Former Cougar was Firefighter with Banana Ball organization
What’s Inside
Roybell Baez hired as men’s basketball coach
After a couple years away from WNCC, Baez returning to guide the men’s basketball team at the college. Baez was a coach when the Cougars last won the Region IX tournament.
Ryan Davis becomes new women’s coach
Ryan Davis is coming back home again, sort of, as Davis was hired to fill the women’s basketball coaching position in July. Davis was at several Region IX north schools, the last one as the head coach at Sheridan in 2020.
Several students/teams earn NJCAA All-Academic
WNCC placed 31 individuals and four teams on the NJCAA All-Academic llist that was released in July. Two players, Megan Bewley and Gus Allred, were First Team recipients with perfect 4.0 GPAs.
Summer was busy with athletic camps
This past summer was busy with athletic camps put on by the Cougar baseball, volleyball, and soccer camps that stretched from first of June to the end of July. Any story ideas, pictures, or updates on former Cougar athletes, send the information to Mark at mrein2963@gmail.com or mrein@wncc.edu.
Cougar athlete alumni, also send updates what you are doing. Will be putting something in the next Cougar Illustrated of what the former players are doing now.
—— Cougar Sports Calendar ——
Saturday, August 10
Men’s Soccer: WNCC Alumni Game, 3 p.m.
Women’s Soccer: WNCC Alumni Game, 1 p.m.
Saturday, August 17
Volleyball: WNCC vs. Region IX teams, Sterling, Colo. (Scrimmage)
Thursday, August 22
Men’s Soccer: Utah State Eastern at WNCC, 12 p.m.
Women’s Soccer: Utah State Eastern at WNCC
Friday, August 23
Men’s Soccer: Northwest Wyoming at WNCC, 12 p.m.
Women’s Soccer: Northwest Wyoming at WNCC
Volleyball: WNCC at Iowa Western Invite, Council Bluffs
1 p.m. – vs. Butler Community College
4 p.m. – vs. Jefferson
Saturday, August 24
Volleyball: WNCC at Iowa Western Invite, Council Bluffs, Iowa
10 a.m. – vs. Hutchinson C.C.
12 p.m. – vs. Iowa Western C.C.
Monday, August 26
Men’s Soccer: WNCC at SD School of Mines (Scrimmage)
Women’s Soccer: WNCC at Black Hills State (Scrimmage)
Tuesday, August 27
Volleyball: Eastern Wyoming at Western Nebraska, 6 p.m.
Friday, August 30
Men’s Soccer: WNCC at Iowa Western
Two high school volleyball players go through a drill at the Cougar High School Skills Camp that was held in July at Cougar Palace.
Cougar Faces
Ben Firminhac, Baseball
Ben Firminhac, a coach for the Torrington Tigers Legion baseball team, accepted the Sportsmanship trophy from head umpire Cody Hafrock during the Wyoming American Legion B State Tournament that was held at Torrington, Wyoming, the last part of July. The Casper Wildcatters won state while the Powell Pioneers took second.
Paul Panduro, Baseball
Paul Panduro, former WNCC baseball player, spent some of time in July in helping out the WESTCO Outlaws youth baseball team at the Scottsbluff 23 Club Diamonds in July. Panduro has one year of college playing left as he will play this year at Ft. Hays University in Hays, Kansas.
Do you know any former or current athletes or coaches
This is a new feature in the newsletter and if there are little things that former or current WNCC athletes or coaches have done or accomplished or honors received, please forwart them on with a photo if possible. You can send them to mrein@wncc.edu or text them to 308-631-0459. Any sort of honor or activity or something good can go in here to showcase the good things of Cougar athletics.
Academic success
Four teams, 31 individuals earn NJCAA All-Academic honors
The Western Nebraska Community College athletic department had plenty of recognition on the NJCAA Academic teams that were released earlier this month.
Four teams earned Academic honors with at least a 3.00 GPA. The Cougar volleyball team had the highest GPA of any Cougar team, topping the year at 3.34.
The other teams that earned academic honors included the women’s basketball team at xx GPA, the Cougar baseball team at 3.06 GPA, and the Cougar softball team at 3.03 GPA.
Individually, the Cougars put 31 athletes on the three All-Academic teams including two on the First Team with perfect 4.0 GPA in two semesters. Sophomores Megan Bewley and Gus Allred earned First Team honors for the second straight year.
Allred, who will be continuing his baseball playing at the Division I level, said getting First Team was great, but even better was seeing the number of athletes from other sports also achieving academic success.
“It means a lot to me,” Allred said. “All my life, I’ve taken pride and worked hard in everything I do, and it’s very gratifying to see it begin to really pay off.
“Seeing so many athletes achieve in academics makes me proud of the work ethic at WNCC. I’m extremely proud of the student athletes in putting everything into not only their competition but also their schooling. I know there will be a lot of success in these hard workers.”
Bewley, who was First Team last year as a freshman, said she worked hard as she continues her studies in the nursing pro-
gram here in Scottsbluff as she hangs up her collegiate volleyball career.
“It’s super special to receive this award and I am honored to get it,” she said. “I think it says a lot about wncc and the focus of its athletic programs that many athletes are achieving goals both academically and athletically. Not a lot of school s accomplish what we do and I am proud to be a part of it.”
Both the baseball and volleyball team earned Team Academic honors and the two teams also had the most individuals All-Academic honors. The volleyball team had a team GPA of 3.33, which was the highest among the Cougar teams.
Both Bewley and Allred were proud of their teammates’ performance in the classroom.
“I’m especially proud of the guys seeing as I’ve been through a lot with them,” Allred said. “I’ve had the time of my life in Scottsbluff in big part thanks to the guys around me, and to see them accomplish such a big feat only adds to the camaraderie within the team.”
Bewley said the volleyball team’s high GPA was because of commitment from all the players.
“The high goa for the volleyball team shows the commitment that the coaching staff and all the girls have toward putting in work off the court,” she said. “I think the biggest thing to academic success is showing up for class. You get a lot more out of a class when you participate and pay attention. Professors are also much more willing to work with you when you show them that you are willing to work hard.”
The baseball team garnered the most recipients with seven players making of the seven teams. Besides Allred on the First
Continued on next page
2024 NJCAA All-Academic Recipients
First Team (4.0 GPA)
Megan Bewley ........ Volleyball
Gus Allred ................ Baseball
Second Team (3.99-3.80 GPA)
Maya Angelova ...... Volleyball
Charli Blackman .... Volleyball
Tamika Eastman .... Volleyball
Katelynn Czerpak ..... Softball
Randi Mitchell ........... Softball
Baylie Krueger .......... Softball
Madi VanRiper ........... Softball
Maria Villagomez .. W. Soccer
Ana Gomes............ W. Soccer
Gal-La Font...... W. Basketball
Helena Kuck .... W. Basketball
Alex Ainsworth ........ Baseball
Garrett Dodd ............ Baseball
Tyler Easter .............. Baseball
Bryce Peterson ........ Baseball
Guilherme Lindolfo....M. Soccer
Alex Carrillo ...........M. Soccer
Maurice Walker ....M. Basketball
Third Team (3.79-3.6 GPA)
Shae Hardy ............. Volleyball
Finja Schul ............. Volleyball
Kayli Cooper ............. Softball
Jamie Caron .... W. Basketball
Amiyah Donaldson .. W. Basketball
Kiley Smich ..... W. Basketball
Rocco Harmon ......... Baseball
Dylan Harris ............. Baseball
Aileen Perez .......... W. Soccer
Danilo Gilsovic.. M. Basketball
Anthony Simo .. M. Basketball
Gus Allred Baseball
Megan Bewley Volleyball
n WNCC puts several on All-Academic team ....
Team, Second Team recipients (3.99-3.8 GPA) included Alex Ainsworth, Garrett Dodd, Tyler Easter, and Bryce Peterson. Third Team recipients (3.79-3.60 GPA) were Rocco Harmon and Dylan Harris.
The volleyball team had six that made the NJCAA All-Academic list. Besides Bewley, the Second Team members included Maya Angelova, Charli Blackman, and Tamika Eastman. Third Team members were Shae Hardy and Finja Schul.
Softball and women’s basketball each had five members. The softball members on the Second Team were Katelynn Czerpak, Randi Mitchell, Baylie Krueger, and Madi VanRiper, while Kayli Cooper earned Third Team honors.
The Women’s basketball team Second Team members included Cal-La Font and Helena Kuck, while Third Team honors went to Jamie Caron, Amiyah Donaldson, and Kiley Smich.
