Lady Lions Tennis 2012-13
Kaitlin Hillebrand
Sarah Palacio
Jordan Chandler
2012-13 Lady Lions Tennis Schedule Sept. 7-8 at Abilene Christian University Sept. 14-15 at OKC Collegiate Tennis Open Sept. 28-30 at ITA Small College Regionals Oct. 5-6 at Dog Skogman Invitational Oct. 9 SE Oklahoma State Univ. Oct. 12-13 at Collin College Fall Open
Abilene, TX Oklahoma City, OK Laredo, TX Seguin, TX Gainesville, TX Plano, TX
Feb. 2 at Tarleton State University Feb.8-9 at Ouachita Baptist University Feb. 15-16 at Collin County Tennis Bash Feb. 22-23 at Super Six Invitational Mar. 8 vs. McMurry University Mar. 18 vs. Salisbury (MD) University Mar. 20 vs. Abilene Christian University Apr. 5-6 at OKC Collegiate Tennis Open Apr. 12-13 at SW JUCO Championships Apr. 18-20 at NJCAA Region V Tournament May 5-9 at NJCAA National Tournament
Stephenville, TX Arkadelphia, AR Plano, TX Plano, TX Denton, TX Gainesville, TX Wichita Falls, TX Oklahoma City, OK Temple, TX Plano, TX Tucson, AZ
This 2012-13 Media and Recruiting Guide was produced by the NCTC Public Relations Department. Design work by Darin Allred, Public Relations Specialist. All media inquiries should be directed to Darin Allred at 940-668-3356 or by email at dallred@nctc.edu. Recruiting inquiries should be directed to Coach Brian Waddell at 940-668-3354 or by email at bwaddell@nctc.edu
Meet the Coach Brian Waddell Head Coach - 5th Season
Coach Brian Waddell is in his fifth year at North Central Texas College. He came from Flower Mound High School where in two seasons he took his high school tennis team to the regionals and state ranking in both seasons. Here at NCTC his teams have been ranked No. 7, No. 9, No. 11, and No. 22 in the nation in JUCO Division I. This past season his team came in at No. 22 in the fall and had risen to No. 9 in the spring and had wins over the No. 9 and the No. 33 nationally-ranked opponents. Coach Waddell has been a USPTA teaching tennis professional for over 25 years and has also coached high shool tennis thoughout Texas and Indiana. In Texas he coached and taught in the Klein ISD near Houston at Klein Oak High School and at Klein Collins High School. He also played tennis in high school at Connersville High School in Indiana where he lead his team and himself to a perfect 27-0 record his senior year. Coach Waddell played at Cumberland University in Kentucky and received all district honors all four years in singles and doubles as well as receiving All-American honors in singles and doubles his junior and senior years. Coach Waddell has one daughter (Heather Waddell Rosplock) and three grandsons (Tyler-Hunter-Zander) in the Spring, Texas area.
Coaching Philosophy: My coaching philosophy is based on my hears of experience participating in all sports, not just tennis. I believe you can practice 10 hours a day and not improve your skill level or talent level. I do believe that you must practice to the best of your ability each and every day which in turn will prepare you to the upmost for the next competition at any level. Some days you can only give 75% of yourself to practice or whatever you are doing, but you must give 100% of that 75% if you want to improve and be successful. This will also be true in everyday life, no matter what your profession happens to be. Finally, be proud of who you are and what you do and you will already be a winner!
