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May 2, 2008 The Region IV Tournament was held April 25 and 26 at Moraine Valley’s tennis courts amid windy conditions. Moraine Valley competed against eight other colleges, including a tough team from Elgin Community College. After two days both Moraine Valley and Elgin had roughly the same number of points earned and needed a tie-breaker to decide a clear champion. Before resorting to a coin toss, officials tallied the total number of games won by each player over the two-day tournament. Moraine Valley beat Elgin by 0.2 percentage points. “It was very exciting, and we played extremely well. They hung tough and are a mentally tough team,” said Moraine Valley men’s head tennis coach Bill Finn. “I thought it’d be a three-team match between Illinois Valley, Elgin and us. All three of us could have won. It was a close, long two days, but our guys did well.” By placing first, the young team earned a bid to the 2008 NJCAA Men’s National Tennis Championship May 11-16 in Plano, Texas where they will face a strong, international field. During the regular season the tennis team was undefeated with an 11-0 overall record and 10-0 Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference record. Finn earned Region IV Coach of the Year for the fourth consecutive year as well as Illinois Skyway Conference Coach of the Year. Moraine Valley singles champion Jorden Helstern was also selected as Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Player of the Year. Moraine Valley’s women’s tennis team is also heading to the NJCAA Women’s National Tennis Championship May 3-9 in Tucson, Arizona after placing first in the Region IV Tournament in October. The Lady Cyclones finished their season in the fall as conference champions with a 4-1 conference record.
March 11, 2008 Sandra Hubbard (Stagg High School) and Tony Manjarrez (Argo High School) were selected as Academic All-Americans while the women’s team was among the top 18 colleges designated an Academic All-American team. Sharon and Sandra Hubbard (Stagg High School), Maggie Smorczewska (Argo High School), Lauren Burke (Lockport High School) and Monica Gelezauskas (Lockport High School) were recognized. “These scholar-athletes are simply outstanding. They attend class full time, work part time, and excel as athletes and students. Their performance on and off the field speaks highly of them. I am very proud of their achievement. It is a tremendous honor for them and Moraine Valley,” Coach Mark Horstmeyer said. For news media inquiries, call Horstmeyer at (708) 974-5275 or email horstmeyer@morainevalley.edu.
November 12, 2007
In addition, Wes Sewell (Shepard) was selected as the Skyway Conference’s Most Valuable Cross-Country Runner, and joined Mark Miller (Oak Lawn), Connor Williams (Andrew), Sandra Hubbard (Stagg) and Lisa Reitz (Oak Lawn) in qualifying for the national cross-country championships at Rend Lake College, Ina, Illinois. Takuya Mamada (Japan) was selected as the Skyway Conference’s Player of the Year for men’s soccer. Marina Uher (Maria) was selected as the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Setter of the Week October 15 for Division II Volleyball, and Kaitlin Fischer (Marian Catholic) was named NJCAA Division II volleyball Co-Hitter of the Week on October 8. The women’s tennis team also qualified for the national tournament, which will be held in Tucson, Arizona, next spring.
October 8, 2007
The women's tennis team—in only its fourth year of competition—has won the Region IV and Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference titles. The Cyclones will travel to the Randolph Tennis Center in Tucson, Arizona, in May to compete for the national title. The Cyclones secured their national bid by winning the NJCAA Region IV Tournament on Oct. 5-6, a week after capturing the conference crown. Head coach Bill Finn is excited about his team's performance during the regular season and is aware of the talent his team will face at the national level. "The girls on this team have
a strong work ethic, and they've done a really fantastic job this season of
grinding out some difficult wins," Finn said. "The team is really looking
forward to competing against some of the nation's The conference and regional champions include team captain Christina Madrigal (Stagg High School); Maren Gausling, a first-year singles player from Germany; Alison Moore and Christina Ocampo (both of Oak Lawn High School), who have played doubles together since high school; veterans Amy Gil (Keystone High School) and Vanessa Chorne (Queen of Peace High School); and first-year players Megan Kallemeyn (Chicago Christian High School), Jennifer Bruno (Richards High School), Andrea Body (Stagg High School), and Aurora Cerulli (Bolingbrook High School). Body, Gil, Madrigal, Moore and Ocampo earned first-team recognition on the All-Region IV roster, while Kallemeyn joined them on the all-conference roster. "No matter who we put on the court, our lineup has been competitive all season," Finn said. "I'm proud of the time and effort all these girls have put in this year, both on the court and in the classroom." This is the third time