Men’s basketball and women’s soccer each had three members. The Men’s basketball put Maurice Walker on the Second Team while Anthony Simo and Danilo Glisonic earned Third Team honors.
The women’s soccer team had Maria Villagomez and Ana Gomes on the Second Team and Aileen Perez on the Third Team.
Men’s Soccer had two earning Second Team honors with Guilherme Goncalves-Lindolfo and Alex Carrillo earning Second Team honors.
While the WNCC athletic teams garnered NJCAA academic honors, the seven Cougar teams put even more on the Region IX All-Academc teams with 47 individuals making all-region academic.
Baseball team had 11 Region IX All-Academic individuals followed by the volleyball team with nine, and seven each by the softball and women’s basketball team. Men’s and women’s soccer each had five while men’s basketball at three.
The Cougar volleyball team (top) and the baseball team were two of the teams that earned NJCAA All-Academic honors as a
among all four the
Mathieu Levesque, Arturo Montiel, Bryce Peterson, Ryan Platt, and Rocco Harmon
“In high school, I really focused on taking as many college level courses as I could and graduated with about 40 credits. I think that helped me in the last two years because I was able to lessen my course load and really focus doing my best in each class.”
—
Megan Bewley
The volleyball team Region IX academic recipients included Maya Angelova, Megan Bewley, Dessiah Christopher, Charli Blackman, Tamika Eastman, Dani Cruz, Kyana Gabriel, Shae Hardy, and Finja Schul.
the softball team members were Kayli Cooper, Sierra Hilgner, Baylie Krueger, Bailey Legere, Randi Mitchell, Katelynn Czerpak, and Madi Van Riper.
Men’s soccer had Alex Carrillo, Guilherme Lindolfo, Hernan Burdiles, Joao De Melo Bisneto, and Eduardo de Oliveira make the team while the women’s soccer team saw Ana Gomes, Maria Villagomez, Ashley Villagomez, Lesley Vasquez, and Aileen Perez on the team. The men’s basketball team was included with Maurice Walker, Anthony Simo, and Danilo Gilsovic
Those making Region IX All-academic for the baseball players included Alex Ainsworth, Gus Allred, Tucker Deal, Garrett Dodd, Tyler Easter, Dylan Harris,
The women’s basketball Region IX academic members were Adelina Urtane, Laura Montiel, Helena Kuck, Gal-La Font, Kiley Smich, Amiliyah Donaldson, Jamie Caron; while
Allred and Bewley gave advice for the players coming back as well as the future Cougars of what it takes to garner All-Academic honors.
Continued on next page
team. The volleyball team had the highest GPA
Cougar teams that received the NJCAA honor.
n WNCC puts several on All-Academic team ....
“The only advice I would give is that all it takes is putting in the time needed to get the job done,” Allred said. “As long as you put everything you could into it, and you do everything you’re asked of, you’ll get where you want to be.”
Allred said he is thankful he came to WNCC to be a Cougar as he continues playing at UNC.
“It just feels great to see hard work paying off.,” he said. “The fact that I get to continue playing the game I love in a program that I’m confident will be a perfect fit for me makes me feel as though the dedication I’ve made is worth it.”
For Bewley, the hometown player who graduated from Scottsbluff High School, she knew what it took to do well academically since she graduated Scottsbluff High with 40 college credits through WNCC.
“Starting at WNCC, I knew that it would be easy to push academics aside because of the time that it takes to be a part of a sports team,” she said. “But, I am super glad that I was able to balance both and get the honor for the two years I was there.”
Bewley also worked part-time and took part in helping out events in the community as well during her high school and college days.
“In high school, I really focused on taking as many college level courses as I could and graduated with about 40 credits,” she said. “I think that helped me in the last two years because I was able to lessen my course load and really focus doing my best in each class.”
— Written by Mark Rein
2024 Region IX
Academic Recipients
Volleyball
Maya Angelova
Megan Bewley
Charli Blackman
Tamika Eastman
Dessiah Christopher
Dani Cruz
Kyana Gabriel
Shae Hardy
Finja Schul
Men’s Basketball
Maurice Walker
Anthony Simo
Danilo Gilsovic
Women’s Basketball
Adelina Urtane
Laura Montiel
Helena Kuck
Gal-La Font
Kiley Smich
Amiliyah Donaldson
Jamie Caron
Women’s Soccer
Ana Gomes
Maria Villagomez
Ashley Villagomez
Lesley Vasquez
Aileen Perez
Men’s Soccer
Alex Carrillo
Guilherme Lindolfo
Hernan Burdiles
Joao De Melo Bisneto Eduardo Oliveira
Baseball
Alex Ainsworth
Gus Allred
Tucker Deal
Garrett Dodd
Tyler Easter
Dylan Harris
Softball
Kayli Cooper
Sierra Hilgner
Baylie Krueger
Bailey Legere
Randi Mitchell
Madi VanRiper
The Cougar softball team (top) and the women’s basketballl team were two of the teams that earned NJCAA All-Academic honors as a team.
Baez returning
Former Cougar assistant coach named men’s basketball head coach
Roybell Baez is returning to the roots where he started his college coaching after Western Nebraska Community College announced the Baez has been hired as the new men’s basketball coach on Monday.
Baez takes over for Billy Engel, who stepped down earlier this month.
Roybell Baez
Baez is no stranger to Cougar basketball as he was the assistant coach from 2016-2020 under Cory Fehringer, helping the Cougar men win a Region IX title in 2018.
“Coming back to WNCC means everything to me, it’s where I started my coaching career, it’s where I met my wife, it’s where my brother played baseball, and it where I won my first title as a coach,” Baez said. “Being named the head coach is just a bonus honestly. Coming back and being the head coach was always a dream of mine and now it’s actually happening.”
WNCC athletic director Ryan Burgner is excited to have Baez as the head coach.
“We are excited to have Baez back in the family and excited for the future of men’s basketball,” Burgner said.
While at WNCC, Baez was more than a men’s basketball coach, he also served and helped out as a volunteer volleyball coach one year and he also was an assistant baseball coach in the WESTCO Legion organization.
Basketball-wise Baez has a strong background in coaching and playing. Baez played basketball at Dakota College at Bottineau and then Dickinson State. After his playing days, Baez hooked up with his Dakota College coach Cory Fehringer as an assistant at WNCC in 2016, where
he spent four years.
After WNCC, he spent a year at Laramie County Community College as an assistant and then the past three seasons at Cowley College, where last year’s team made it to the Sweet 16 of the national tournament with a 28-6 record.
“I’ve learned a lot of from all three of the head coaches I’ve worked for. While all three are very different, they all shared
Roybell Baez sits on the bench at a game in Sterling, Colorado, during one of the seasons he was an assistant at WNCC. Baez was hired as men’s basketball coach in June.
Roybell Baez stands in the middle of the 2018 men’s basketball team after a game. The 2018 team captured the Region IX title and competed at the national tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas.
n Meet Roybell Baez, men’s basketball coach......
the same vision of winning with good kids and making sure we did things the right way,” Baez said. “I honestly wouldn’t be in this position without Cory Fehringer taking me to WNCC eight years ago and I learned so much from him on and off the floor. Coach Saulsberry also taught me a lot in the one year I was at LCCC and I will forever be grateful for him. And, last but not least, Coach Donnie Jackson has taught me so many things and these last three seasons at Cowley have been huge for my growth not only as a coach but as a person. Cowley will forever be a special place for my family and I.”
His goals at WNCC are simple, he wants to keep going back to the national tournament like he has done twice in the past six years.
“My goals coming in to WNCC are very simple, recruit good kids who are good at basketball,” he said. “We are going to be very involved in the community and we’re going to graduate. I have a vision of what a great program looks and acts like and to me it starts with the players. We are going to hold everyone accountable and tell the truth. We’re going to love them and be the there for them as well.”
With all the experience he has gained from the three coaches he has coached under, he has the ingredients to lead on the court and bring a winning tradition to WNCC.
“My philosophy as coach is also going to be simple, we’re going to play fast, share the ball and play the right way,” he said. “On defense, we’re going to pressure the ball and keep people out of the paint. We will also press and play multiple defenses. And the biggest thing I’m going to stress to our guys is being a great teammate. Coach Fehringer always taught
us that great teammates have great teammates and that’s going to be the message from day one.”
