WNCC Athletics Cougar Beat

Behind the scenes of Cougar Athletics

COUGAR BEAT

Western Nebraska Community College

September 14, 2018 Issue 12

Off and Running

Volleyball team still among the rated

What’s In A Number

36 The number of head coaches the college has had in the seven sports since the first athletic team back in 1940-41 when the men’s basketball team fielded a team under head coach Bill Putman.

Baseball has had just one head coach since its beginning in 2001-02 (Mike Jones). __________________

42 The number of aces the WNCC volleyball team

has collected as a team through 10 matches. Enna Masaki leads the team with 15 aces so far this season. __________________

Cougar Athletics Upcoming Events Friday, September 14

l Volleyball: AWAY at Las Vegas Tourney, Las Vegas, Nevada ­­­— vs. Chandler-Gilbert and Utah State-Eastern Saturday, September 15

l Volleyball: AWAY at Las Vegas Tourney, Las Vegas, Nevada ­­­— vs. Salt Lake C.C. and Arizona Western

l Baseball: HOME vs. WNCC alumni, Cleveland Field, noon

l Women’s Soccer: HOME vs. Gillette College, Landers Field, 1 p.m.

l Men’s Soccer: HOME vs. Gillette College, Landers Field, 3 p.m.

l Softball: HOME — Cougar Classic Tourney

— 9:30 a.m. -- WNCC vs. Rampage

— 1 p.m. -- WNCC vs. Chadron State

— 3 p.m. -- WNCC vs. Chadron State

— 5:15 p.m. -- WNCC vs. Rampage

** Video -- https://youtu.be/7tbbHQl6HYw Sunday, September 16

l Softball: HOME — Cougar Classic Tourney

— 10 a.m. -- WNCC vs. Rampage ­ -- 11:a.m. -- Wyoming Club vs. Rampage

— 12:30 p.m. -- Wyoming Club vs. North Platte

— 2:15 p.m. -- WNCC vs. North Platte

— 4:15 p.m. -- WNCC vs. Wyoming Club

** Video -- https://youtu.be/UQB9jqqUmWo

l Baseball: HOME scrimmage, Cleveland Field, 1 p.m.

Thursday, September 20

l Volleyball: HOME vs. McCook Community College, Cougar Palace, 6 p.m.

42 The number of saves the Cougar men’s

Friday, September 21

l Volleyball: HOME Wyo-Braska Invite vs. Eastern Wyoming College, 7 p.m.

l Softball: HOME — Cougar Classic Tourney

— 5:30 p.m. -- WNCC vs. Utah Cruisers

— 7 p.m. -- WNCC vs. Southern Thunder

— 8:30 p.m. -- WNCC vs. Avalanche

l Baseball: HOME McCook scrimmage, Cleveland Field, 2 p.m.

99 The number of total wins the WNCC men’s

Saturday, September 22

l Volleyball: HOME Wyo-Braska Invite ­— noon vs. Dawson Community College ­— 4 p.m. vs. Casper College

l Men’s Soccer: HOME vs. Central-Columbus, Landers Field, 4 p.m.

l Softball: HOME — Cougar Classic Tourney

— WNCC plays at 8 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m.

goalkeepers have made in the first six matches. __________________

team has since their beginning in 2003. WNCC set a school record of 12 wins in 2017. __________________

367 The number of digs the top 3 leading defensive players for the volleyball team have. Ana Costas has 136, Enna Masaki has 131, and Adia Sherbeyn has 120.

Sunday, September 23

l Softball: HOME — Cougar Classic Tourney

— WNCC plays at 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m.

l Baseball: HOME NJC scrimmage, Cleveland Field, 1 p.m.

Thursday, September 27

l Volleyball: AWAY at Otero Junior College, La Junta, Colorado, 6 p.m.

Friday, September 28

l Volleyball: AWAY at Lamar Community College, Lamar, Colorado, 6 p.m.

l Women’s Soccer: HOME vs. Trinidad State, Landers Field, 1 p.m.

l Men’s Soccer: HOME vs. Trinidad State, Landers Field, 3 p.m.

Saturday, September 29

l Volleyball: AWAY at Trinidad State, Trinidad, Colorado, 1 p.m.

Off and Running

After an early season tough schedule, Cougar volleyball team looking for 20th regional title After 12 games, with only two at home, the Western Nebraska Community College continue to build as the season has two months left before the regional tournament.

This year’s team has been struggling somewhat after losing sophomore returner Sarena Bartley to an ankle injury in the first match of the season.

Since then, though, the Cougars have been playing tough and playing a tough schedule.

The Cougars went 2-2 in their first two invites playing ranked teams. WNCC fell in the opening weekend to Indian Hills and No. 2 Iowa Western at Council Bluffs, Iowa.

WNCC then went 2-2 at Salt Lake Invite over Labor weekend, falling to College of Southern Idaho and Salt Lake Community College.

WNCC is 2-0 at home so far, having topped Laramie County Community College in five thrilling sets. LCCC was ranked No. 12 at the time.

The Cougars also defeated Eastern Wyoming in three sets.