Brian Waddell
Meet the Lady Lions
PLAYER CLASS HEIGHT HOMETOWN Elizabeth Arens FR 5-8 Keller, TX Jordan Chandler SO 5-2 Nederland, TX Cassidy Crawford SO 5-8 Tipton, England Kaitlin Hillebrand SO 5-7 Lewisville, TX Nika Juricic SO 5-7 Umag, Croatia Sarah Palacio SO 5-6 Pearland, TX Mercedee Schwartz FR 5-6 Ontario, OR Head Coach: Brian Waddell (5th season)
Jordan Chandler 5-2, Sophomore Nederland, TX Nederland HS
Major: Undecided Favorite Class: Chemistry Favorite Musical Artist: Bread Favoritte Food: Mexican Favorite Movie: Legends of the Fall Favorite Actor: Johnny Depp Favorite Cartoon Character: Pocahontas Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Greatest Athletic Moment: Winning 4A District title as a sophomore Athletic Accomplishments: USTA champs, winning two district championships in high school, named MVP her junior year, four-time regional qualifier, fouryear varsity player. Family: Daughter of Mark and Diana Chandler; Has one older sister, Briana (24).
Cassidy Crawford 5-8, Sophomore Birmingham, England Turves Green HS
Major: Business Favorite Class: English Favorite Musical Artist: Taylor Swift Favoritte Food: Italian Favorite Movie: Alice in Wonderland (Tim Burton version) Favorite Actor: Chris Hemsworth Favorite Cartoon Character: Raphael from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Caramel Greatest Athletic Moment: Playing college tennis Athletic Accomplishments: Ranked No. 4 in British Isles U16, four-time Staffordshipe County champion, Ranked No. 1 for Staffordshire, U18 Summer National winner. Family: Daughter of Stephanie and Ray Crawford; Has one sister, Darcy (22).
Kaitlin Hillebrand 5-7, Sophomore Lewisville, TX Flower Mound HS
Major: Undecided Favorite Class: Chemistry Favorite Musical Artist: The Beatles Favoritte Food: Mexican Favorite Movie: Walk the Line Favorite Actor: Gerard Butler Favorite Cartoon Character: Dori from Finding Nemo Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Orange Swirl Greatest Athletic Moment: When my high school team beat our No. 1 rivals for first place my senior year. Athletic Accomplishments: Three-year member of the varsity tennis team. Family: Daughter of Yvette and Richard Hillebrand; Has three siblings, Kristen (29), Kara (24) and Kasey (17).
Nika Juricic
5-7, Sophomore Umag, Croatia Mount Shasta HS Major: Undecided Favorite Class: Math Favorite Musical Artist: Rihanna Favoritte Food: Croatian or Italian Favorite Movie: Burlesque Favorite Actor: Matthew McCounaghey Favorite Cartoon Character: The Donkey from Shrek Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Vanilla and Yogurt Greatest Athletic Moment: Playing for NCTC Athletic Accomplishments: Section Champion at Mount Shasta High School, Qualified for the California State Championship, Ranked in the Top 16 Community College players in California in both singles and doubles. Family: Daughter of Alenka and Giordano; Has one younger sibling, Vedran (15).
Sarah Palacio 5-7, Sophomore Pearland, TX Alvin HS
Major: Undecided Favorite Class: Sculpture Favorite Musical Artist: Blackmill Favoritte Food: Mexican Favorite Movie: Secondhand Lions Favorite Actor: James Franco Favorite Cartoon Character: Bloo from Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Cookies and Cream Greatest Athletic Moment: Hitting a drop shot against Southeastern Oklahoma Athletic Accomplishments: High School MVP for four years, High School team captain in 2011, USTA Champs. Most Emberrassing Athletic Moment: Stepping on my racquet while doing drills. Family: Daughter of Linda Palacio.
Elizabeth Arens 5-8, Freshman Keller, TX Keller HS
Major: Business Finance Favorite Class: Math Favorite Musical Artist: Flo Rida Favoritte Food: Asian and Watermelon Favorite Movie: She’s the Man Favorite Actor: Channing Tatum Favorite Cartoon Character: Hello Kitty Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Strawberry Greatest Athletic Moment: Playing an epic point in doubles and finishing off the point with an overhead winner to win first place in a tournament. Athletic Accomplishments: USTA champs in 14, 16 and 18; three-year varsity tennis player; Top seed in District 7-5A; Honorable Mention Doubles 2010-12. Family: Daughter of David and Anne Arens; Has one older brother, Alex (21).
