Wednesday, May 25. 2011
sportsed@),clackamas. edu
The Clackamas Print 7
Cougar stars sign at Division I schools
¡hayla Ball (middle) shoots over two Lane Community
Allege defenders on Feb 25. Ball took her team to a
iouthem Region Championship and won the MVR
!y John William Howard
Associate Sports Editor
Brad Heineke Clackamas Print
Tyrell Fortune takes down his opponent during a tournament earlier this year. Fortune won his second
NJCAA title in the 285 lb. division and signed with Oregon State University this winter.
Clackamas, but many have moved
on and competed at the university
level. A few stars, including Lisa
; You’ve seen it; you’ve heard Martin, who won a silver medal
| you’ve probably borne plenty at the 1988 Olympic Games, and
f it yourself. “Oh, you go -to Matt Lindland, who wrestled his
lackamas? Try going to a real way to an Olympic silver medal
jllege!”
in 2000, have reached the high
Scholars aren’t the only ones est level that athletes can hope to
at have to deal with such skepti- attain.
sm. The upturned nose is turned
According to wrestling coach
/en further from athletics at the Josh Rhoden, there may be anoth
immunity college level, and for er athlete headed to the Olympic
Dod reason. Oftentimes the athlet- stage. That athlete is none other
: programs at junior colleges are than two-time heavyweight nation
ibpar and lack funding and talent al champion Tyrell Fortune, who
bat, however, is not the case at has signed to wrestle at Oregon
lackamas Community College.
State University. Tyrell was a back-
Since Clackamas joined the to-back state champion in high
lorthwest Athletic Association school, winning his junior and
f Community Colleges in 1984,. senior years and coming in second
b Cougars have taken home. 49
his sophomore year.
IWAACC titles and were the
“Tyrell is super gifted and he is
nners-up 25 times in all sports going to be successful because of
tabined. This includes the back- his outlook and his mindset,” said
i-back championships in men’s Rhoden. “Clackamas was a great
isketball in 2009 and 2010, seven first step because we were able to
iftball championships between help develop him as a wrestler and
189 and 1997 and national wres- as a student here.”
ing titles in 1971 and 2011.
Rhoden mentioned that Fortune
Out of these programs sprang had put a lot of energy into his
wntless talented athletes. Some academics, something that is a goal
jve ended their athletic careers at for tiie whole team: the effort in
practice should match the effort in
the classroom. Success begins with
pen and paper and translates to
the mat Rhoden also shed a little
light on his high hopes for the star
wrestler.
“He is attempting to make the
World Team and hopefully get an
invite to next year’s Olympic Trials
as well,” said Rhoden. “I would
not be surprised at all to see him in
one of the next two Olympic cycles
at the Olympic Games.”
Fortune isn’t the only Cougar
star that has been fought over by
Division I competition. Freshman
Max Jacobsen recently signed
with Northern Arizona University,
where he will continue his stel
lar basketball career and pursue
a degree in electrical engineer
ing. In his one year at Clackamas,
Jacobsen led the Cougars in points
and rebounds, helped to win and
was named MVP of the Southern
Region.
“He was virtually unstoppable
one on one in the low post and
effective passer when he was dou
ble-teamed,” said men’s basketball
head coach Clif Wegner. “Easily
he was the top post player in the
NWAACC. He was the Region
EMBRY-RIDDLE
Aeronautical University
MVP, a team captain, a leader and
a 3.9 student”
Wegner continued to say
that, while they’d miss Jacobsen
at Clackamas, he was sure of
Jacobsen’s success at the next level
for a variety of reasons. Wegner
touched on Jacobsen’s athleticism
and skiti, but said that his most
valuable asset was his brain.
“He will be successful (at
Northern Arizona) because he
is very smart; one of the most
intelligent players I’ve ever
coached,” said Wegner, who pre
dicted Jacobsen’s MVP award two
months before the season had even
ended. “He always understood
what we need him to do and tried
to do it He has figured out that
basketball is all about: getting your
opponent off balance and keeping
yours.”
Yet another Cougar athlete that
will be playing at the Division I
level next year is sophomore guard
Shayla Ball, who, like Jacobsen on
the men’s side, lead her team to
a Southern Region Championship
and is an MVP. Ball averaged 21
points and 10 rebounds during the
2010-11 season, good for second
and third place in the NWAACC.
Earlier this month, Ball signed with
the Eagles from Florida Gulf Coast
University, a Division I school that
offered a foil scholarship.
“Shayla’s D-I scholarship is a
well-deserved result of her hard
work and determination over the
last two years,” said Associate
Athletic Director Kayla Steen, who
is also the head women’s basket
ball coach. “She has had an out
standing two seasons at Clackamas
and should have great success with
the Eagles, able to make an imme
diate impact.”
Fortune, Jacobsen and Ball are
only three of the many athletes to
join the long list of outstanding
names that have moved on and
competed at the next level. The
extensive list includes talent from
every sport in which Clackamas
competes.
Guard Miranda Martine will
be playing basketball for Regis
University in Colorado. Bianca
Brambila will continue her soccer
career at New Mexico Highlands
University. Keisa Monterola, who
was a South American junior
champion in the pole vault, has
signed with Eastern Washington
University, and Ashley Suter,
Clackamas’s star softball pitcher,
will be on the field for Concordia
University.
So how do you answer that
guy that mocks you for attending
community college? “We’re going
places, man. We’re going places.”
For the full list of athletes that
are moving on to a university with
the intent to participate in sports,
check updates online at www.the-
clackamasprint.net.
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John William Howard Clackamas Print
Max Jacobsen (33) charges to the basket on his way to
clinching the Southern Region Championship on Feb 25.
Jacobsen led the team in scoring and rebounding.