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February 22, 2010 The women’s basketball team won their fourth consecutive Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Championship, clinching the crown with a win over Oakton Community College on Feb. 16. In the last seven seasons the Cyclones have been champions five times. Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams begin Region IV playoffs on Feb. 25. The softball team is holding tryouts for all interested players on Feb. 26 and 27, 6-8 p.m. both days in the gym (Building G). Athletes only need to attend one of the sessions. For additional information call coach Dick Loescher at (630) 347-5678. The men’s tennis team is holding tryouts March 17 at 2 p.m. on the courts, the southwest side of campus. If the weather is questionable or for any other inquiries, call coach Bill Finn at (708) 974-5213. February 10, 2010 As the basketball season inches toward the playoffs, the spring sports teams are shaping up. As of today the women’s basketball team remains atop the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference with a 10-1 conference record and 17-7 overall record. As long as the Cyclones maintain their team cohesion they will be on their way to a fourth consecutive conference championship. The team’s top scorer, Nicole Wilk, was ranked 18th this week in NJCAA Division II for individual scoring with an 18.6 average. Following behind was Sharnita Lloyd, ranked 38th with her 16.3 scoring average. The women’s team also came in 16th for their 67 percent free throw average. The men’s basketball team is having a tougher season, going 14-13 so far with a handful of games left. A couple of players, however, are ranking high in NJCAA Division II stats. Power forward/center Dwight Mc Combs topped the rankings for individual blocks per game with a 5.6 average. He also is seventh for both rebounds with 12.7 per game and field goal percentage at 70 percent. Ranked 19th for individual scoring, Mc Combs averages 21 points per game while teammate Malcolm Holmes pulls in 18.5 points per game and is ranked 44th. Holmes was 15th for field goal (3-pointers) percentage leaders at 55 percent. The softball team is holding tryouts for all interested players on Feb. 26 and 27, 6-8 p.m. both days in the gym (Building G). Athletes only need to attend one of the sessions. For additional information call coach Dick Loescher at (630) 347-5678. The men’s tennis team is holding tryouts March 17 at 2 p.m. on the courts, which are on the southwest side of campus. If the weather is questionable, call coach Bill Finn at (708) 974-5213. The baseball team is practicing and begins play in early March. November 30, 2009 Golf and cross country are the shining stars this fall season after seven of Moraine Valley’s athletes from both sports advanced to National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) championships. The golf team performed well all season, topping the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference for their second consecutive year. During the Region IV Tournament, Oct. 8-10, golfers Kevin Daly (Oak Forest) and Matt Lovelace (Lyons Township) finished in the top 10 and qualified for the NJCAA Division II Golf Championship in Phoenix, AZ, scheduled for May 18-21, 2010. Daly and Lovelace were the top performers all season. Three runners from the men’s cross country team and two from the women’s team also qualified for the NJCAA Division I Cross Country Championship held Nov. 14 on Newman Golf Course in Peoria. Dimitri Dimizas (Richards), Anthony Inacay (Reavis), Pablo Herrejon (Bremen), Ashley Shares (Stagg), and Marisela Rodriguez (Reavis) raced well enough at the Region IV competition Oct. 31 to qualify for nationals. Dimizas and Shares were the top runners from each team this season, finishing 150th out of 259 and 40th out of 252 runners at the championship, respectively.
October 28, 2009 Not many community college athletic teams get to compete overseas. Even fewer get a chance to make a positive impact on another country’s environment like Moraine Valley’s women’s volleyball and men’s soccer teams. Twenty-five athletes from both teams, as well as seven Athletics staff and coaches, made the trip Oct. 8-17 to Milan, Italy. Both teams competed in the World Interuniversity Games, pitting them against world class athletes from around the world. The men’s soccer team performed well, advancing to the quarter finals and playing last year’s champion, the University of Nancy from France. The 16 soccer players competed against teams from Finland, Italy, Iran, and Belgium, ending with a 2-2-1 record. They received the Fair Play Award for their overall competitiveness and attitude during the tournament. The last time they men’s soccer team competed overseas was in 2007 in Nuremburg, Germany. The nine volleyball players had a tough time from the get go, playing some very experienced teams, a couple with Olympic athletes. They lost their matches to teams from Italy, Romania, Belgium, and Russia. A Moraine Valley women’s volleyball team last competed in 2006 in Dublin, Ireland. Before hitting the fields and courts the athletes spent their first two days in the Nature Reserve of Valpredina, a 45-minute trip away from Milan, to complete a conservation project through the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) of Italy. Before doing any work the Moraine Valley caravan first learned about their project that would take place on the side of Mount Misma. They explored Valpredina’s animal shelter and hospital, olive grove, butterfly habitat, and composting area. The group needed to create structures where fresh water could pool on the mountainside. Those pools, which would gather rainwater, would become habitats for an endangered species of freshwater crayfish indigenous to the