Mercedee Schwartz 5-6, Freshman Ontario, OR Ontario HS
Major: Graphic Design Favorite Class: Art Favorite Musical Artist: Luke Bryan Favoritte Food: Crab Favorite Movie: Grease Favorite Actor: Ryan Gossling Favorite Cartoon Character: Ariel from Little Mermaid Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Vanilla Greatest Athletic Moment: Playing college tennis Athletic Accomplishments: Three-year member of high school varsity tennis team. Family: Daughter of Rick and Linda Schwartz; Has one younger sister, Alexis (13).
Facilities
The Lady Lions tennis team plays and practices at the Chaloupecky Tennis Center on campus. The complex includes four lighted courts. The tennis team has their own locker room just steps away from the courts inside Lions Fieldhouse with individual player lockers and a team area along with private restrooms
The Lady Lions use the weight room inside the Lions Clubhouse and Fitness Center which features state-of-the-art equipment
Tennis players are housed at Bonner Hall, an on-campus residence hall with easy access to the cafeteria and classroom buildings
Lady Lion History YEAR RANK SITE OF CHAMPIONSHIP 1981 1982 1983 1985 1986 1987 1990 1991 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
3rd Place 4th Place 3rd Place 5th Place 3rd Place 3rd Place 2nd Place 3rd Place 2nd Place 2nd Place 3rd Place 4th Place 4th Place 4th Place 4th Place 3rd Place 3rd Place 7th Place 6th Place 5th Place 4th Place 17th Place 5th Place 6th Place 7th Place 9th Place
Ocala, Florida Ocala, Florida Ocala, Florida Ocala, Florida Midland, Texas Atlanta, Georgia Tucson, Arizona Tyler, Texas Plano, Texas Plano, Texas Tucson, Arizona Tucson, Arizona Tucson, Arizona Tucson, Arizona Tucson, Arizona Tucson, Arizona Tucson, Arizona College Station, Texas College Station, Texas College Station, Texas Tucson, Arizona Tucson, Arizona Tucson, Arizona Tucson, Arizona Tucson, Arizona Tucson, Arizona
2009 National Champions Katherine Kelly and Cimen Soy No. 2 Doubles At the 2009 NJCAA National Tournament in Tucson, Ariz., Katherine Kelly and Cimen Soy won the No. 2 doubles National Championship by defeating Francess Basspp amd Frederique Suntrum of Lee College 6-3, 7-6 (5) in the finals.
Cimen Soy
Katherine Kelly
2008 National Champions Nadia Solomon and Brittanee George No. 2 Doubles At the 2008 NJCAA National Tournament in Tucson, Ariz., Nadia Solomon and Brittanee George won the No. 2 doubles National Championship by defeating Jacklyn Lahari and Cally Woerner of Collin College 7-6 (3), 6-2.
Moving On
The Lady Lions had two players from the 2012 team sign with four-year schools this past spring. Pri Rijal (College of Coastal Georgia) and Mel Telfer (Alabama State University) both completed two years at NCTC before moving on.
Over the years, more than 90 Lady Lions have moved on to four-year colleges to continue their tennis careers after leaving NCTC. Players have moved on to such schools as Texas Tech University, University of Oklahoma, University of Iowa, University of Wisconsin, University of Hawaii, Texas Christian University, University of South Carolina, Florida State University, Michigan State University, University of North Texas, Louisiana Tech University, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, University of Arkansas, Washington State University, Texas State University, Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Old Dominion University and Boise State University among others.
Athletic Department Intercollegiate athletic teams at NCTC produce athletes that excel on and off the field and court. The NCTC tennis team has the longest history of success., having made more than 25 appearances in the National JUCO Tournament, finishing as high as second. The Lions baseball team won the 2001 JUCO National Championship and have qualified for the post-season 12 times. The Lady Lions softball team has won conference championships in 2001 and 2008 and took home the Region V North Championship in 2009, qualifying them for the NJCAA National Tournament. NCTC volleyball won a regional championship and advanced to the National Tournament in both 1999 and 2005.