Recently, the Cougars went to Torrington, Wyoming, for a tri-meet and faced EWC and North Platte Community College.

The 11th-ranked Cougar volleyball team needed four sets, but the Cougars claimed two wins at the EWC triangular downing North Platte 25-17, 25-14, 17-25, 25-13 before taking down EWC behind Enna Masaki’s 17 kills 23-25, 25-15, 25-12, 25-22 to improve to 8-4 on the season.

In the first match against North Platte, Masaki recorded a double-double in the four-set win. The sophomore from Hawaii finished with 12 kills and 10 digs. Masaki also had six points and a solo block.

Leslie Mamai-Lagafuaina tallied nine kills in the win against the Knights while Amryi-Grace Paris had seven kills.

Also for the Cougars, Jayme Commins had 36 set assists, seven points, and five digs; Gabi Canavati had five kills; Cami Esselin had 10 points and three digs; Kaile Tuisamatatele had five kills, five points, four digs, and two solo blocks; Logan Belford

WNCC sophomore Kaile Tuismatatele goes high to hit the ball over the block of two Laramie County Community College blockers in teh home opener. WNCC came back to win in five sets. had four kills; Santana Monroe had a solo block; Ana Costas had 19 digs and five points; Adia Sherbeyn had tw0 points; and Terri Takita-Robins had two digs and two points.

The Eastern Wyoming match was a battle. EWC squeaked out the first set win 2523 before WNCC came back and took the second set 25-22 as WNCC used strong serving by Esselin, Sherbeyn, and Costas for the 25-15.

WNCC used strong serving in the third set to roll to the 25-12 win behind Masaki serving the final seven points. The fourth set saw WNCC bolt to a 19-15 lead and led 24-17 before winning 25-22.

Masaki had a triple-double in the win with 17 kills, 10 digs, and 23 points. Masaki also had three aces.

Canavati and Mamai-Lagafuaina each had eight kills while Tuisamatatele had seven kills. Paris had five kills while Belford

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WNCC freshman Adia Sherbeyn, a Torrington High School graduate, serves the ball during a match with Laramie County in August.

Volleyball: continued from previous page had two. Mamai-Lagafuaina had four solo blocks.

Also for the Cougars, Commins had 35 set assists, four points, four digs, and two aces; Sherbeyn had nine digs, 14 points, and three aces; Esselin had four digs and eight points; Tuisamatatele had four points and a solo block; Costas finished with 12 digs and six points; and Aloni Jordan a solo block.

WNCC, 8-4, will next be in action this weekend when they head to a tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada, Friday and Saturday. The Cougars will battle Chandler-Gilbert Community College and Utah State-Eastern on Friday before taking on Arizona Western and Salt Lake Community College on Saturday.

After the Las Vegas tourney Sept. 1415, the Cougars will be home for a Region IX South match-up with McCook Community College on Sept. 20 before hosting the Wyo-Braska Invite, which will only be played at one location this year -- Cougar Palace.

The schedule for the Wyo-Braska Invite has WNCC facing Eastern Wyoming at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 21. The Cougars will have two matches on Saturday, Sept. 22 when they face Dawson Community College at noon and then Casper College at 4 p.m.

All these games will matter this year since the Region IX tournament has a new format. Gone is the two tournament format of a South and North champion. Instead, there will be just one tournament of North and South teams and the region will take two teams to the national tournament with the champion and runner-up.

The last time Region IX had just one tournament was back in 1998 and Eastern Wyoming College won the title over Northeastern Junior College sending the Lancers to the national tourney.

Since the two format regional tournament, which started in 1999, WNCC has won 19-straight regional titles when they competed in either the East or South tournament.

The last time WNCC won a combined regional title was in 1988 under the guidance of Cathy Schiller when they defeated Casper College and went to the national tourney in Miami.

WNCC freshman Amryi-Grace Paris passes the ball during a match with Eastern Wyoming College. The Cougars are in Las Vegas for a tournament this weekend and will host the Wyo-Braska Invite Sept. 21-22

WNCC freshmen Leslie Mamai-Lagafuaina (17) and Gabi Canavati go up for a block in a match against Eastern Wyoming College recently.

Meet the 2018 WNCC Volleyball Team

Western Nebraska Community College Lady Cougar Volleyball Roster No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 11 13 14 15 16 17

Name Pos. Jayme Commins S Gabriela Canavati OH Enna Masaki S Adia Sherbeyn DS Aloni Jordan MH Camille Esselin OH Sarena Bartley RS Amryi-Grace Paris RS Kaile Tuisamatatele MH Santana Monroe MB Ana Costas Libero Logan Belford OH/RS Terri Takita-Robins DS Leslie Mamai-Lagafuaina MH

Cl. Soph Fresh Soph Fresh Soph Fresh Soph Fresh Soph Fresh Fresh Soph Fresh Fresh

