cougars. When completed, take a picture and text to 308-631-0459 with your name or drop it off at Mark Rein’s office in the weight room (Room 102).

The top design will be published in the next issue (maybe as a coloring page)

Cronquist DeOllos Cronquist

Eymann

DuBray

Veazy

Quinn

Cook

Sewell

DeOllos

DuBray Quinn Sewell

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