in four years that the Cyclone women's tennis team has earned the opportunity to compete for the National Junior College Athletic Association's Division I National Championship. In addition to the team's accomplishments, Finn also earned recognition as the Region IV Coach of the Year, and took conference Coach of the Year honors as well. This is Finn's fourth season as Moraine Valley's women's tennis coach, and his 24th year as the college's Athletics director. Ten Moraine Valley student-athletes earn Academic All-American honors The National Junior College Athletic Association named 10 Moraine Valley Community College student-athletes to its list of 2006-07 Academic All-Americans. Five of the 10 athletes were recognized as Distinguished Academic All-Americans. Distinguished Academic All-American students must maintain a GPA of 3.75 or higher, while Academic All-American students must earn a 3.50 GPA. According to NJCAA rules, only second-year student-athletes are eligible to be named Academic All-Americans. Brittney Scheeringa (Mt. Assisi High School; volleyball) led the list of Moraine Valley Distinguished Academic All-American recipients with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Following Scheeringa were Natalie Wigginton (Evergreen Park High School; volleyball, softball) with a 3.95 GPA; Veronica Canseco (Argo High School; cross-country, soccer) with a 3.87 GPA; Lenka Wildernova (Hviezdoslava, Kezmarok, Slovakia; soccer) with a 3.88 GPA; and Kelly McKinney (Oak Lawn High School; volleyball, basketball, softball) with a 3.83 GPA. Other student-athletes recognized as Academic All-Americans include Jacqueline Arenas (Mother McAuley High School; soccer) with a 3.73 GPA; Michael Reyes (Andrew High School; tennis) with a 3.71 GPA; Sylvia Mungongo (Argo High School, soccer) with a 3.7 GPA; Jennifer Pacheco (Argo High School; soccer) with a 3.65 GPA; and Jerry Thor (Argo High School; cross country, tennis) with a 3.64 GPA. The recognition of these 10 Moraine Valley student-athletes comes on the heels of the college having 35 student-athletes named to the 2006-07 list of Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Academic Athletes of the Year, comprising nearly one-third of the conference’s athletes earning the distinction. June 14, 2007 Moraine Valley earned conference championships in women's basketball, cross country, and volleyball, and also a co-championship in men's tennis. Conference coach of the year honors went to Delwyn Jones, women's basketball; Mark Horstmeyer, women's cross country; Gloria Coughlin, women's volleyball; and Bill Finn, men's tennis, who earned co-coach of the year honors. Additionally, 35 student-athletes earned Academic Athlete of the Year honors, composing nearly one-third of the conference's athletes who earned the distinction. Coughlin also was named to the conference Hall of Fame. She has been head coach of the Moraine Valley's women's since 1988, and also coached the men's volleyball team from 1997-2000, earning six conference championships (women's team in 1989, 1992, 2005 and 2006; men's team in 1998 and 1999) and ending the 2006-07 season with a comprehensive coaching record of 331-203. In addition to her coaching role, she serves as the Academic Advisor for student-athletes at Moraine Valley. 'Gloria puts student first, and her most important goal is that each student she encounters has success at the college athletically and academically,' said Bill Finn, director of Athletics. Coughlin played for Michigan State University, and each one of her three daughters played NCAA Division I volleyball.
LEFT: Bill Finn (right), director of Athletics at Moraine Valley, accepts the 2006-07 Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference's All-Sports Trophy from Kent Payne, director of Athletics at Elgin Community College. RIGHT: Gloria Coughlin receives an honorary plaque from Bill Finn, director of Athletics at Moraine Valley, for being named to the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Hall of Fame for her volleyball coaching career. June 14, 2007 Baseball: Jake Debus (Andrew), Bobby Fecht (Brother Rice),
Mike Oleshko (Bremen), John Scara (Lincoln Way Central), and Wilhelm
Smith (Brother Rice) These successful student-athletes also helped Moraine Valley earn Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Championships in women's basketball, cross country, and volleyball, as well as earn the conference co-championship in men's tennis in the 2006-07 academic year.
March 20, 2007 Jerry Thor and Veronica Canseco, both of Justice, and Marisol Perez of Blue Island were named to the association's Academic All-American team. Sharon and Sandra Hubbard, both of Hickory Hills, Maggie Smorczewska of Justice, Lisa Reitz of Oak Lawn, and Perez and Canseco were members of the college's Academic All-American team. 'We are very proud of them,' Coach Mark Horstmeyer said. 'These scholar-athletes are simply outstanding. They attend class full time, work part time, and excel as athletes and students. Their performance on and off the field speaks highly of them. I am very proud of their achievement. It is a tremendous honor for them and Moraine Valley.'
