6 The Clackamas Print
Wednesday. Feb. 23. 2011
ins wins regional championshi|
By Robert Morrison
Sports Editor
Thè Clackamas
Commuity College
wrestling team is
ranked No. 1 among
junior colleges
heading into nationals
Clackamas, welcome home
your 2010-2011 Region 18
Champions.
The Clackamas Community
College wrestling team is coming
off an impressive win at region-
als to qualify 10 wrestlers for
the National Junior Collegiate
Athletic Association’s National
Championship. The team goes
into the nationals ranked No. 1
among junior colleges and with
three wrestlers ranked No. 1
in their weight class: Terrence
Williams, Tyrell Fortune and
Derek Mestrovich. Last year
the team had eight wrestlers
make nationals.
“I think it’s the perfect
chance for us to win nationals.
Having 10 guys and one person
in every weight class, obvious
ly we have a chance to get the
max amount of points possible.
It makes me feel really good,”
said Fortune. He will have a
bye his first round and will face
285 lb. wrestler Josh Hodge in
The Clackamas Community College wrestling team poses for a
tory in Coos Bay on Feb. 13.
his first actual match.
“Last year, we only had
eight wrestlers and we still did
good. This year we will have
two more wrestlers giving us
points, giving us a good chance
to win,” said 174 lb. wrestler
Williams. Williams will also
have a bye in his first round.
Williams will watch Marciano
Ali and Shawn Seppala wrestle
for the chance to face him.
as a few having a bye ai
first match. The team |
stay energized and hopefi
pick up wins in their ma
This is the cream of the c
junior colleges.
Each wrestler has the
idea of what they need tc
win and what the team nt
do to win the championsl
“(I need to) stay det
to the weight cut, stay fo
don’t let the nerves get
keep a clear mind an<
focused,” said Mestrovi
think it’s going to be h
97. I think we will placed
I think it’s going to be hl
33 and 57. There are al
places where our No. I
will hopefully get to the]
and win it, but we nee]
few guys ranked No. 7,1
or No. 12 to win those n
to win Nationals.”
Mestrovich will sil
watch James Bennet]
Bernie Dupuy wrestling]
first round to see who v|
up facing him in the I
round.
All of Clackamas’ I
other wrestlers will be|
photo after their regonal vic
tling in the first round, 'll
1 ranked wrestlers will fl
wrestle four times to fl
For Clackamas to win, the championship and the wl
team will need all of its play ranked farther down will!
ers to score points to be able to win five matches. The \j]
bring the championship home National Championship!
to CCC. Some wrestlers will be held Feb. 25 and 26 si
wrestle fewer matches as well at 10 a.m. in Spokane,
Baseball is back with a whole new outlook on the ga
By John Howard
The Clackamas Print
Returning for what is
now his 21st season coach
ing baseball at Clackamas
Community College, Head
Coach Robin Robinson has
a lot of knowledge about the
game to impart to his play
ers.
“We’ve been known for the
fact that we always have very
good catching. Our shortstops
have been all-league ... many
times here,” said Robinson.
“But for me personally, it’s
more than just baseball. I
want kids to get a degree; I
want them to make a better
life for themselves and their
families.
“I talk and teach a lot about
responsibility, and I think
that’s huge. College educa
tion is a lot about responsi
bility and time management,
and those are the two things
that, as a coach, we talk about
that all the time,” he said.
Robinson’s
philosophy
seems to be paying off. The
Cougar baseball team always
does extremely well academ
ically, and Robinson claims
that he does it because his
players need to have some
thing to lean on when base
ball has run out.
“Baseball will end for a
lot of these guys in three to
five years, and what did they
gain to make a better life
for them and their families?”
said Robinson.
Freshman pitcher David
Rassmussen understands the
special position that he and
his teammates are in as ath
letes.
“You’ve got to work a nine-
to-five job sometime, so I’m
just going to enjoy this while
I can,” said Rassmussen with
a chuckle. “It’s not an oppor
tunity that most people get,
so I might as well ride it out
and see where it goes.”
Rassmussen said that his
most pleasant surprise was
how much the team could get
done in a short amount of
time when they were focused
on the plan that they had in
place and mentioned that the
All photos by John Howard Cladcd
The Clackamas Community College baseball team comes back with a stronger grip on d
ball.
sophomores on the team were
a big help in learning the
ropes.
I think we can
make it, No X doubt
about it. We’ve got
a lot of talent.
Roman Lorentz
CCC pitcher
Player Derek Atkinson (outfielder) throws a baseball to
another CCC player in Randall Hall’s gym.
“When it comes time to get
something done they buckle
down and keep you in line to
make sure you get done what
needs to get done to make the
team better,” Rasmussen said
Rassmussen’s sophomore
teammate Roman Lorentz
remembers being in that same
position.
“Last year, I was kind of
the quiet guy,” said Lorentz.
“This year it’s just turned out
that I have to take a leader
ship role and make sure that
all the freshmen are on the
same page that I am, so come
game time, they’re ready to
perform to the best of their
ability.”
Lorentz expressed confi
dence in the team’s capability
to win a berth in the Northwest
Athletic Association
of
Community Colleges tourna
ment, which he said was his
goal for the season. He cited
the team’s young potential as
a challenge but not one they
can’t overcome.
“I think we can make it.
No doubt about it. We’ve got
a lot of talent,” said Lorentz.
“When we work hard, i
really good team.”
With the season leis
two weeks away, the pl
and coaches alike arl
focused than ever. Tht
been working out and nra
ing together since fall]
ting up early every mo|
to work on pitching, lit
catching and fieldingja
seems that nobody has 1
for a moment.
I
“We wake up at 6:3
come play baseball til I
the morning,” said Irish
outfielder Derek Atlil
“That’s hard for some pel
because that’s not what]
want to do, but these!
want to be out here. Wfl
We
just want to be out hell
peting.”
'■
The season begins!
the Cougars on Marcia
Clackamas will play
first home game onf Mi
29 against Southwest! Ore|
Community College.!