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In the Community North Central Texas College athletes have always tried to give back to the local community by volunteering at various events and working on special service projects.
The Lady Lions got up early on a Sunday morning to volunteer at The Sky’s the Limit Balloon Spectacular in Gainesville. It’s just one of the many community service projects they are involved in. They also volunteered at a fundraiser for Volunteers in Service to Others (VISTO) called “Murder 76240”. The live murder-mystery raised funds for the VISTO food bank.
In the top photo, Lady Lions softball players meet with residents of Pecan Tree Health and Rehabilitation Center while decorating the halls for Halloween. In the left photo, two baseball players dress up as bananas at The Sky’s the Limit Balloon Spectacular. In the bottom right photo, members of the NCTC volleyball team volunteered at the Denton Heart Walk
Academic Success
More than a third of all NCTC athletes were named to either the President’s List or Dean’s List for the 2012 Fall semester. Some of the scholar athletes are pictured here.
NCTC athletes succeeding in classroom North Central Texas College’s athletics teams are not only succeeding on the fields and courts, but also in the classroom. NCTC student-athletes just completed a successful Fall 2012 semester. The four athletic teams at NCTC, which includes 72 student-athletes and managers, had an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.24 for the Fall semester. The Lady Lion volleyball team had the highest mark with a 3.37 GPA. Baseball and tennis were second at 3.28 and softball had a 3.07. Several individual student-athletes were honored for their exceptional work in the classroom as well. Seven NCTC athletes were named to the President’s List with a GPA of 4.0. The group included Kendall
The Lady Lions tennis team had three players named to either the President’s List or the Dean’s List for the Fall 2012 semester including (left to right) Nika Juricic, Jordan Chandler and Cassidy Crawford.
Bagley (softball), Bill Bay (baseball), Jordan Chandler (tennis), Landon Darwin (baseball), Charles Deckard (baseball), Dean Fleitman (baseball) and Rachel Kidwell (softball). Among the athletes who were named to the Dean’s List with a GPA of 3.5-3.9 were Cassidy Crawford (tennis), Lauren Cude (volleyball), Greg Davis (baseball), Danny Fernandez (baseball), Shannon Green (softball), Kelli Hadley (volleyball), Katie Heath (softball), Kaitlynn Henson (volleyball), Scott Hill (baseball), Harlee Johnson (volleyball), Nika Juricic (tennis), Matt Michalski (baseball), Celina Ortiz (softball), Jasmine Parker (softball), Alexander Pena (baseball), Danny Perez (baseball), Jaymee Ross (volleyball), Kat Strunk (softball), Clayton Vaughn (baseball) and Hailee Washburn (volleyball). “It certainly is a nice accomplishment when more than a third of our student-athletes made either the Dean’s or President’s honors list,” NCTC athletic director Van Hedrick said. “It’s not easy to spend hours in class, at practice and competing in games and tournaments both in and out of town and still find time to get homework done and study for exams. It speaks to the dedication of the students.” Each NCTC team has mandatory study hall hours. In addition, they are able to use the Student Success Center where they, like other students, can take advantage of free tutoring and other academic services.
This is NCTC Established in 1924 under the leadership of Texas community college pioneer Randolph Lee Clark, North Central Texas College is the oldest continuously operating public two-year college in the state. From its roots as a small, rural “junior” college — an extension of the local public schools actually — NCTC has grown and matured into a comprehensive, full-service community college of truly regional scope, serving students from five major campuses located across its service area. This fall, NCTC set a new enrollment record of 10,175 students system-wide.
NCTC has campuses in Gainesville, Corinth, Flower Mound, Bowie and Graham
NCTC Tennis 26 trips to National Tournament