Baez, a native of Miami, is married to Ellie and have three girls, Brooklyn, Braylee, and Nyah. Baez’ brother, Harold, is a Scottsbluff High graduate and played baseball for two years at WNCC.
— Written by Mark Rein
Serving Scottsbluff and Gering as well as the Panhandle with medical facilities for over 50 years!
Roybell Baez wore a hat of many sports when he was at WNCC. His main job was the men’s basketball assistant coach, but he also was an assistant for the WESTCO Legion baseball program, and helped with the volleyball team one year.
Davis becomes a Cougar Former Sheridan College head coach named Cougar women’s basketball coach
Ryan Davis is returning to Region IX after being named the next women’s basketball coach at Western Nebraska Community College.
Davis, who was previously the head coach at Sheridan College for three seasons before Sheridan eliminated their athletic programs in the spring of 2020, has been an assistant and head coach in the Region IX north off and on since 2010. Davis had a 54-44 record with Sheridan.
Davis is excited to be back in Region IX coaching women’s basketball.
“This will be my fourth time in the region either as a head or assistant and the region just keeps pulling me back in,” Davis said. “It means everything to be here. Actually, this has been my home after college. Region IX has been my home and it means a lot.”
Davis is excited to be taking over a Cougar program that is rich in success and tradition.
“For the other three times I have been in the region, every single time, Western Nebraska has been one of the top schools in the region for men’s and women’s basketball,” Davis said. “So, I know what the history is here and to get a job like this means a lot and hopefully to keep doing really great things and keep the history going will be fun.”
WNCC athletic director Ryan Burgner said he is excited to have Davis as a Cougar coach.
“I am excited to have Coach Davis join the Cougar family,” Burgner said. “I am excited about the future of Cougar women’s basketball.”
While at Sheridan, the Generals had plenty of success and his main objective
now is contacting the players and recruiting a few more as school starts in about three weeks.
“The goal right now is to make sure that the players previously signed and haven’t been here (the new-class kids) or the kids that are returning will be here in the fall,” he said. “That is the number one thing and that is what I am working on right now. If we can keep a core of those kids together, I think we will have a good starting point and from there we only have three weeks, so we have to sign some kids. Outside of the recruiting, I am up here right now to figure out housing for myself and to get settled in and to meet people here and at the college. Those are the big things and when those things are done, it will be time hitting the ground running.”
His goal at WNCC is to continue the winning tradition that the previous coaches
instilled with the Cougars.
“Coach (Chad) Gibney and Coach (Isaac) Lu did a really fine job and kept it at a national level. My goal is to get to a point where we are THE school in the region in winning regional championships consistently,” Davis said. “If we can do that and get to the national tournament, and really you shoot for the stars and if you don’t get quite there, I think the Top 25 is something I consistently would like to be in.”
Davis said he will be recruiting locally in the four-state region. In fact, Davis recruited Cheyenne East’s Madison Blaney to play at Sheridan in 2020, but after athletics were eliminated at Sheridan later that spring, Blaney came and played for the Cougars in 2020-21.
“For recruits, I will recruit regional a little bit,” he said. “I am so familiar with
Continued on next page
Ryan Davis
n Meet Ryan Davis, women’s basketball coach ......
the state of Colorado, state of Wyoming, and South Dakota when I was the assistant coach at Black Hills State. This area, I know pretty well. From there, we will branch out a little bit. We have some contacts internationally, too, to get some girls.”
His first line of duty is to assemble a team. WNCC returns several players from a year ago and already have some players signed for next year.
Davis’ style of play will be fun to watch as he expects the team to be good defensively as well as score.
“My players would say it is intense in a good way,” Davis said. “We will be high energy and we will want to play fast. Very similar to the way Western Nebraska has played the last five to seven years here. Hopefully, when teams play us and leave here, they will go ‘that was a really tough team to play’.”
His background in coaching runs deep. Davis graduated from Bishop Miege High School in 2005 before attending the University of Kansas and earning a degree in sports management in 2010. While at KU, Davis was a manager for the Jayhawks’ men’s basketball team, winning four-straight Big XII titles and a National Championship in 2008. He then earned his master’s at Tex-
as-Permian Basin while serving as an assistant men’s basketball coach.
Davis comes to Scottsbluff with his wife, Lorraine.
— Written by Mark Rein
He was also an assistant coach at Sheridan College from 2010-11, an assistant women’s coach at Casper College (201617), Black Hills State (2014-15), and Sheridan again in 2014-15).
Ryan Davis talks to his team at Sheridan College when he was there right before COVID hit and before Sheridan College dropped all their athletics in the spring of 2020.
Banana Ball Former Cougar Garrett DeClue becomes a “Firefighter” in Banana organization
When Garrett DeClue was playing baseball for Western Nebraska Community College in 2019, he never released that he would be playing in the Savannah Bananas organization.
Today, DeClue is one of the players on The Firefighters, who plays against the Savannah Bananas at sold out venues around the country.
“Every game is fun and nothing is scripted. Some people call it the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball,” DeClue, who is from Lilttleton, Colorado, said. “A lot of the guys on the team have already played Triple A ball. They are competitive and talented. Every game we play is sold out and there is a wait list to just get tickets. When you are in front of that many people, no one wants to lose and look bad.”
The Savannah Bananas is an organization that brings fun to baseball, just like the Globetrotters do for basketball. DeClue said the motto of the traveling baseball team that plays at sold-out venues, is “Fans First” and that is what DeClue loves about being a part of the organization.
DeClue isn’t on the Bananas team, but he is one of the members of the teams that the Bananas play against. He started out playing for the Party Animals at the beginning of the season, but then was moved to the Firefighters. He said it was ironic that he is part of the Bananas organization.
“Savannah Bananas messaged me on Instragram for a tryout, so I went to California for a tryout in early October and they said they would get back to me in November if I made it or not,” DeClue said. “They got back to me and said I would be a good fit on the Party Animals. I played for the Party Animals for the first half of the season and then the Firefighters were announced as another team and they started the second half of the season and needed a leftie pitcher and they asked me to go over there.”
So, that is the team that DeClue is playing for now when the Bananas play games.
DeClue said the actual baseball games have 11 special rules and they perform one or two dance routines each game. While there are fun things for the fans to enjoy, the biggest thing that he loves is going into the stands and signing au tographs and taking pictures with the fans.
Banana Ball has grown through the years and what day are different from when they started back in 2018 when
nanas plays their games in Grayson Stadium in
“There are 80 games in the season from Feb ruary all the way to Oc tober,” he said. “Our motto is Fans First. We sign au tographs during the in ing and ing things that are not done at ball game. Then, after the game, we graphs and take pictures and meet the fans and try to connect with every fan that is there to make them
What makes nanas taining is the rules that they follow. The game starts when they
n DeClue is a ‘Firefighter’ ......
start the 2-hour clock. Every inning is worth a point and there are special rules where there is no stepping out of the batters box, no bunting, batters can steal first, no walks allowed, no mound visits, and the big one where if a fan catches a foul ball, it is an out.
DeClue said they travel all over and have played at six MLB stadiums this year, but usually they play at minor league stadiums.
“The games are competitive,” DeClue said. “We add some dances in and I think there are like two dances a game. We make it quick and there new rules to make it interesting and get the fans involved and having some fun.”
DeClue’s signature trick when pitching is doing a backflip and delivering the pitch, and he has been affective with that pitch. He also fits in with the other things The Firefighters do such as dancing and meeting people.
The Savannah Bananas will be playing somewhat close to Scottsbluff or Denver in the coming months when they are in Salt Lake City August 30 and 31 to play The Party Animals and then September 6-8 in Des Moines, Iowa, to play The Party Animals. The Firefighters, however, wrapped up their season
Continued on next page
Here are a couple of photos of Garrett DeClue with The Firefighters. DeClue, in top photo), is the one with no shirt on and same with the bottom photo in the team photos. The Firefighter photos are courtesy The Firefighters Facebook page.
n DeClue is a ‘Firefighter’ ......
on July 27 when they faced the Party Animals and won 3-2 in a showdown (which is a special rule with a tied game).
This is something that DeClue enjoys doing and hopes to keep doing it as long as he can.
“I would love to do this as long as they let me and keep coming back,” he said.
Ironic enough, Savannah Bananas head coach Tyler Gillum knows WNCC baseball coaches Mike Jones and Ryan Burgner. Gillum coached at South Mountain Community College and has been coach of the Bananas since 2018, helping the Bananas win two CPL championships before going all-in on Banana Ball rules.