Ht. Hometown/High School 5-8 Ogallala, Nebraska / Ogallala 5-6 Laredo, Texas / United 5-9 Kaneohe, Hawaii / Kalaheo 5-8 Torrington, Wyoming / Torrington 5-11 St. Louis, Missouri / Pattonville 5-5 Thionville, France / Arthur Varoguaux 6-1 Ridgefield, Washington / Ridgefield 6-0 Nanakuli, Hawaii / Kapolei 5-11 Kapolei, Hawaii / Kapolei 5-8 G reenwood Village, Colorado / Cherry Creek 5-1 Gurabo, Puerto Rico / Nortre Dame 5-8 Loveland, Colorado / Loveland 5-4 Mililani, Hawaii / Mililani 6-3 Tacoma, Washington / Aiea

Head Coach: Binny Canales — Volunteer Assistant Coach: Heidi Huck Trainer Doug Jones — Athletic Director: Ryan Burgner

Q&A with Ramses Athaulpa

Sophomore forward hoping to lead Cougar men to regional title as he continues his dream of playing soccer

Ramses Atahualpa is one of the captains of the WNCC men’s soccer team and came to the United States from Lima, Peru, to play soccer. Ramses has a long-history of playing soccer over in Peru, beginning when he was six years old. One of his first coaches was his father.

At the age of 10, Ramses made the tryouts of the Alianza Lima Club.

When Ramses came to WNCC last year, the forward helped the Cougars set a new school record of wins in a season with 12. The season last year was cut short with a 1-0 loss in the semifinals to Northeastern Junior College.

Last year, Ramses scored six goals and dished off 11 assists. So far in seven matches this season, Ramses has scored five goals with five assists.

Here is an interview with Ramses that was done before their away game with NJC. The Cougar men and women will have their home opener on Saturday, Sept. 15 at 1 and 3 p.m. at the Landers Soccer Complex.

How is the season going for the men’s team right now?

RA: The season is going very well so far. We had a hard start of season since we faced two teams that are some of the best in the nation and we lost both games. Although I must say that those games left us a important lesson.

How talented is this team” RA: We are a team with too much talent and good control of the ball from the goalkeeper to the striker. We are known for having a great treating and possession of the ball.

3) Last year the men’s team set a new school record with 12 wins, is that in the team’s mind and can this team hit 13 wins? What will it take to accomplish that feat?

Last year the men’s team set a new school record with 12 wins, is that in the team’s mind and can this team hit 13 wins? What will it take to accomplish that feat?

RA: Of course that in our mind is breaking that record, but the most important thing we want is to achieve the championship and go to the national. We are committed to achieve those goals and we will give all

Ramses Atahualpa goes after the ball while battling with a Snow College player earlier this season. Atahualpa, from Lima, Peru, is one of the captains on the team this year.

(Photo by Megan Jarman) our effort and sacrifice to have a great end of the season.

Coach Todd Rasnic said that this team has a strong defense. How big has the defense been in the last couple of games?

RA: Our defense is doing a great job. A clear example of this is that we only received one goal in the last four games.

What kind of soccer background do you have have? When did you start playing

and what levels have you all played at?

RA: I can say that I have an elegant style of play, with good control of the ball and better vision of the field. I like to be the second coach on the field because I have a good reading of the game and what may happen.

I started playing soccer when I was 6 years old and I played for different soccer academies. When I was 10 years old, I made the tryouts at the Alianza Lima club in Peru and

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Ramses: continued from previous page played all the children’s and youth categories at the club.

You came to the United States from Peru.

Was it a hard transition for you and how did you adjust coming to the states?

RA: When I made the decision to come to the United States from Peru, I knew it was going to be a big change in my personal and sporting life. Learning a new language, a different culture and being so far from my country are changes that at the beginning were difficult to adapt, but I have no doubt that coming to the United States is the best decision I can make in my life.

Last year you scored a lot of goals and also dished off several assists. You have scored and assisted this year. What do you like to do more of, score or assist?

RA: This year I had a great start to the season. I have 5 goals and 5 assists in the six games we have played. As every player, I like to score goals and if I could do in every games I would be satisfied but I must say that I enjoy more giving assists. Anyway, what makes me happy is to help my team win.

What is the biggest difference between soccer in Peru and the United States?

RA: The big difference between soccer in Peru and the United States is the physical aspect. Here the soccer players have a better preparation, receive a good diet and have more facilities to train at the highest level.

What are your goals for soccer after WNCC? RA: After Wncc, I want to go to an NCAA D1 university and I still maintain the dream of playing at the professional level. I trust my abilities as a soccer player and student so I look forward with a lot of optimism.

Ramses Atahualpa (11) celebrates a goal with his teammates Vinicius Viana (7) and Silvio Xavier (10) during a scrimmage game with Western Wyoming Community College in August. The WNCC men are 4-3 on the season and will have their home opener Saturday, Sept. 15 at 3 p.m. against Gillette College at the Landers Soccer Complex.

What makes a good soccer player?

RA: Dedication, effort, perseverance and discipline are the main factors to become a good soccer player. I have seen cases of players who were extraordinary playing soccer, had great skills but did not achieve their goals because they were not disciplined and did not dedicate 100% to soccer. In soccer as in life, if you want to achieve something you have to put all your effort and dedication.

What would it mean to the team and school to capture a Region IX title this year?

