Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 3, 2007)
Ó Clackamas Print Sp Wednesday Dec. 3, 2008 Wrestling holds high hopes of trophy fini Jon Helmkamp The Clackamas Print At the start of the season, Coach Joshua Rhoden and his coaching staff had a meeting with their team to set the groundwork for the upcom ing season. Combining the idealized goals of he and his staff with the goals that his team verbal ized, Rhoden and his team have their eyes set on a fifth place trophy in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). Rhoden, in his third season as the wrestling head coach, started off his tenure at Clackamas with two very successful seasons. In his inaugural season, he led the wres tling team to a fifth place finish in the NJCAA National Championships, beating first-ranked North Idaho College in the process for the first time in team history. Along with the fifth place finish, six mem bers of the team were named to the All-American team. The following season, his team returned to the NJCAAs and ended in a respectable seventh place. This year, with returning sophomores Kris Spencer and Jace Lewis as team captains, the thought of a trophy finish - finishing in the top six — seems very achievable. “It was great bringing home a trophy two years ago. We would love to do that again,” said Rhoden. In their first match of the season, they beat ninth-ranked Southwestern Oregon Community College on Nov. 15 in a blowout, 34-6. Out of the Tyrell Fortune (bottom) waits for the referee’s whistle third in the country in the 185 pound weight class. 10 matches, Clackamas only dropped one. “Our conditioning was way better than theirs and the match-ups were good. They had some continued. After the first two matches of the season, the tough kids, but we were tougher,” said Lewis. Their second match of the season was a much Cougars are ranked eleventh.in the country, with four players ranked in the top eight more difficult task. Squaring of their respective weight classes. off with fourth-ranked North Leading the way is freshman Tyrell Idaho College on Nov. 20, “We feel confi Fortune, who is undefeated and Clackamas fell short, losing ranked third in the 185 pound 21-15. dent that we can weight class. Kris Spencer and Despite the loss to North bounce back and Josh Miller, sophomores, and Caleb Idaho, Rhoden feels good Kociemba, freshman, are each about the position his team is make the adjust ranked seventh in their respective in. ments that we weight classes. “As a staff we feel really need to in order “Getting a trophy is something good about where we are. We that’s attainable for us. If we com were frustrated about the loss to get back on pete at a high level and stay com to North Idaho, but they’re track for our mitted to our goals, I think that a tough team and we didn’t we can achieve something really wrestle our best that day,” said national goals.” great,” said Rhoden. Rhoden. Their next match is at Pacific “We feel confident that we Joshua Rhoden University on Friday Dec. 5, fol can bounce back and make the Wrestling Coach adjustments that we need to in lowed by a match the next day at order to get back on track for home against Highline Community our national goals,” Rhoden College. Megan Shaw Clc while in the referee’s position. Fortune Recent scores Men's Basketball: Nov. 30 against Everett Community College Clackamas 107, Everett 79 Women’s Basketball: Nov. 30 against Umpqua Community College Clackamas 90, Umpqua 99 Wrestling: Nov. 20 against North Idaho College Clackamas 15, North Idaho 15 Baeckel named first team All-American ÎS hi - Contributed by Tracy Swisher Kristel Baeckel (13) leaps at the net to spike the ball in a match at tfre NWAACC Championships. Baeckel was named first team All-American for her play this season. Kristel Baeckel, sophomore, became one of only three volleyball players in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges to be named first team All-American for the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I for this season. This year, the NWAACC is naming six players to the All-American teams - three to the first team and three to the second team. The coaches of every team nominate their potential All-Americans, then the coaches in the American Volleyball Coaches Association vote on the players that will be named to the All-American teams. Baeckel, along with the other three sopho mores on the Cougars volleyball team, will be playing in the NWAACC Sophomore All-Star event Saturday Dec. 6 at Edmonds Community College in Washington. The event is comprised of one Sophomore All-Star team from each region in the NWAACC confer ence. The coaches from each region vote on which players will be named to the 12-person team. Taya Clark, Alaura Little and Melita Elliot will be playing in the event along with Baeckel. Woods will be coaching with Terry McGloughlin, the head coach at Chemeketa Opmmunity College. - compiled by Jon Helmkamp £ Men’s Basketball: Friday, Dec. 5 @ home against Spokane munity College, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9 @ home against Linfiel munity College, 7 p.m. Women ’s Basketball: Saturday, Dec. 6 @ Longview, Wash, agi Lower Columbia Community College, 6 Saturday, Dec. 15 @ home against Highl Community College, 6 p.m. Wrestling: Friday, Dec. 5 @ Forest Grove, Ore. agai Pacific University, 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6 @ home against Highlii Community College, 5 p.m.