For DeClue, he only spent one year of playing at WNCC because his sophomore year in 2020 was canceled because of COVID. Again, it was ironic because WNCC was playing Gillum’s team South Mountain when the season was canceled. DeClue remembers everything that happened and how his WNCC career ended and how he ended up at the University of Cumberland the following year.
“Every guy I know, knows coach Jones and has good things to say and
speaks highly of him and I do the same. I love Coach Jones and Coach Burgner and the whole program,” DeClue
said about his time at WNCC. “I was there the full freshman year and then Continued on next page
Garrett DeClue delivers a pitch in a February game in 2020 against Barton Community College. A few weeks later, the baseball season came to an end with the COVID pandemic and all the spring sports were canceled.
n DeClue is a ‘Firefighter’ ......
my sophomore year was the COVID year which we were out playing Coach Gillum in Arizona when they canceled our season. I had in my mind I was going to come back for a third year but then the University of Cumberland reached out. It happened so fast and I just committed.”
His freshman year at WNCC, DeClue appeared in 17 games and pitched 40.2 innings with 35 strikeouts. His sophomore in the shortened season, he appeared in four games with nine strikeouts before the season was canceled.
At Cumberland, he helped Cumberland to the NAIA World Series. He finished with a 15-0 record in his three years on the hill with 125 innings pitched with one save, 155 strikeouts (82 in 2023), and a career ERA of 4.46.
DeClue said at WNCC and Cumberland, he developed a lot as a player and pitcher.
“I enjoyed my time (at WNCC) and I loved the boys, the program, and I was learning a lot and I developed,” he said. “I guess, for some rea-
son, I made the decision to go to Cumberland and spent three years there. It was awesome. I learned a lot there and made some good friends, made some memories there and made it to the World Series which was pretty cool.”
Now, with his new role with the Savannah Bananas organization, he is with one of the top teams in sellouts. DeClue said they are bringing fun back into baseball.
“It was fun to travel around and you consider this as an independent pro team when I travel around and sign autographs with the kids,” he said. “I definitely have signed over 100 autographs. That is what makes it feel so special like the all-stars in the MLB. It is all fun and I never imagined doing something like this. I will never take it for granted and I always look back on WNCC to even have a chance to do this. It is cool to look back and I never take all this for granted. I always make sure I stay humble and just to remember what it took to get here.”
— Written by Mark Rein
Here are some more pictures of Garrett DeClue during a game. The top picture is DeClue in the stands with his name and signature cowboy hat. (right) DeClue interviews a young “firefighter” during a break in the game. These photos are from Garrett DeClue’s Instragram page.
Ball Girl
Perez lives out her dream of being on the field during Mexico/Uruguay soccer match
Former WNCC women’s soccer player Aileen Perez lived a dream of all dreams.
Perez, who graduated from WNCC in May, had the chance to be a ball retriever at that men’s soccer match between Mexco and Uruguay at Empower Field in Denver in June.
It was something that Perez will cherish after she was picked to be one of many ball retrievers.
“It was such an amazing experience,” Perez, who signed with Division I Hampton University the beginning of May, said. “I couldn’t believe that I was down with the players and I was amazed on how tall they actually look. It was a feeling I’ve never felt before and I would most definitely do it again.”
Perez won the right to be a ball retrievers through a contest on Facebook.
“There was this like a contest on Facebook where families had to upload a picture of like themselves and whoever got the most likes, shares, and comments would win the opportunity to be the ball retrievers,” she said. “There was this girl and me who had the most votes and they gave us both the opportunity to do it.”
Perez was cheering on Mexico and while her team didn’t win, Uruguay won 4-0, she was able to see some of the top players on the Mexico and Uruguay teams.
“Well, honestly, it was kinda sad cause Mexico lost and bad 4-0,” Perez said. “But I was able to see Darwin Nunez play live and literally up close to me. Before the match I was able to get autographs from the Mexican soccer players so I will keep the good and not really care about the score.”
Nunez, one of the top players in a friendly game while on the Copa America tour, scored a hat trick in the contest. There were 57,852 fans in attendance at the game.
The other thing she was hoping to do during the match was cheer when Mexico scored. That wasn’t the case.
“I really wanted to celebrate a goal from them but Uruguay had an amazing strong team and it was a tough match.
—
Written by Mark Rein
Above: Aileen Perez holds the ball as she was picked to be a ball retriever for the Mexico and Uruguay game in June in March.
(Right) Aileen Perez got to meet Darwin Nunez during the friendly soccer match between Mexico and Uruguay that was held in Denver.
Find out how you can take your associate degree to the next level when you transfer your Western Nebraska Community College credits to Bellevue University.
For questions scan the QR code or contact: Jennifer Schwab Relationship Manager @ WNCC – Office G154 402-830-0548 jeschwab@bellevue.edu
Oumar Sissoko transferred from WNCC in 2020 and recently earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with an Emphasis in Finance. Today, Sissoko coaches soccer full time while he considers pursuing his MBA.
23 teams tee off at June golf classic, largest since 2013
The annual WNCC Cougar Golf Classic was a success on Saturday at Monument Shadows Golf Course with 23 teams taking part in the fun 4-person scramble.
The 23 teams entered was the first time 20 teams were in the field since 2013 and the competition was fierce. The tournament helps raise funds for the WNCC athletic scholarships.
This year’s men’s division was a battle with the team of David Rupp, Austin Dillon, Zzyzx Brown, and Dustin Bruckner captured the men’s division championship with a handicapped score of 52.5. The foursome had a total gross score of 58 over 18 holes.
Second place in the men’s division went to the Ebony and Ivories team of Seth Englehaupt, Robert Carrizales, Adam Leavenworth, and Jeremy Frueh with a 54.1 handicapped score while third place went to the Strokes of Luck team of Christopher Gassling, Myles Milles, Sergio Airada, and Fidel Aguilar with a handicapped
score of 55.5, just edging the fourth place team of Bob Hessler, Armand Castaneda, Ryna Burgner, and Gregg Sell, who had a 56.6 handicapped score.
The COED winner was the Sterling Four made up of Todd Book, Jess Book, Drew Book, and Josh Dorcey with a handicapped score of 50.8 followed by the second-place team of Hampton Inn with Jerry Gealy, Amanda Gealy, Clarence Gealy, and Jeff Ross with a handicapped score of 54.1.
Third place in the COED division went to Runza with team members Brooke Samuelson, Chris Samuelson, Sierra Ostdiek, and Adam Ostdiek with a 56.2 score. Fourth place with to the Tacos Mexico team of Mike Jones, Jack Jones, Luke Jones and Alex Jones with a 57 handicapped score.
Each of the first-place teams received a $400 Monument Shadows gift certificate. Second and third place overall places were
Continued on next page
Winning team in the men’s division – David Rupp, Austin Dillon , Zzyzx Brown, and Dustin Bruckner,
Alex Jones putts on hole 18 during the golf classic. Alex was paired up with her dad, Mike, and her brothers Jack and Logan for the tourney.
n Cougar golf classic featured 23 teams ......
drawn from all the teams except the two winning teams. Second went to the Fore! Amigos made up of Emilee Pilkington, Dan Lackard, Nate Faulkner, and Josh Pilkington. Third place went to the JACS team of Anthony Solorzano, Cody Van Noy, Steve Van Noy, and Justin Pierson.
The tournament also featured hole prizes. Rebecca Rahmig won the longest putt on hole 2; Garrett Freeman won longest drive by a man on hole 4; while Jerry Gealy won the closest to the pin in two shots on hole 5.
Zandra Pullen won two hole prizes as she captured the shortest drive used by a women on hole 8 and then won the longest drive by a women on hole 10. The closest to the sand on hole 12 went to Bob Hessler while Bob Bennett won the closest to the pin on hole 13. The shortest drive used by a man on hole 15 was won by Trevor Teichroeb.
— Written by Mark Rein
GOOD LUCK
The line of golf carts are all ready to hit the links during the 2024 Cougar Golf Classic that was held at Monument Shadows Golf Course in June.
Bob Hessler putts on hole 18 during the Cougar Golf Classic in June.
Former Cougar coach Chris Green comes back to help with VB camp
When Fatima Balza was hired as the volleyball coach for Western Nebraska Community College back in April, the one thing she did was reach out to her former Cougar coach Chris Green and see if he was available to help put on a camp.