area. Because of polluted freshwater in the Lombardy area, the number of crayfish have been sharply reduced. So the group made a human chain along the steep mountainside and passed pieces of timber and logs about 50 yards down to the area where the pools would be constructed. “The service project was very interesting. I learned new facts about nature and wildlife. It was great being able to significantly help the WWF, plus it was fun,” said sophomore volleyball player Laura Flerick. “Everyone worked extremely hard. We finished moving all the wood in about three hours. Our hosts were very happy with us and our work rate. We completed our job more quickly and better than anticipated,” said soccer coach Chuck Bales. “I was very proud of the athletes. It was a difficult project but there was not a single complaint. We definitely were excellent representatives of the college, Illinois and the U.S.” Moraine Valley’s group worked well together, while experiencing Italy more intimately. “It was so rewarding to know the service project had saved the WWF several months of work that we were able to complete in one day with our large group of able-bodied athletes. It is also exciting to know that each of our names will be displayed on the freshwater reservoir at its completion. We participated in a day of manual labor and got a full day of exercise and beautiful scenery in addition to having fun and being appreciated for our volunteer efforts,” said volleyball coach Gloria Coughlin. During the trip’s duration the group was able to explore Milan, its food and historic landscape. The volleyball coaches also took their team on a side trip to the waterways of Venice for a day. “To compete against high-level players, some of them the top in their countries, was overwhelming yet also astonishing that our community college was given that fabulous, memory-filled opportunity. The experience was beyond what the players ever expected and will be with them forever. What we gained was life changing for all of us and is much more important than the wins in a match or game,” Coughlin said. September 25, 2009 Soon the Moraine Valley men’s soccer and women’s volleyball teams will be saying “ciào” to Illinois and “buon giorno,” “hola,” “bonjour,” and “hello” to 82 international teams at the World Interuniversity Games in Milan, Italy. Both teams will travel throughout the Lombardy region from October 8 through 17 and compete with universities from 22 countries including France, Russia, Lebanon, Norway, and Panama. Moraine Valley brings the only teams from the United States to the contest. Men’s soccer will face off with 16 teams while the women are in a field of six. While there, both teams also will participate in an environmental community service project with the World Wildlife Fund of Italy. “This is an unbelievable opportunity to experience the culture and history of Italy, made possible through the unifying nature of athletic competition,” said Moraine Valley head men’s soccer coach Chuck Bales. “I'm excited by the chance to compete on an international level against top teams from across the globe and help the World Wildlife Fund with their ongoing conservation work.” This is the third time the Cyclones are competing in the Interuniversity Games, the world’s largest university sports tournament that pits international teams against each other in men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball and soccer. Participating in international competition is part of Moraine Valley’s award-winning International Sports Exchange Program, which began in 2004 when the men’s soccer team played host to the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil). The soccer team then competed in the Games held in Rotterdam, Holland in 2005 and the volleyball team participated the following year in Dublin, Ireland. In 2007 the men’s team was invited by the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg to play in Nuremburg, Germany after the university’s women’s soccer team visited Chicago in 2006. This program helps Moraine Valley student-athletes diversify their levels of competition while building the college’s standing as a hub for cultural connectivity. Each opportunity for travel comes with the provision, however, that teams must raise funds for the trip that both squads have been pursuing for the last year. “This event will foster life-long memories for all our student-athletes. The world will become smaller for all of us as we experience the diverse cultures at this tournament. Each of us will grow from this tremendous opportunity,” said Moraine Valley head volleyball coach Gloria Coughlin. Sept. 9, 2009 The fall sports season has begun at Moraine Valley with all seven teams working hard and getting into the swing of things. The women’s soccer team is rolling on a four-game winning streak, two of those games being shutouts. The men’s soccer team is not far behind with a 3-2 record after a tough loss to Oakton Community College on September 8. Cyclone golf has a first place finish from their home match on August 31 and looking toward a hectic upcoming schedule. Men’s and women’s cross country ran their first meet September 4, in Madison, Wisconsin and faced some tough teams to each finish in fourth place. Women’s tennis is still working out the kinks, but have battled in their last three matches including a home win September 8 against Oakton Community College. The women’s volleyball team also is hanging in there early in the season with a 2-5 record and loads more sets to go. Moraine Valley student-athletes named to conference All-Academic team Nearly 30 Moraine Valley student-athletes were named to the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference All-Academic team for the 2008-09 school year. Students were selected for earning a 3.0 or higher G.P.A. after