RA: It would mean enormous joy for the team and great pride for the school. It would mean finishing the work that remained pending last year and the realization of all the effort made during these months. We really want to add one more championship on the wall of honor of the Cougar Palace.

Outside of soccer, what do you enjoy doing?

RA: Traveling, hiking and reading books are the activities I enjoy the most.

When do you hope to stop playing soccer?

RA: I have not thought about that yet. But I hope to continue playing football at a competitive level for 10 more years at least. After that, I will continue playing but in an amateur way or just for fun. I plan to be a soccer coach and have my own soccer academy and high performance center Who do you owe your soccer playing and talents to?

RA: My father was my first coach and the person who encouraged me to play this sport. I owe him my first steps in soccer, although I must also say that every coach that I had throughout these years helped me to be the soccer player that I am now.

Cougar Game Promotions Sept. 20 — Volleyball vs. McCook, 6 p.m. — Arby’s, Bellevue University Sept. 21 — Volleyball vs. Eastern Wyoming, 7 p.m. — Bluffs Sanitary, FBG Sept. 22 — Volleyball vs. Dawson & Casper, noon and 4 p.m. — B&C Steel, Monument Smiles Oct. 11 — Volleyball vs. Otero, 6 p.m. — Gary’s Cleaning, Douglas, Kelly, Ostdiek, Ossian, Vogl, and Snyder, P.C. Oct. 12 — Volleyball vs. Lamar, 6 p.m. — Inland Trucks, LOGOZ Oct. 13 — Volleyball vs. Trinidad State, 1 p.m. — Ole’s, Route 26 Mart, Peerless Tire Oct. 17 — Volleyball vs. Northeastern JC., 7 p.m. — Perkins, Platte Valley, Reganis Oct. 25 — Volleyball vs. Sheridan, 7 p.m. — Steel Grill, US Bank

Meet the 2018 WNCC Men’s Soccer Team

Western Nebraska Community College Cougar Men’s Soccer Roster No. Name 0 Viktar Kravets 1 Leandro Faria 2 Ruam Barbosa 2 Juan Garfio 3 Bryan Mejia 4 Gabriel Saturino 5 Oumar Sissoko 6 Alan Pinho 7 Vinicius Viana 8 Thomas Franze 9 Jens van der Woude 10 Silvio Xavier 11 Ramses Atahualpa 12 Jack Mann 13 Daniel Matty 14 Josue Fernandez 15 Wilmer Hernandez 17 Isaac Sam 18 Jorge Rojas 19 Leo Palomo 20 Bernardo Torres 21 Scott Dike 22 Arcy Salgado 23 Saul Aguilar 24 Cade Witmer 25 Hector Salgado

Pos. Cl. Ht. Wt .Hometown/High School GK Soph 5-11 163 Aurora, Colorado / Grandview GK Soph 6-0 176 Sao Paulo, Brazil / Colegio Objetivo Aquarius GK Fresh 6-2 189 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil / fundaçao bradesco F Soph 5-9 150 Minatare / Minatare, Nebraksa

Fresh 5-11 178 Lexington, Nebraska / Lexington CB Fresh

Santa Caterina, Brazil / M Fresh 6-1 165 Bamaka, Mali / adventise abidjan residentiel D Soph 6-0 173 Belo Horizonte, Brazil / E,E, Seratin D Fresh

Sao Paulo, Brazil / MF Soph 5-10 169 Ribeirao Preto, Brazil / Carlos Magno Colegio F Fresh

Zuidlaren / MF/F Soph 5-9 150 Belo Horizonte, Brazil / MF-F Soph 5-10 178 Lima, Peru / Saco Oliveros Apeiron D Fresh 5-8 168 Colorado Springs, Colorado / Boherty CB Fresh 5-9 180 Norwich, Norfolk / Heartsease F Soph 5-11 180 Holdrege, Nebraska / Holdrege MF Fresh 5-8 150 Lexington, Nebraska / Lexington F Fresh 5-5

Accra, Ghana / MF Fresh 5-5

Denver, Colorado / Bruce Randolph CB Soph 6-2 210 Kearney, Nebraska / Kearney MF Fresh 6-0 167 Blumenau, Brazil / Colégio Bom Jesus Santo Antônio CB Fresh 5-11 163 North Platte, Nebraska / North Platte

Fresh 5-6 107 Denver, Colorado / MF Fresh

Aurora, Colorado / Gateway D Fresh 5-11 160 Scottsbluff, Nebraska / Scottsbluff

Fresh 5-6 115 Denver, Colorado / Head Coach: Todd Rasnic — Assistant Coach: Henri Prieels

WNCC freshman Dayeli Limon controls the ball during the team’s game with Northeastern Junior College on Wednesday. WNCC captured a 3-2 win over the Plainswomen and are 3-4 on the season. (photo courtesy of Megan Jarman)

Women’s soccer off to a winning start Don’t look now, but the WNCC women’s soccer team has equaled the total wins that they have combined the previous two years.

The WNCC women moved to 3-4 on the season with a 3-2 Region IX South win over Northeastern Junior College on Wednesday, Sept. 12.

Last season, the Cougar women went 1-14 and the season before they were 2-114.