Green so happened to be back in Gering visiting his parents over the fourth of July weekend and couldn’t have said no. The July 5-6 Elite Camp was a overwhelming success that was put on by the coach and player that helped win WNCC’s first national championship back in 2007.
The Balza/Green Elite Volleyball Camp featured over 30 high school players from the WyoBraska area that took part and Green was excited to give instruction to the high school players alongside Balza.
“Being in the gym brings back good old memories especially with Fatima here now,” Green said. “It is a lot of fun to be back home and giving back.”
Balza said it was fun doing the camp with her former junior college coach and she learned plenty of things from him.
“It was amazing to work with Coach Green and he brought back many good memories. Coach Green is an amazing coach and having him lead the camp for the Elite Camp that we had was amazing. It was amazing to work with him,” Balza said.
“Coach Green is very technical. He likes to break down skills of how to do it. There are some skills that I learned of how he wants and likes it while he was in Alaska.”
Balza said it was a good two days of the Elite Camp that was held July 5 and 6 at Cougar Palace.
“We had a really good group of girls,” she said. “At first it was scary not having enough girls because it was fourth of July weekend, but the girls that we had were a very coachable group and when you have that, that makes the camp so much better.
We were lucky to have a very good group of girls.”
Green was the coach at WNCC from 1999 to 2007 when the Cougars won their first NJCAA national title in 2007. Green then went on to have a successful coaching career at the University of Alaska Anchorage for the next 15 years.
Green recruited Balza as a player and Balza was a force in the middle for the WNCC when she played at WNCC in 2007 and 2008. Balza then went on to win two national titles at Penn State. After Green left, another former Green-coached player came back to WNCC to coach the team in Giovana Melo. Green said it is nice to see his former players taking over the Cougar program.
“Giovana took over after me and she played for me and so it is great to see my ex-players come back to continue to take over this program and lead this program,” Green said. “Giovana did a great job and now Fatima. It will be fun for me to watch how she does over the next couple of years.”
What Green loved about the camp was seeing all the talent in Nebraska, especially western Nebraska and eastern Wyoming.
“Nebraska always has good volleyball and western Nebraska has the Huskers to look up to. There is some good talent here
Continued on next page
Chris Green explains a skill to a high school player that attended the Balza/Green Elite Volleyball July 5 and 6.
The camp coaches at the Balza/Green Elite Volleyball Camp included WNCC assistant coach Ashley Rada, Mitchell volleyball coach Taylor Briggs, WNCC coach Fatima Balza, former Cougar coach Chris Green, and former volleyball assistant Amy Winters.
n Former coach helps with VB camp ......
that have been coached well,” he said. “I can see they are hard working and they are very coachable.”
Green sees Balza doing great things at WNCC as she begins her first season as the head coach this fall.
“She played for Penn State and won two national championships like the one here. Not too many people can say they won three national championships,” Green said. “Her volleyball knowledge is amazing. She knows what good volleyball is and she knows the players that she needs to recruit. It will be fun for her.”
— Written by Mark Rein
June baseball camp in pictures
Cougars play with, against Pioneers
WNCC Cougar baseball players were part of the Western Nebraska Pioneers this season in different capacities. (Top Left) Bryce Peterson, who graduated in May, throws to first base from his third base position; (Top Center) Jin Kobayaka takes a cut at a pitch. Kobayaka will be an incoming freshman this year; (Top Right) Cam Meyer delivers a pitch in a game late in July. Meyer will be a sophomore this year for the Cougars. (Left) The Pioneers played the Legion all-stars and future Cougars took a picture after the game. The Pioneer players are (;-r) Jin Kobayaka, Cam Meyer, and Cooper Burgress while the WESTCO Legion players are Mo Panduro, Carter Reisig, and Jahrell Mendez.
July Soccer Camp Photos
Volleyball camp group pictures
Young Campers Volleyball Camp
Balza/Green Elite Volleyball Camp
High School Skills Camp
Hitter/Setter Camp
Middle School Skills Camp
Future Cougars signed to play at WNCC for 2024-25, Cougar Sophomores that have signed to continue at a 4-year school
Newcomers signed for 2022-23
Volleyball
Alex Gonzalez-Orozco Gering, Neb.
Ahleejah Tovo Sunia Kahuku, Hawaii
Nora Marginean Romania
Nadiyyah Northern
Men’s Soccer
Alvaro Pou ...................................................
Jeff Laguerre ...............................................
Anthony Lemus............................................
Owen Henderson.........................................
Brady Smallwood.........................................
Yediel Hernandez-Plaza ..............................
Tomas Guzman ...........................................
Fabian Cancio-Fernandez ...........................
Roman Visval Dubs .....................................
Banheur Kitongo .......................... Erie, Colo
Mazmal Babiker
Jafeth Ortega
Women’s Soccer
Mariah Russel Scottsbluff, Neb.
Marit Schelstraete
Karen Casas-Landaverde, Greeley, Colo.
Milena Montalvo-Arroyo
Alison Hernandez Aurora, Colo
Milena Montalvo
Rachel Riordan
Amanda Duarte deOliveira
Millie Selfe
Dorothy Jenson
Audrey Gosvener
Tanner Nelson
Softball
Tina Horton ..................................................
Kallie Stocking ............. Salt Lake City, Utah
Mia Lentz ........................... Mead, Colorado
Alyssa Albaugh ........... Torrington, Wyoming
Stevie Firkins ............... Montrose, Colorado
Isadora Salaiz ............... Fountain, Colorado
Scarlette Ruiz ...................Aurora, Colorado
Lydia Tibbals ...................... Springville, Utah
Viktoria Sarkonyova .....................................
JoLee Huffaker ....................... Denver, Colo
Adison Duke
Faythe LaFirenza Kingman, Ariz..
Vivi-Anne Amparan
Kay’Leigh Blair
Baseball
Carter Reisig Scottsbluff, Neb.
Dalton Yaste Evans, Colorado
Cooper Wilson Riverton, Utah
Dakota Alber Commerce City, Colorado
Hunter Harmon
Jin Kobayaka
Jorge Anderson
Vaughn Wilson .............................................
William Ager.................................................
Marshall Forsyth ..........................................
Jack McCrea........................ Berthoud, Colo
Ren Sato..................................................... .
Allard Helms ................................................
Ian Grafmark................................................
Cooper Burgess............ San Antonio, Texas
Men’s Basketball
Reece Randolph ..........................................
Kendrick Preston Miami, Fla.
Isiah Schneider St. Preux Miami, Fla.
Elijah Hollins Tennessee
David Boschdemont Est.
Toms Linis
Mathiang Maker
Kendall Hamilton Tennessee
Juan Batista Pineda
Juan Nguema Mongue
Women’s Basketball
Asia Mitchell Columbia, MD
Arianna Myers Cairo, New York
Mya Cotto Denver, Colo.
Where Cougar Sophomores Are Headed
Volleyball
Charlie Blackman U. of Mary (DII)
Maya Angelova Queens College (DII)
Shanelle Martinez Georgia State (DI)
Men’s Soccer
Hernan Burdiles .................. LSU-Alexandria
Pablo Dominguez ............... LSU Alexandria
Pedro Rocho............U. of Southwest (N.M.)
Women’s Soccer
Tania Razo................. Shaw University (DII)
Lesley Vasquez ......... William Carey (NAIA)
Aileen Perez ..........Hampton University (DI)
Women’s Basketball
Mackenzie Joseph ...U. of New Orleans (DI)
Amiyah Donaldson U. of Maine (DI)
Gal-La Font U. of Georgia Something ??
Baseball
Shintaro Inoue Kansas State U. (DI)
Ashton Ross St. Bonaventure (DI)
Gus Allred U. of Northern Colorado (DI)
Bryce Peterson CU/Colorado Springs (DII)
Adrian Sjhort Ft. Hays State (DII)
Tyler Easter Colorado School of Mines (DII)
Hunter McCollum Texas Permian Basin ( Arturo Montiel Peru State (NAIA)
Alex Ainsworth Clark College
Garrett Dodd Ottawa University
Softball
Katelynn Czerpak Chadron State (Dii)
Current Sophomores,
please contact Mark Rein via text at 308-6310459 or email when you decide to attend a specific college.
High School seniors, if you are coming to play sports at WNCC, please send Mark Rein information on high school, hometown, height, and which sport you are planning playing.
