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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.