Wednesday’s win was a combination of the Cougars putting together a strong offensive and defensive attack.

WNCC soccer coach Todd Rasnic said he was pleased with how the women’s team played against NJC. “I think we played pretty well. We pos-

sessed really well today. We had some good moments of possession,” Rasnic said. “We did some really good things defensively shutting NJC down. We were then able to find some opportunities to get in front of goal and score, which has been eluding us a little bit. I thought they did a good job of penetrating into the final third in front of goal and getting shots off.

“Carol [Vieira] scored another goal from pretty far out which is her second one in two games. She has done a good job of keeping us in the game and then Thais scored two today, so she really stepped up.

She went out with an injury and then came back in towards the end of the game and scored the winning goal. Overall, I thought

it was a good performance. “ The Cougar women did have one of their better games this season in picking up their third win of the season and their second straight.

The WNCC women controlled the contest on Wednesday for the most part, running to a 2-0 lead before only leading 2-1 at halftime.

WNCC scored first just five minutes into the contest on a Caroline Vieira goal.

WNCC grabbed a 2-0 lead after Vieira delivered a pass to Nayara who put the ball into the back of the net in the 34th minutes.

NJC sliced the lead in half with a goal in the 44th minute when Emali Ortega assisted

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Women’s Soccer: continued from previous page Jaycie Dillenburg for the goal. WNCC led 2-1 at intermission.

NJC knotted the match at 2-2 as NJC earned an own goal in the 53rd minute for a 2-2 tie.

The match stayed that way until the 74th minute when Nayara took a 40-foot shot and sailed it into the back of the net to give the Cougars a 3-2 lead.

From there the defense took over, shutting down the NJC offense to the Cougars’ third win of the season. The win was WNCC’s second straight victory.

A big key in the win was shooting.

WNCC outshot NJC 15-9. The Cougars had six shots on goal compared to just two for NJC. Laramie Lake had a good match in net, making four saves.

The men’s game was a different story.

Rasnic said his team flat out didn’t show up to play and it showed.

The NJC win was the team’s second straight win and third win in five matches.

WNCC topped Trinidad State Junior College 1-0 in a contest that saw the Cougars put up a strong defensive effort.

Neither team scored a goal in the first half. The beginning of the second half was defensive as neither team could score.

WNCC finally broke the ice with 20 minutes left in the match when Caroline Vieira scored a free kick.

After that, the Cougar defense stayed strong in posting the shutout. It was the Cougar women’s second shutout win of the season after blanking Northwest last weekend 3-0.

Laramie Lake made five saves in net for the Cougars.

WNCC’s other win was a 3-0 win over Northwest College in Gillette, Wyoming.

That contest saw WNCC score once in the first half on a Nayara goal off an assist from Dayeli Limon.

The second half saw the Cougars add two more goals. Rafaela Passos scored the first goal, taking a pass from Nayara and ripping the ball into the upper 90 with 37 minutes to play.

Lisa Haferkamp closed out the scoring with 18 minutes to play from an assist from Passos.

The Cougar women had a 13-10 shot advantage.

Laramie Lake, a freshman from Cheyenne, Wyoming, had six saves in net.

Freshman Thais Nayara controls the ball during a match with Western Wyoming in August. Following the play is Amy Romero. WNCC is off to a 3-4 start on the season will host Gillette College on Sept. 15.

With the wins against NJC and Trinidad State, the Cougar women are tied for first place in the Region IX South standings with a 2-1 record. Trinidad and Otero are also tied at 2-1 with NJC at 0-3.

The Cougar women will next be in action Saturday, Sept. 15 when they host Gillette College at 1 p.m. at Landers Soccer Complex for the home opener.

The Cougar women will then have two weeks off before hosting Trinidad State and Otero in conference matches on Sept. 28 and 29.

Sophomore Sydney Heimbouch plays defense against a Western Wyoming player in August. The Cougar women have won two straight matches.

Meet the 2018 WNCC Cougar Women’s Soccer Team

Western Nebraska Community College Cougar Men’s Soccer Roster # Name Pos. Cl. 0 Laramie Lake GK Fresh 2 Jordyn Rivera GK/D Soph 3 Dayeli Limon Midfield Fresh 4 Sydney Heimbouch D Soph 5 Rafaela Ornelas M Fresh 7 Thais Nayara F Fresh 8 Caroline Vieira M Fresh 9 Amy Romero M Fresh 10 Rafaela Passos F RS Fresh 11 Tayná Bertani F Soph 12 Natalie Peterson F Fresh 14 Maritza Villapando M Fresh 15 Bethany Fuchs F Fresh 17 Perla Guzman M Fresh 18 Megan Jarman D Soph 21 Lisa Haferkamp M Fresh 22 Merrissa Espinoza D Fresh RS Melody Kaup GK Fresh