Question
Athlete
Elijah Burney
Men’s Basketball
Audrey Gosvener
Women’s Soccer
Joao Bisneto
Men’s Soccer
Alejandra Rodriguez
Women’s Soccer
Brady Smallwood
Men’s Soccer
Nora Mărginean Volleyball
Cougar Frenzy
Cougar athletes have less than five minutes to respond to some interesting topics
What summer activity did you do that will make you laugh
What was the best thing you did this summer
Going to Disneyland with my family
Getting more tattoos
Going to carnival and riding rides Vacation in Hawaii
What is the best thing to BBQ
Favorite DQ Blizzard Flavor Best Summer Song
“Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar
I went to the lake with family and friends
Talk with my friends for face time
Meeting new people who were crazy
Partying with my friends
Stay with my family and friends and enjoyed the time with them
“West Coast” by Lana Del Rey
Cool music and good people is the best at a BBQ Chocolate “Ta OK” by DJ Dennis and Kevin O Chrris
See my family and vacation in my country Wings
Going on a cruise
Went to my cabin with my family
wings
York “Apaga el cel” by Calle 24
“Habits” by Eminem
Never had one “Summer of Love” by Shawn Mendes
Former Cougar signs with Brisbane Bandits through 2026
Former WNCC baseball player Dermot Fritsch continues to play baseball downunder.
The Brisbane Bandits are thrilled to announce that infielder Dermot “Dermy” Fritsch has extended his contract with the team through 2026.
Fritsch is a key figure in the Bandits’ lineup and has been a vital player since his debut in 2017.
The press release from the Brisbane Bandits said Fritsch has been a key contributor to the team in his years playing professional baseball in Australia.
Fritsch’s remarkable performance earned him Rookie of the Year honors in the 2020-21 season and Defensive Player of the Year accolades in 2023-24. Known for his exceptional defensive skills, Fritsch has become a cornerstone of the Bandits’ dynamic roster.
In addition to his defensive prowess, Fritsch has consistently delivered at the plate, boasting a career slash line of .241/.330/.319. His most recent season was particularly notable, as he demonstrated power from the lead-off position with three home runs and three doubles.
Beyond his on-field achievements, Fritsch is also dedicated to nurturing the next generation of players. He actively contributes to the Bandits Academy programs as a coach, alongside his teammate Sam Holland, further underscoring his commit-
ment to the sport at all levels.
And, because it is Australia, their season runs from November to February when it is summer downunder.
The Bandits open the season November 14-17 with the ABL Finals slated for the
last part of January and the first of Febnruary.
For more information on the Bandits, check out their website at brisbanebandits. com.au
— Information from Brisbane Bandits Release
2024 Fall BaseballLeague
Western Nebraska Community College Cougar Baseball will hold fall baseball leagues for 5 weeks for players ages 7-13. The league will consist of baseball games coached and umpired by Cougar baseball players and coaches.
The Fall Baseball League will be a chance for players to work on their skills outside of the baseball season while playing games. Instruction will be given out during the games to help players fine-tune their skills for the following season.
Ages 7-13
Scottsbluff 23 Club Fields on Monday Nights by Scottsbluff High School
Dates: Aug. 26, Sept. 9, 16, 23 and 30 — Games begin at 6 p.m.
Cost is $50 per player. Make checks out to WNCC Baseball You can register online at https://wnccathletics.com/information/camps
Contact WNCC head coach Mike Jones for more information or to register at (308) 635-6198 or jonesm@wncc.edu. League registration also available
Night Train donated items on display
Dick “Night Train” Lane’s sons donated some items from Night Train to display at the college. The items include a bobblehead, the hall of fame jacket he wore, and some other items. The display can be found in the main lobby of the college or welcome center.
Former Cougars Inoue, Zsidsin pitch for summer league teams; Inoue in Virginia, Zsidsin in Colo.
Former Cougar Shintaro Inoue played this summer for the Valley Summer Collegiate League on the east coast and had a good season.
Through the middle of July, Inoue was one of the top sluggers for the Purcellville Cannons with a .458 slugging percentage, which was second on the team.
For the season, which ended July 23, Inoue batted .277 with seven home runs and 39 RBIs.
Inoue belted a grand slam on June 23 against the Front Royal Cardinals.
Zsidsin picks up win for
Colorado Roughriders
Former Cougar Wyatt Zsidsin came back to Scottsbluff when the summer baseball league team the Colorado Roughriders played the Western Nebraska Pioneers on June 30 and picked up the pitching win with a 12-9 win.
Zsidsin went 2.2 innings with just three hits and two hits in the contest.
Wyatt Zsidsin
He also pitched in a 10-0 win over the Denver Cougars where he went six innings with 10 strikeouts and no runs on July 16. He also pitched in the June 26 game against the Ft. Collins Foxes and went 4.2 innings in striking out three and allowing five runs and seven hits.
Cougar Athletes of the Week
Female Athletes of the Week
July 20 Megan Bewley, Vball
August 23 .......................................... Lilly Zwart, Vball
September 7 Yasmin Urbina, Women’s Soccer
September 13 Aileen Perez, Women’s Soccer
October 6 ............... Lesley Vasquez, Women’s Soccer
October 20 Shanelle Martinez, Vball
November 8 Helena Kuck, Women’s Basketball
November 16 ...... Ebere Egbirke, Women’s Basketball
December 8 Mackenzie Joseph, Women’s Bballl
December 29 Faith Walker, Women’s Bball
January 14 ...................... Gal-La Font, Women’s Bball
January 28 Laura Montiel, Women’s Bball
February 15 Gal-La Font, Women’s Bball
March 4................................... Madi VanRiper, Softball
March 13 Ebere Egbirka, Women’s Bball
March 25 Katelynn Czerpak, Softball
April 10 .................................. Mykah Klumpp, Softball
April 15 Sierra Hilgner, Softball
May 5 Jenika Fuentes, Softball
July 1 ................................... Megan Bewley. Volleyball
Male Athletes of the Week
July 20
Paul Cerros, Men’s Soccer
August 23 ................... Hernan Burdiles, Men’s Soccer
September 7 Isrrael Rodriguez, Men’s Soccer
September 13 Eduardo Oliveira, Men’s Soccer
October 6 ..................... Roberto Rivero, Men’s Soccer
October 20 Eduardo Oliveira, Men’s Soccer
November 8 JJ Harris, Men’s BBall
November 16 .................. Maurice Walker, Men’s Bball
December 8 Willie Wilson, Men’s Bball
December 29 Daniel Bula, Men’s Bball
January 14 ....................... Kayden Nation, Men’s Bball
January 28
Willie Wilson, Men’s Bball
February 15 Travis Easterly, Jr., Men’s Bball
March 4................................ Kensei Oikawa, Baseball
March 13 Adrian Short, Baseball
March 25 Hunter McCollum, Baseball
April 10 ................................. Shintaro Inoue, Baseball
April 15
May 5
Arturo Montiel, Baseball
Bryce Peterson, Baseball
July 1 ........................................... Gus Allred, Baseball
2024 WNCC Cougar Volleyball Schedule
DATE ............................... TIME ................. OPPONENT ..........................................
Sat., Aug. 17 .....................TBA .................... Region IX Scrimmages ....................... Sterling, Colo.
Fri.-Sat., August 23-24 ......TBA .................... Reiver Classic ........................... Council Bluffs, Iowa
Friday ........................... 2 p.m. ................ Butler
Friday ........................... 4 p.m. ................ Jefferson
Saturday .......................11 a.m. .............. Hutchinson
Saturday .......................1 p.m. ................ Iowa Western
Tuesday, August 27 ......... 6 p.m. ............... Eastern Wyoming College ............... Cougar Palace
Fri.-Sat., Aug. 30-31 ..........TBA .................... McCook Tourney ............................... McCook, Neb.
Friday ........................... 12 noon ............. Indian Hills
Friday ........................... 6 p.m. ................ Hill
Saturday .......................11 a.m. .............. Hutchinson
Saturday .......................3 p.m. ................ Southeast
Fri.-Sat., Sept. 6-7 .............TBA .................... Trinidad Tourney .............................. Trinidad, Colo.
Friday ........................... 10 a.m. .............. Eastern Wyoming
Friday ........................... 3 p.m. ................ Frank Phillips
Saturday .......................8 a.m. ................ North Platte
Saturday .......................1 p.m. ................ Clarendon
Fri.-Sat., Sept. 13-14 .........TBA .................... Sheila Worley Invitational ................. Sterling, Colo.