Local colleges adopt 'Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference' as new conference name One of Illinois' most respected community college conferences for athletics and co-curricular activities has a new name. 'Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference' will replace 'Skyway Community College Conference,' the conference's original name since its inception in 1970. The conference consists of Moraine Valley, Palos Hills; College of Lake County, Grayslake; Elgin Community College, Elgin; McHenry County College, Crystal Lake; Morton College, Cicero; Oakton Community College, Des Plaines; Prairie State College, Chicago Heights; and Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Grove. Athletic directors, coaches, athletes, and staff at all eight schools were surveyed in October of 2005, and 'Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference' was the overwhelming favorite from the more than 400 responses received. 'The new name adds the geographic reference of Illinois, giving the conference greater identity and visibility on a local and national level,' said Bill Finn, Athletics director at Moraine Valley. 'The new name marks an exciting transformation in the conference's proud history.' The name change is the first phase in the conference's transformation. Plans for the remaining two phases, which will take place over the next two academic years, include a new logo, new conference colors, and an enhanced Web site. The Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference offers competition in men's and women's cross country, basketball, soccer, and tennis, as well as men's golf, men's baseball, women's softball, and women's volleyball. The conference also hosts competitions in co-curricular activities for students in academics, the arts, music, writing, and College Bowl. For more information or for media inquiries, call Josh Reinhart, sports information contact, at (708) 974-5742, or e-mail reinhart@morainevalley.edu. Men's NJCAA championship qualifiers turn in top performances Kyle Kurecki (Bremen) and Mark Miller (Oak Lawn) saved their best race for last, and what a place to do so—the National Junior College Athletic Association championship November 4 in El Paso, Texas. Miller and Kurecki, both of whom were named to all-region and all-conference teams, recorded their fastest times of the season crossing the finishing line in 27:52 and 27:58 respectively. Miller, a freshman from Oak Lawn High School, placed 140th of 206 runners and Kurecki, a sophomore from Bremen High School, cross the line in 143rd place. 'They were really determined to do well on the national stage,' said Coach Mark Horstmeyer. 'We discussed the fact that if they ran smart races, they could break 28 minutes which is simply outstanding. They ran together to help each other succeed. You can't ask anything more from your runners. I'm very proud of their accomplishment, especially in such a competitive international field.' Kurecki and Miller led the men's team to third place at the NJCAA Division I, Region IV championship October 28 with ninth- and tenth-place finishes—resulting in all-region honors and a trip to the national meet. Miller and Kurecki also led their team to third place at the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference championship October 21, where they also earned all-conference recognition. The men's team almost qualified for the national race but came up one point short. Also scoring for the Cyclones were Anthony Kmetz (Illiana Christian) in 14th place, Frank Sustersic (Stagg) in 20th place, David Hernandez (Argo) in 23rd place, Juan Delfin (Eisenhower) in 25th place, and Jerry Thor (Argo) in 45th place. 'The guys finished the season on a strong note,' said Horstmeyer. I'm proud of the effort the team made. To nearly beat the team who beat them handily the week before says something about how they performed at Regional. We have a lot to point toward next fall.' Cyclones run to top 20 finish at NJCAA championship The Moraine Valley women's cross country team achieved its final goal November 4 at the National Junior College Athletic Association Cross Championship in El Paso, Texas. The team placed 19th—higher than their national ranking-to conclude an outstanding 2006 season that saw them win two championships as well as their very first race of the year. 'They had three goals this year,' said Coach Mark Horstmeyer. 'They wanted to win conference and regional titles and place in the top 20 at nationals. They accomplished all three.' The Cyclones headed into the national championship with a 22nd place national ranking after dominating the NJCAA Division I , Region IV championship on October 28 and the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference championship October 21. 'I told the kids before the race on Saturday (November 4) that I thought they were better than what the rankings indicated, and they had the opportunity to prove it,' Horstmeyer said. Led by Marisol Perez (Eisenhower) in 85th place, the Cyclones did just that. Sandra Hubbard (Stagg) was next across the finish line in 94th place followed by Lisa Reitz (Oak Lawn) in 98th, Nicki Hogan (Evergreen Park) in 113th, Maggie Smorczewska (Argo) in 139th, Janet Arreola (Hubbard) in 160th, and Sharon Hubbard (Stagg) in 161st place. There were 28 teams and 200 individual runners in the national meet. 