Ht. .Hometown/High School 5-3 Cheyenne, Wyoming / Cheyenne East 5-3 Fort Morgan, Colorado / Fort Morgan 5-3 Denver, Colorado / Bruce Randolph 5-4 Gering, Nebraska / Gering 5-8 Belo Horizonte, Brazil / Colegio Batista Minciro 5-2 Belo Horizonte, Brazil / Hilton Rocha 5-2 Belo Horizonte, Brazil / Sesi Alvimar Carneiro de Rezende 5-6 Aurora, Colorado / Vista Peak 5-6 Belo Horizonte, Brazil / Public School Maestro Villa 5-2 Companas, Brazil / Saint Amra Pres 5-7 Draper, Utah / Summit Academy 5-7 Dener, Colorado / Bruce Randolph 5-4 Aurora, Colorado / Eaglecrest 5-3 Denver, Colorado / Gateway 5-5 South Jordan, Utah / Summitt Academy 5-8 Almere, Nethernands / ROC Flevoland 5-2 Scottsbluff, Nebraska / Scottsbluff 5-5 Gering, Nebraska / Gering

Head Coach: Todd Rasnic — Assistant Coach: Henri Prieels

Men’s basketball helps at Buckboard Riding Academy Every year WNCC athletes spend a Saturday helping at the Buckboard Riding Academy.

On September 8, the men’s basketball team spend a morning out at the Academy helping with the youngsters.

Buckboard Riding Academy has been around for 21 years and it is a program to help special need kids as a form of therapy.

Buckboard Riding Academy is building a new Riding Academy just outside of Gering on 14th street.

The Riding Academy is accepting donations to help fund the new building. Individuals that want to donate, visit the Buckboard Riding Academy webpage at http:// buckboardtherapeutic.weebly.com/donate. html and all the information is there.

WNCC softball hosts two fall classics in back-to-back weekends It is going to be a busy for the WNCC softball team the next two weekends as they host their fall classic on back-to-back weekends.

Action gets going Sept. 15-16 when the Cougars will play four games on Sept. 15 and twice on Sunday.

Saturday WNCC will face the Utah Rampages at 9:30 a.m. and 5:15 p.m., while taking on Chadron State College at 1 and 3 p.m.

Sunday’s Cougar schedule has the softball team facing North Platte Community College at 2:15 p.m. and then the Wyoming Club team at 4:15. There will be three other games on that day as well, beginning at 10 a.m.

This weekend, the games will be livestreamed on the WNCC Cougar Athletic Youtube channel. Saturday’s games can be located here https://youtu.be/7tbbHQl6HYw while Sunday’s games can be found here https://youtu.be/UQB9jqqUmWo. The next weekend is a 3-day Cougar

Classic, Sept. 21-23 and WNCC will play all three days. Friday’s slate of contests will have the Cougars playing three high school teams from Utah at 5:30 p.m., 7 p.m., and 8:30 p.m.

Saturday’s schedule has WNCC taking on the Cruisers at 8 a.m., Avalanche at 12:30 p.m., and Southern Thunder at 3:30 p.m. NJC will also play the three teams during the morning and afternoon hours with the three evening games slated for the high school teams playing each other.

Sunday has WNCC playing three games at 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1p.m. against the high school teams at Volunteer Field, while NJC will face the same teams at the same time at the Scottsbluff High School field.

The WNCC softball team returns five players from a year ago and have 17 newcomers on the team.

The returners included Emma McMillan, Reagan Solomon, Michaela Kelly, Abi Ramirez, and Gabby Loya.

Freshman Cali Fossat prepares to make a catch and tag out Gabby Loya who is about to score during a practice in August. Looking on is Emma Flynn. WNCC softball will hold back-to-back weekends of classics beginning this weekend.

Softball Fall Classics Cougar Classic, Sept. 15-16

Saturday, Sept. 15 9:30 a.m..........WNCC vs. Rampage 1 p.m...... WNCC vs. Chadron State 3 p.m...... WNCC vs. Chadron State 5:15 p.m..........WNCC vs. Rampage Sunday Sept. 16 10 a.m... North Platte vs. Rampage 11:45 a.m... Wyoming vs.. Rampage 12:30 p.m....Wyoming vs. North Platte 2:15 p.m............. WNCC vs. North Platte 4:15 p.m..................WNCC vs. Wyoming _______________________________

Cougar Classic, Sept. 21-23

Friday, Sept. 21 5:30 p.m..WNCC vs. Utah Cruisers 7 p.m............ WNCC vs. S. Thunder 8:30 p.m........ WNCC vs. Avalanche Saturday, Sept. 22 8 a.m....... WNCC vs. Utah Cruisers 9:30 a.m...... NJC vs. Utah Cruisers 11 a.m............... NJC vs. Avalanche 12:30 p.m...... WNCC vs. Avalanche 2 p.m...............NJC vs. S. Thunderr 3:30 p.m....... WNCC vs. S. Thunder 5 p.m..........Cruisers vs. Avalanche 6:30 p.m....Cruisers vs. S. Thunder 8 p.m..... Avalanche vs. S. Thunder Sunday, Sept. 23 @ Volunteer 9 a.m................ WNCC vs. Cruisers 11:30 a.m...... WNCC vs. Avalanche 1 p.m............ WNCC vs. S. Thunder Sunday, Sept. 23 at Scottsbluff High 9 a.m....................NJC vs. S. Thunder 11:30 a.m................. NJC vs. Cruisers 1 p.m.....................NJC vs. Avalanche

W N C C freshman Devon Rees makes a catch on the infield during a recent practice.