Friday ........................... 12 noon ............. Odessa
Friday ........................... 7:30 p.m. ........... Utah State-Eastern
Saturday .......................12 noon ............. Dodge City
Saturday .......................5 p.m. ................ Barton
Fri.-Sat., Sept. 20-21 .........TBA .................... Wyo-Braska Classic ....................... Torrington, Wyo.
Friday ........................... 3 p.m. ................ Miles C.C.
Saturday .......................10 a.m. .............. Colorado Northwestern
Saturday .......................2 p.m. ................ Gillette College
Tues., Sept. 24 ................ 6 p.m. ............... Casper College ................................ Cougar Palace Fri., Sept. 27 ................... 6 p.m. ............... Trinidad State ................................. Cougar Palace
Sat., Sept. 28 .................. 2 p.m. ............... Otero .............................................. Cougar Palace
Tues., Oct. 1.................... 6 p.m. ............... Laramie County .............................. Cougar Palace
Fri., Oct. 4 ....................... 6 p.m. ............... Lamar ............................................. Cougar Palace Sat., Oct. 5 ...................... 1 p.m. ............... McCook
Oct. 18 .......................6 p.m. ................ Otero................................................. LaJunta, Colo. Sat., Oct. 19 ......................2 p.m. ................ Trinidad State ................................... Trinidad, Colo. Tues., Oct. 22 ....................6 p.m. ................ Eastern Wyoming .......................... Torrington, Wyo. Fri., Oct. 25 .......................6 p.m. ................
Oct. 26
Oct.
Nov. 6-9
Nov.
Wyo.
2024 WNCC Cougar Soccer Schedules
Note Game Schedules and Times Could Change
Sat., Aug. 10 .....................1/3 p.m. ............. WNCC Alumni (both - scrimmage) Landers Complex
Thur., Aug. 22 ...................10am/noon ........ Utah State Eastern (both) ............ Landers Complex
Fri., Aug. 23 ......................10 am/noon ....... Northwest College (both) ............ Landers Complex
Mon., Aug. 26 ...................2 p.m. ................ Black Hills State (women scrimmage)... Rapid City, S.D. .......................................... TBA .................... South Dakota Mines (men scrimmage) ... Rapid City, S.D.
Fri., Aug. 30 ......................4/6:30 p.m. ........ Iowa Western (both) ................ Council Bluffs, Iowa
Sat., Aug. 31 .....................11 am/1:30 pm .. Indian Hills (both) .................... Council Bluffs, Iowa
Wed., Sept. 4 ....................1/3 p.m. ............. Snow College (both) ....................... Empriam, Utah
Fri., Sept. 6 .......................12 p.m. .............. Western Wyoming (women) ..... Rock Springs, Wyo.
Fri., Sept. 13 .....................1/3:30 p.m. ........ Casper College (both) .................. Landers Complex
Sat., Sept. 14.....................1/3:30 p.m. ........ Gillette College (both) .................. Landers Complex
Fri., Sept. 20 .....................1/3:30 p.m. ........ Northeastern (both) .................... Landers Complex
Sat., Sept. 21.....................1/3:30 p.m. ........ Lamar CC (both) ........................... Landers Complex
Fri., Sept. 27 .....................1/3 p.m. ............. Trinidad State (both) ........................ Trinidad, Colo.
Sat., Sept. 28.....................1/3 p.m. ............. Otero (both) ...................................... LaJunta, Colo.
Sat., Oct. 5 ........................1/3:30 p.m. ........ Laramie County (both) .................. Cheyenne, Wyo.
Fri., Oct. 11 .......................12/2 p.m. ........... Northwest College (both) ................... Powell, Wyo. Sat., Oct. 12 ......................1/3 p.m. ............. Central Wyoming (both) .................. Riverton, Wyo.
Sat., Oct. 19 ......................TBA .................... First Round Playoffs (both) ................. Higher Seeds
Sat., Oct. 26 ......................TBA .................... Region IX Semifinals (both) ................. Higher Seeds
Sat., Nov. 2 ........................TBA .................... Region IX Finals (both) ........................ Higher Seeds
Sun., Nov. 17-23 ...............TBA .................... Nationals ........................................ Wichita, Kansas
ALUMNI ATHLETIC NEWS
Scottsbluff Junior College l Nebraska Western College l Western Nebraska Community College
50 Years ago this semester
Cougar volleyball started in 1974
Can you believe that Cougar volleyball started 50 years ago this coming semester?
Yes, Cougar volleyball was the first women’s sport at the college and that was when Title IX changed the shape of college athletics.
Before that, the college had just men’s sports with the women just being cheerleaders or playing intramurals.
In 1974-75, that was when Margaret Fitzmorris took a group of girls, practiced them, and played matches with other teams from around the area such as EWC, NJC, and the Sidney campus.
Just to let you know that the first women’s intercollegiate match was held on October 23, 1974, at Cougar Palace against Eastern Wyoming College.
The first team members included Teri Lanik and Patty Alber of Bridgeport, Cheri Powers of Arthur, Judy Sinclair, Janice Swanbom, Janet Swanbom, and Kendra West of Gering, Deb Martin, Patty Fowler and Angie Carillo of Scottsbluff, Lori Gompert of Sunflower (or Mitchell), Bev Solberg of Alliance, and Carol Danbom of Hemingford.
The first game of the new sport saw the Cougar “Paws” nearly upend EWC. EWC won the first set 15-12 and then won the second set 15-1.
The first win for the Cougar Paws volleyball team came four days later when they defeated Wester Nebraska Technical Colleg eof Sidney 15-0, 15-2. Janet Swanbom was high server with 14 points.
In a return match with EWC, the Cougar Paws lost to EWC 15-9, 15-12, Northwest College dropped the Paws 15-1, 3-15, 15-6.
The Cougar Paws then destroyed Sidney Vo-Tech Pistons in four straight games.
The Cougar Paws then had a home game against Sterling, Colorado, (probably NJC now) and won 15-11, 15-3.
From there, Fitzmorris coached three more years where she went 5-5 that first year, 11-11 the second year, and 17-4 the third year, and the fourth year can’t find a record.
After Fitzmorris, Maria Welliver took over for two years from 1978-1980 followed by Cash Franklin from 1980-1984, Cathy Schiller from 1984-1989, including the women’s first Region IX title in 1988. The volleyball team then finished fifth at the national tournament in Miami, Florida, with a season record of 46-13.
Michelle Overby-Gomez then took
over for 10 years (1989-1998), followed by Chris Green (1999-2007, Giovana Melo (2008-2013), Binny Canales from 2014-2023), and now Fatima Balza is the head coach in her first season.
Cougar volleyball definitely has emerged from that first season where they only played 10 games to the national tournament wins in 2007 and 2010.
This year’s team starts practice on August 2 and will have their first home game on August 27 against Eastern Wyoming and the last home game of the year on October 30 against Northeastern Junior College.
— Written by Mark Rein
Members of the first volleyball team practice in the gym for their opening game in October against EWC.
Top players/coaches of the decades
being compiled: Who is the best of each decade?
50 years ago this coming semester: what all happened in 1974-75 for sports
There is something new in the works for Cougar athletics for the web as well as the newsletter and that is the Top 10 or 20 Cougar athletes/coaches/ sports staff of the decades.
This is going to be a way to honor some of the top players and coaches that have come through the college and by doing it via decades, it will showcase the different talents in the 10 year period.
The process is just starting and while it will take some time to achieve the lists, if anyone knows of a Cougar athlete or coach or staff personal that should be on the list, send an email to mrein@wncc.edu.
The decades that will be included are 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s, 2010, and starting with 2020s. The question is do I combine the 30s and 40s together or not. That will be decided.
While going through the old Spectators, I ran across a story in the February 11, 1974 issue and it was Lane calls Scottsbluff home.
It was about Dick “Night Train” Lane, who played for Scottsbluff Junior College in 1947. Lane, of course, will be one athlete that will be listed in the 1940s category.
What Lane did was play one semester at then Scottsbluff Junior College and helped them to a 5-2-1 record while becoming an
All-American and an All-Nebraska Conference player.
The, then 166-pound defensive back, went on to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame along with being one of the first inducted into the WNCC Athletic Hall of Fame back in 2017.
Lane played for the Los Angels Rams (1952-53), the Chicago Cardinals (1954-59), and the Detroit Lions (1960-65).
Finding this story was interesting but what I really was looking for was happenings of what happened 50 years ago to this coming season for Cougar Athletics.
When you look at what happened at the college 50 years ago, you will see that the
Cougar golf team had a fall season with the first meet at McCook on September 5 and wrapped up September 27 at the Nebraska Junior College tourney in Fairbury.