'I am really proud of all they achieved this year and their effort to succeed,' Horstmeyer said. 'They worked hard over the summer, sloshed through a lot of cold and wet mornings this fall and kept their focus on improving every week. They were dedicated to being winners, and they are.' The 2006 Cyclones became the second team since the cross country program began in 2000 to win conference and regional titles; the first double championship came in 2003. Moraine Valley won the Region IV championship this year with 25 points to outdistance the rest of the field by 23 points. 'It's extremely tough to run against the same teams in championship races two weekends in a row and come out on top. That's what made their victory so sweet. They were even more impressive at regional than they were winning conference,' Horstmeyer said. Named to the all-region team were Reitz (2nd), Perez (3rd), Hogan (7th)—she also was all-region last year—and Sandra Hubbard (8th). Also placing for the Cyclones were Arreola (12th), Sharon Hubbard (15th), and Smorczewska (16th). Horstmeyer was named Region IV Women's Coach of the Year. The Cyclones also ran away with the conference championship scoring 29 points to outpace the field by 18 points. This time Perez led with a second-place finish and was followed by Reitz (3rd), Hogan (7th), Sandra Hubbard (8th), and Sharon Hubbard (9th). They were named all-conference. Hogan also earned all-conference in 2005. Additionally, Arreola placed 11th, Smorczewska placed 12th, Veronica Canseco finished 15th, and Marisol Ortiz came in 17th place. Horstmeyer also was named the conference women's coach of the year. The first race of the year was an indication of good things to come for Cyclones when they won the Harper College Invitational on August 26. They became the first Moraine Valley cross country team to win three races in the same year. 'They saw then what the opportunities were if they dedicated themselves to putting in their best effort day in and day out,' Horstmeyer said. 'We had to fight through some injuries and overcome a lot of bad weather that limited some of our workouts. In the end, however, when they toed the starting line at the national championship, they knew that all the adversity had been worth it. I know they can't wait until next year. Neither can I.' Moraine Valley volleyball team to compete internationally this fall The Moraine Valley's women's volleyball team will compete in the 2006 World Interuniversity Games in Dublin, Ireland this October. The Cyclones are the only United States team invited to the tournament, and the players and coaches look forward to the experience. 'We're tremendously excited about being invited to Ireland for the international tournament,' said head coach Gloria Coughlin. 'The opportunity to share cultural experiences with teams from other countries is fantastic, and we are thrilled to be able to represent the United States overseas.' The women's team will fly to Dublin on October 8, and return to the states on October 14 to complete the rest of their three-month season. To raise money for the trip, team members are holding an 'Alumni Night' fundraiser Thursday, Aug. 31, at their 6 p.m. home game against conference opponent Waubonsee Community College. Former Moraine Valley volleyball players and coaches have been invited to the game and will be on hand that evening to show their support for the team, as well as offer financial donations to help subsidize the cost of the trip. Alumni Night is also open to the public, and donations will be accepted on behalf of the team to help with travel costs. In addition, gray and white fundraiser T-shirts are available through the college's Athletics department for $15. For details, call (708) 974-5727.
August 11, 2006 The Moraine Valley women's team will play their international visitors on Saturday, Aug. 19 at 12:10 p.m., following an Erlangen-Nürnberg exhibition match with the women's team from Saint Xavier University, which will also be held at Moraine Valley August 19 at 10 a.m. The Erlangen-Nürnberg team also will scrimmage the women's team from College of DuPage on Sunday, Aug. 20, at 11:05 a.m. at Moraine Valley. During the German team's stay in America, Dr. Claudia Kugelmann, dean of the Institute for Sport Sciences at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, will present on her research in women's soccer in Germany on Friday, Aug. 18. In addition, Erlangen-Nürnberg head soccer coach Melanie Schweitzer and Moraine Valley head men's soccer coach Chuck Bales will host coaching clinics that evening. In addition to visiting Moraine Valley and its surrounding communities, the German team will visit the Museum of Science and Industry, the Chicago Historical Society, the Chicago Art Institute, Millenium Park, and Navy Pier, as well as a handful of other significant Chicago destinations before returning to Germany on August 26. For more information on any of these events or for news media inquiries, call Josh Reinhart, sports information contact, at (708) 974-5742, or e-mail reinhart@morainevalley.edu. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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