WNCC baseball holding an alumni game Sept. 15 The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team will be holding an alumni scrimmage doubleheader on Saturday, Sept. 15 beginning at noon at Cleveland Field.

There will be a number of former players coming back, including John Timmins, who is now pitching in the San Francisco minor league system.

Also planning on coming back are players from the 2002-03 seasons in Josh Elliott, Jesse McAuley, and Carlos Escamilla.

WNCC head coach Mike Jones said he has about 20 players returning for the contest to battle this year’s team, who has over 40 players on roster during the fall.

Alumni players planning on returning to play on Saturday include Joe Moran, Cooper Buchhammer, Dallas Liptac, and Ty Benson from Scottsbluff, Grant Rimington from Gering; and Zack Ostergard from North Platte. Ostergard is now a PE teacher at Geil Elementary in Gering and an assistant softball coach for the Gering High School team.

Other players returning include Tyler Shubert, Ian Fisher, Angel Cortes, Tyler Pollock, Austin Michaud, Jake Vore, Matt Maestas, Rich Miller, Cameron Snyder, Ryan Bender, and Cole Williams.

Hunter Parker pitches during a practice earlier this year.

WNCC Baseball Players Returning for Alumni Game Rich Miller...............................2008 Cameron Snyder............... 2012-13 Ryan Bender......................2011-12 John Timmins................... 2013-14 Cooper Buchhammer....... 2017-18 Tyler Shubert..................... 2017-18 Ian Fisher.......................... 2016-17 Angel Cortes...........................2017 Tyler Pollock..................... 2014-15

Dallas Liptac..................... 2008-09 Grant Rimington............... 2012-13 Zack Ostergard................. 2012-13 Austin Michaud................. 2015-16 Jake Vore............................2011-12 Matt Maestas..................... 2015-16 Josh Elliott........................ 2002-03 Jesse McAuley.................. 2002-03 Carlos Escamilla............... 2002-03 Ty Benson......................... 2016-17 Joe Moran......................... 2014-15 Cole Williams.................... 2017-18 More players may come as well

Ty McAninch makes contact with the ball during a practice earlier this season. The WNCC baseball team will take on a select of Cougar alumni on Sept. 15 at noon.

Hurricane Florence affecting former Cougars Former WNCC Cougar soccer player Eseah Ingram and Andre Matzuda will be experiencing something a little different at their new school at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, and its name is Hurricane Florence.

That is right, Ingram and Matzuda’s playing has been put on hold for a weekend because of Hurricane Florence that will be coming ashore on the east coast by North Carolina.

Shaw University was supposed to play Cincinnati Clermont in Durham, North Carolina, on Saturday, but that game was postponed until a later day.

Ingram, a Scottsbluff High graduate, said the hurricane changes everything from game schedules to practice time. Matzuda said practices, games, and classes were canceled for security reasons.

“The hurricane changes everything, as anything athletic based is canceled until the storm passes,” Ingram said. “We were scheduled to have a game this Saturday, but it’s been postponed until a later date.

It’s rough, as we’ would love to practice and play, but these are the circumstances we are in, so we will be doing our own body workout circuits to try and maintain our shape as we go about these next few off days.”

While things have been put on hold for now, Matzuda said some students have left campus for their hometowns. But for Matzuda and Ingram, they are stuck in North Carolina.

“Some of the players have left to go to their homes,” Matzuda said. “But others have stayed here.”

While there is no official practice going on, Ingram said they will practice on their own and work out in the weight room until the Hurricane passes.

“Team-wise, it hasn’t affected us too heavily, we just came off of a good weekend where we beat the 23rd-ranked team in the nation and we would have loved to continue our momentum into the next game,” Ingram said. “But, things like the weather we are just not in control of, so we are just trying to stay as fit as we can until practice and games resume. And, of course, we will try to stay as safe as possible too.”

Neither Matzuda and Ingram have ever experienced a hurricane before, so this is something new.

“Neither Andre or I have been in a hurricane before,” Ingram said. “Andre, being

from Peru, is more used to earthquakes. For me, being born in Texas and living in Nebraska for a while, I have always just been more used to tornadoes.”

Where Shaw University is situated in Raleigh, North Carolina, they should get a direct hit from the hurricane considering they are inland. Still, the predictions are for strong winds and around 10 inches of rain.

“Well, we aren’t on the coast, so it will not hit us as strong, but the last that we know, we are predicted to get some very strong winds and about 5-10 inches of rain,” Ingram said. “It should begin early Friday morning and last until mid Sunday and maybe early Monday.”

Ingram said as of Thursday afternoon, it was calm in Raleigh.

“The weather has been normal as usual,” he said. “It is hot and sunny!”

While their season is on hold, Ingram said the soccer team is off to a good start.

In the 2-1 win over Bloomsburg University, Matzuda was scored the team’s first goal in the 10th minute of the first half.

That was Matzuda’s second straight game of scoring a goal, having netted a goal in the team’s 3-2 win over Christendom the day

before.