Golf members included Gering’s Rich Eisenach and Ray Ernest. The new players included Scottsbluff’s Bruce Hyland, Mike Klein, and K.C. O’Riley, Gering’s Wayne Hesse, and Sidney Kim Cook.
What else the 1974-75 team had was no cross country for a second year, but according to the article, the cross country team didn’t have enough runners, so they canceled the season and moved the funds over to the indoor track season.
There will be more from the 50 years ago events later including a piece on longtime men’s basketball coach and athletic director Shelby Edwards that passed away 50 years ago along with a Cougar golfer that has been tearing up the links by the name of Mike Klein. Klein qualified for golf nationals in 1974 and 1975.
Yes, the 50th anniversary has plenty of things that happened and most of it will come from the 1974-75 college newspaper The Spectator.
And, just a note, the Spectator had plenty of history in it of what went on around the the college a lot of the information does from from those old newspapers. —
Written by Mark Rein
Welcome to Cougar Athletics
Ryan Burgner Athletic Director
Thank you for your consideration of becoming a Cougar Frontline Sponsor. In addition to receiving a personalized banner in Cougar Palace, all Frontline sponsors receive a Cougar Club T-shirt, a Corporate Sponsor Night, a copy of the Cougar newsletter, and invitations to all Cougar-sponsored events. Many businesses choose more than one package to fit their needs. Please call me at 308-635-6798 for more information or any questions you may have on how to partner with WNCC athletics.
** Note: Please send a logo or ad that you want in the newsletter to mrein@wncc.edu. Newsletters come out every two months or so, so you can change the ad. Send email to be placed on newsletter email list.
$1,500 Platinum Cougar Sponsor
Platinum members receive an outdoor banner, 16 season tickets (10 basketball and six volleyball), Hole Sponsorship at the annual Cougar Golf Classic, Cougar apparel (2), and full page Athletic Newsletter ad, logo/ad on the WNCC Athletic Cougar web site.
$1,500 Frontline Cougar Sponsor — See note at bottom Frontline table sponsors receive advertising on the game tables in Cougar Palace. These advertisements are visible during all Cougar Palace events. Table sponsors also receive the same benefits as the Platinum sponsor with the exception of the banners.
$1,500 Scoreboard Cougar Package — See note at bottom Businesses that choose the Scoreboard Package receive advertising on two sides of the Cougar Palace scoreboard. Scoreboard sponsors receive the same benefits as the Platinum sponsors, except the exception of the outdoor banners.
$1,000 Gold Cougar Sponsor
Gold members will receive 12 season tickets (seven basketball and five volleyball), Hole Sponsorship for the Cougar Golf Classic, 1/2 page Athletic Newsletter ad, and Cougar Apparel (1).
$600 Blue Cougar Sponsor
Blue members also receive eight season tickets (five basketball and three volleyball), 1/4 page Athletic Newsletter ad, and Hole Sponsorship for the annual Cougar Golf Classic.
$400 White Cougar Sponsor
White members receive five season tickets (three basketball and two volleyball), and 1/8 Athletic Newsletter ad.
NOTE: Frontline/scoreboard sponsorships are currently taken, would you like to be put on the waiting list for one r Yes r No
Relive last year memories with a 2023-24 athletic yearbook
023-24 was a great year for memories with plenty of exciting wins and records broken.
What fans of Cougars can do know is take a look at the teams in a athletic yearbook. There are some that are copied and printed out and the college can always make more. The publication is also available online for fans to view and download them-
selves.
What the yearbook has is individual pictures of all the athletes in alphabetical order by sport as well as team photos, schedule and scores of games, where players are going, honors received, and plenty of photos. What the publication has that makes it fun is ads from all the businesses that have bought a Frontline Sponsorship.
The Frontline Sponsorships are up again and the Cougar coaches are out gathering sponsorships for the coming year.
it out and email it to the athletic secretary Peggy Hessler at hessle87@wncc.edu and she will get you taken care of.
Back to the athletic yearbook, this coming year, the yearbook is going to try to have a couple editions. The first, if everything goes right with individual and team photos, one will be out in the first semester as a preview to the basketball seasons.
But there will also be a end-of-the-year yearbook that will be out late June or July so that we can get all the honors in. I also can put one out in May and just update the pages and load it into the online page.
Kendell Henderson Agency, Inc.
Scottsblu , NE 69361
(308) 632-8701 kendellhenderson.com
If you are a business and want to get an ad in the yearbook as well as all the athletic newsletters that are put out, then here is your chance.
The Frontline Sponsorship page is on the previous page and you can fill
If you want to read the 2023-24 Yearbook, you can view it at the following web address: https://issuu.com/markrein/ docs/23-24_--_cougar_athletic_yearbook_--_60_pages or you can point your smartphone to the QR Code.
Look back at WNCC athletics in pictures
Anybody remember these men’s basketball players from, I believe, the late 1970s?
Remember when the weight room was this small room in the lower level between the two lockerrooms? There wasn’t a lot of weights in there and it was tiny from what the pictures look like. Does anyone from that time remember and have memories of that room. If so, send what you know to mrein@wncc.edu for inclusion in another story on the emergence of the weight room.
The above and below pictures are from the early years of Scottsbluff Junior College. The top photo is the growning of royality at the football field in Scottsbluff at night. The bottom picture is two student playing, looks like chess, in the dorms of the old Scottsbluff Junior College that was located on 5th and 20th. The bottom black and white is the old SJC with the houses n the background.
Platinum Sponsors (1,500)
o Absolute Painting
o Allo Communications
o B&C Steel
o Bellevue University
o FBG
o Ideal Linen/Bluff’s Sanitary
o Kendell Henderson/ American Family Insurance
o LOGOz
o Peerless Tire
o Pepsi
o Platte Valley Bank
o Regional West Medical Center
o Runza
o Scottsbluff Screenprinting
o Steel Grill
o TEAM Chevrolet/Toyota
o US Bank
Gold Sponsors (1,000)
o Ameri-Co Carriers
o Bluff’s Chiropractic **
o Dominos **
o Douglas, Kelly, Ostdiek, Ossian, Vogl, and Snyder, P.C.
o Inland Truck
o Reganis Auto
Blue Sponsors (600)
o Back-a-racks
o Bid-It-Bob
o Bluffs Vision
o Chadron State College
o Elite Physical Therapy
o Floyd’s Truck Service
o Hampton Inn & Suites
o Holyoke, Snyder, Longoria, Reichert, Rice Law
o Intralinks
o JBC, Inc.
o Monument Smiles
o Panhandle COOP
o Quick Care
o R & C Welding
o Riverstone Bank
o Roosevelt Public Power
o Sandberg Implement
o Sherman-Williams
o Simmons-Olsen Law Firm
o Scottsbluff Star-Herald
o WESTCO
White Sponsors (400)
o Advantage Chiropractic
o Border States Electric
o Carr-Trumbull Lumber
o Johnson Cashway
o Rusch’s General Contracting
Cougar Trivia
1) When did the first Cougar volleyball game be played ever and who won?
2) What colleges did WNCC men’s basketball coach Roybell Baez attend after being an assistant with the Cougars?
3) What year did the Cougar men’s basketball team last win the Region IX tournament?
4) What two teams did Aileen Perez get to be a ball retriever for in June in Denver?
5) What other Region IX schools was women’s basketball coach Ryan Davis a part of when he was an assistant or head coach?
6) Which sport had the most individuals on the NJCAA All-Academic team this past season?
7) Name the four teams that were represented as NJCAA All-Academic this past year?
8) What two teams did Aileen Perez become a ball retriever for this summer?
9) How many golf coaches are on the Top 15 list of longest tenure as a WNCC coach and who are they?
10) Where is WNCC softball player Katelyn Czerpak headed to play softball next year?
Bonus: Who was the baseball player that resigned to play in Australia?
The answers are somewhere in this issue of the Cougar Illustrated newsletter. You just need to read the stories or look at the pictures to find the correct answers.
Become a WNCC Cougar Frontline Sponsor
Do you want to have your business name or your name on the gameday programs as well an ad in the WNCC Cougar Athletic Newsletter?
There are options to get that and Cougar gear just by becoming a Cougar Frontline Sponsor.
If interested, contact any of the coaches at WNCC or email WNCC athletics at: burgnerr@wncc.edu rasnict@wncc.edu hessle87@wncc.edu