completing at least 48 course credit hours while participating in one of the college’s 12 sports. Within the eight colleges in the conference, Moraine Valley had the most athletes honored. The 26 Moraine Valley athletes selected were soccer players Jennifer Galvan, Lauren Hauptman, Melissa Hernandez, Eduardo Pena, and Paul Sioulas; cross country runners Lauren Burke, Ann Gelezauskas, Monica Gelezauskas, David Kierys, Bruce Lockett, Tony Manjarrez, and Connor Williams; softball players Janessa Guerrero, Claudia Kovach, and Jessica Noble; baseball players Eric Duschean, John Katsikas, Dave Letourneau, Matt Shilney, Justin Stengle, and Alex Triantafillo; tennis players Erick Dobrzynski and Damian Hahn; and volleyball players Meghan Ardolino, Dana Morano and Danielle Synowiecki. “I’m really proud of the athletes and the work of academic advisor Gloria Coughlin who helps keep them on track,” said Bill Finn, Athletics director. “We value education as much as athletics. This success is attributed to the high school students who keep their grades up and bring that work ethic to Moraine Valley.” Cyclones win All-Sports trophy for a three-peat Moraine Valley has won the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference All-Sports trophy for the 2008-09 sports season—the college’s third consecutive year receiving this honor. This trophy recognizes the collective achievements of a college’s sports teams. Each of the eight colleges in the conference is awarded points based on its team’s placement at the end of the season. The colleges are then ranked using total point accumulation. Moraine Valley was one point ahead of second place. The Cyclones’ golf and men’s and women’s basketball teams each placed first in conference. Competition was fierce this season, but the combined effort of athletes, coaches and staff yielded the award. “It’s really a culmination of everyone in the Athletics Department. We recruit the best local athletes we can and it’s showing,” said Moraine Valley Athletics Director Bill Finn. “People will expect to win, to be in the hunt when they come to Moraine Valley. A three-peat is great, and it’s getting harder to repeat every year.” Moraine Valley runners honored for academic performance Four individuals and the women’s cross country team earned 2009 Academic All-American honors from the National Junior College Cross Country Coaches Association for their outstanding work in the classroom. The cross country program has fielded 25 Academic All-Americans since the program began in 2000. Lauren Burke (Lockport), Cristina Dongo (Bremen), Tony Manjarrez (Argo), and Connor Williams (Andrew) were selected as Academic All-Americans while the women’s team was among the top 23 colleges designated an Academic All-American team. In addition to Dongo and Burke, Ann and Monica Gelezauskas (both Lockport), and Kelly Washington (Morgan Park) were recognized. Manajarrez also was selected as an Academic All-American in 2008. Burke and Monica Gelezauskas also were members of Moraine Valley’s 2008 Academic All-American Team. “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. Two Teams, Two Conference Championships It has been 11 years since Moraine Valley sported two basketball champions in one season, but they’ve done it again. Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams are Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Champions after the men clinched their title with a 68-61 win Feb. 17 against Elgin Community College. The women secured their crown Feb. 12 with a 55-47 win against Oakton Community College. This is the fourth time in six seasons and third consecutive conference championship for the women’s team. “I’m very pleased with both teams doing well and becoming champions. It’s been awhile since both have done it at the same time. We have great, strong high school boy’s and girl’s basketball in the area where we recruit so of course our teams are good,” said Moraine Valley Athletics Director Bill Finn. “Coaches Delwyn Jones and Dedrick Shannon have done an outstanding job with these programs at Moraine Valley.” The men’s team is 13-1 in conference and 26-4 overall while the women have the same conference record and are 24-6 overall. Regional playoffs begin Feb. 26 for both teams. After clinching, the men’s team finally broke into the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II top 15-team ranking. As of Feb. 18 the men’s team was ranked 14th out of 122 teams in the national poll. The last time Moraine Valley had both basketball teams win conference in the same season was 1998.
Jan. 30, 2009
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Because college funds do not finance the trip, the Athletics Department has planned several fundraising activities to help defray costs to the athletes. One of the first events will be the sale of youth and adult size T-shirts available in small to XXL at a cost of $15 per shirt. Cash or checks are accepted (checks can be made out to MVCC Athletics). The Athletics Department is taking pre-orders to determine the number of T-shirts to order initially. T-shirts will be sold until end of summer. For more information and/or to order T-shirts, contact coach Chuck Bales at (708) 974-5401 or bales@morainevalley.edu. |
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The
men’s soccer team and women’s volleyball and basketball teams will compete in
the World Interuniversity Games, the world’s largest university sports
tournament. The tournament, to be held in Milan, Italy, in October 2009, is part
of Moraine Valley’s nationally recognized, award-winning International Sports
Exchange Program. This trip will be made more memorable for the student-athletes
as they also will participate in an environmental community service project in
the Lombardy region through the World Wildlife Fund-Italy.