Ingram, who is a defensive specialist, has started four of five matches for the Bears this season.

“We are off to a good start in the season,” Ingram said. “We are currently 3-1-1, coming off a big win against a nationally ranked team!! We are a good group of guys who get along both on and off the field, so I think that helps us out a lot.

“Andre and I have both cracked the starting lineup and have been playing well, Andre, in these five games, already has two great goals and I have been able to contribute one assist so far!.”

Because of the hurricane, next action for Shaw is slated for Sept. 19 when they face Barton College.

Ingram said that he and Matzuda wish WNCC athletics the best this year.

“We wish WNCC athletics the best this year and want to give a special shout-out to the men and women’s soccer teams,” Ingram said. “We hope the year is a great one and both are able to bring back a Region 9 title. We hope every sport is dominate and bring back Region titles and National titles as well. Go Cougars!”

Cougars at the 4-year level 2016-17 Volleyball Kaylee Spreier.....................Dakota State Alwaise Villa........................Dakota State Barbara Brincino..................Dakota State Lara Picht............................ Oral Roberts Danika Daum................ Henderson State Softball Jasmine Wessel....................Metro State Lauren Oxford............West Virginia Tech Celyn Whitt............................Metro State Analace Apodaca.......... Regis University Emily Selby.......................Ft. Lewis State Cassie Jones...............Friends University Women’s Basketball Bree Paulson..................St. Bonaventure Zeynep Canbaz.......... Middle Tennessee Sladjana Rakovic...................... Wyoming Deniz Dahligran........................Tusculum Men’s Basketball Michael Connor...... Point Park University Austin Payne.................. Dickinson State Baseball Brandon Bachar................Emporia State Alex Achermann.......... Nebraka-Kearney Ryan Grasser....................Ft. Hays State Stuart Eurich...............................Bellevue

Isaac Taylor.............. McPherson College Nate Giefer..... Colorado School of Mines Ian Fisher....................University of Mary Lincoln Trujillo........................ Jamestown

Kellie Gaston........ Fisher College (NAIA) Anastacia Johnson.. Missouri Western (D2) Giovanna Silva............Peru State (NAIA) Karli Seay................Louisiana State (D1)

Soccer Matheus Campos........ Lady of the Lakes Matheus Ricardo... Louisiana-Shreveport JP Santos......U. of Louisiana-Shreveport Billy Hoffman............... Nebraska-Omaha Sierra Benavidez.......Benidictine College Janie McAmis................ Black Hills State

Women’s Soccer Morgan Smith........ Black Hills State (D2) Men’s Basketball Vinnie Shahid....North Dakota State (D1) Marlon Sierra............Bowling Green (D1) Djordje Dimitrijevic................ Mercer (D1) Trent Harris.U. of Northern Colorado (D1) Austin Hoffman.Chadron State College (D2)

Volleyball Joise Maldonado.......North Alabama (DI) Genesis Benitez........North Alabama (D!) Brooke Kaawa..Lewis Clark State (NAIA) Kadara Marshall..Dickinson State (NAIA) Softball Madi Jackson............... Idaho State (DI) Brooke Doumer....Colorado Mesa (DII) Women’s Basketball Jaleesa Avery..........Morehead State (DI) Melisa Kadic................... Idaho State (DI) Sophie Agorakis..Dickinson State (NAIA)

Baseball Claude Bova.............Mount Marty (NAIA) Esai Hernandez........Mount Marty (NAIA) Jonathan Bermudez................................ .................U. of Texas - Permian Basin D2) Men’s Soccer Ade Oshikoya....... Central Arkansas (D1) Eseah Ingram.........Shaw University (D2) Andrew Matzuda....Shaw University (D2) Felipe Torres... SW Assembly of God (NAIA) Lawan Abary............ Colorado Mesa (D2)

Cougar Frontline Sponsors

Platinum Sponsors Absolute Painting B&C Steel Bellevue University FBG Fremont Motors Ideal Linen LOGOz Peerless Tire Pepsi Perkins Platte Valley Bank Quick Care Regional West Runza Scottsbluff Screenprinting Steel Grill TEAM Chevrolet/Toyota US Bank Western States Bank

Gold Sponsors Ameri-Co Carriers Arby’s Bluff ’s Sanitary Supply Douglas, Kelly, Ostdiek, Ossian, Vogl, and Snyder, P.C. Gary’s Cleaning Inland Truck JBC, Inc. Monument Smiles Reganis Auto

Blue Sponsors Backaracks Bid It Bob Bluffs Vision Chaloupka, Holyoke, Snyder, Chaloupka, & Longoria Law Firm First State Bank Floyd’s Truck Service Hampton Inn & Suites Hurst Sports Racquet

Intralinks Ole’ Restaurant Panhandle COOP Pinnacle Bank Roosevelt Public Power Route 26 Mart Safetyline Consultants Sandberg Implement Simmons-Olsen Law Firm

White Sponsors Chadron State College Carr-Trumbull Lumber Dominos Johnson Cashway JC Golf Carts Kendall Henderson State Farm Kriz Davis/Border States Rusch’s General Contracting Scottsbluff Star-Herald Valley Dental Center