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Athletics

Meramec offers intercollegiate competition in soccer, basketball, baseball and wrestling for men, and softball, soccer, volleyball and basketball for women. Men and women are also encouraged to participate on the cheerleading squad. Meramec is committed to providing quality opportunities in athletics that enhance the student's educational experience.

Meramec teams have won national championships in men's and women's soccer as well as baseball. In total, there have been 62 top 10 finishes at nationals. A total of 224 student-athletes have earned All-America honors and 40 have earned Academic All-America recognition.

St. Louis Community College athletic teams compete as members of the National Junior College Athletic Association and the Midwest Community College Athletic Conference. The Athletics department offers scholarship opportunities for men and women to participate in eight different intercollegiate sports. Students interested in eligibility requirements should contact the respective head coach or the athletics director.

News and Notes

^{Last Updated: January 5, 2009}

The women's basketball team had a tough go over the holidays. They play at home tomorrow night versus the Lindenwood JV.

The men's basketball lost a close one and won two over the break. They travel to the Lindenwood JV for a contest this Friday.

The wrestling team enters the National Duals this weekend. 

Archives of previous news releases

 

Meramec Magic Athletic News                                                                  
January, 2009

Top Ranked Wrestling Magic Eye National Duals Jan. 10-11

Despite it being the mid-season point in the wrestling season, crunch time is here for the number one nationally ranked Magic. They’ll head to Cedar Falls, Iowa this weekend (Jan. 10-11) for a mat war. This will be a major event but it will also be a preview of the NJCAA National meet. The dual meet format differs from the National Tourney, but is still helpful to the grapplers.

“I think that’s a bigger benefit than probably what most people think,” said volunteer assistant coach David Mirikitani. “But, it would also sure be nice to win the National Duals for the first time in school history. You go  to win the tournament.”

The Duals are a collection of the nation’s best teams at all collegiate levels, including NCAA Division I. To be invited, a program has to have finished in the top eight in the nation the year before. Meramec took a second place trophy last year at the Duals, as well as a second at Nationals. Defending champ Iowa Central, Labette (KS), and Colby (KS) are other nationally ranked JUCO powers that the Magic will be vying against. Potential upsets and high quality parity make the National Duals one of the top events of the season.

“You could argue the electricity is a little more (than at Nationals) because if we wrestle Iowa Central in the finals it’s ten-on-ten,” said Mirikitani. “The dual with Iowa Central, on paper, there’s a lot of toss-up matches - there’s two we’re supposed to win, two we’re supposed to lose, and six toss-ups.”

Iowa Central remains a main nemesis of Meramec in their quest for the program’s first National Duals title and National title, edging the Magic at both events a year ago. But, the teams’ chemistry is quite different - while Meramec walked away from Nationals with three national individual champions in ‘08, Iowa Central only had one, yet had enough team points for the national title.

Mirikitani also sees the two major events tied together psychologically, and the groundwork being set for Nationals at the Duals, despite the format difference.

“I think you’d almost want to lose as many matches as you can and still win the National Duals because then you got stuff you can talk to the guys about in order to improve,” reasoned Mirikitani. “You don’t want to get killed because then guys will feel like ‘Man, I got a BIG hill to climb!’ The problem you want to have is where you go out and shut everybody out and somehow win every match and kill everybody and look like Oklahoma State or Iowa State, and look that good and then we have to get them to not read their press clippings. I don’t think that’s going to happen. You just want to be real competitive.”

The Magic should have no trouble being competitive, especially with returning national champions Aaron Senzee (Kearney, MO) at 141. Also anchoring the lineup is former four time state prep champ Colin Pierce (Kearney, MO) at 133 who has placed at every open meet he’s competed in this season.

“Colin wrestles a lot like Aaron (Senzee) because they trained together for so many years, went to the same tournaments, had the same coaching,” said Mirikitani. “Colin’s probably as good as I thought he was when I recruited him but he’s probably a lot better than a lot of other people thought he was. If you watch him wrestle, physically he’s not imposing. He’s not verbally very outspoken. He just goes out there and gets after it. There’s a guy from Iowa Central (Billy Murphy) at 133 that everyone in the country thinks is going to kill him. That’s good motivation for Colin.”

Several other talented wrestlers are also “getting after it” for the Magic. Returning All-American Donald Woods (McCluer North) holds down the 165 pound weight class, while freshman Lillashawn Coleman (Oak Park, IL) is giving opponents fits at 125. Coleman won a championship at the ultra-tough University of Missouri Open Nov. 23.

“He’s really too hard to wrestle because he’s so tall,” said Mirikitani. “He wrestles tall - they make you wrestle long. Most guys at 125 are not 5’8 or 5’9 so they don’t know how to wrestle a guy like that and it gives guys fits. He’s really competent in a few positions and he wrestles most his matches in those positions. That’s what a lot of wrestling is - no one is good at everything so let’s wrestle where I’m really good and you’re not.”

Also solid wrestlers for Meramec are Travis Pettengill (Kearsley, MI) at 197 and Anthony Almanza (Ponway, CA) at 157. Much is also on the line for thirty ninth year head coach Ron Mirikitani - he is three dual meet wins away from a milestone number of 450, a number that takes a backseat to him after the success of the program and the athletes.

“If you ask my dad, the 450 is just the nature of doing it a lot of years and having a lot of dual meets and being a good coach,” said David Mirikitani. “To me, it could be number 227 but if he wins the National Duals and we can win the Nationals that’s really what matters.”
    
St. Charles West Repeats As Meramec Tourney Champs  

Despite losing star guard Kramer Soderburg to graduation, the St. Charles West basketball team repeated as the 31st Annual Meramec Holiday Festival Tournament champions. The elite 16 team tourney wrapped up play Dec. 30 with St. Charles West upending Hazelwood Central 62-54 in the title game.

The Warriors were the sixth seed and made a statement with wins over the tourney’s top three seeds - Hazelwood Central (1), McCluer (2), and Lafayette (3).  Senior guard Alex Bazzell scored 23 points against the Hawks, while sophomore teammate Christian Kirk, a 6’7” forward, scored 20.

Both Bazzell and Kirk were named to the All-Tournament team, along with Mookie Valandra (Vianney),
Vinnie Raimondo (Webster Groves), Kyle Peasel (Troy), Ryan Pierson (CBC), Lonnie Boga (McCluer),
Jerrell Partlow (McCluer), Bryce Foster (Hazelwood Central), and Connell Crossland (Hazelwood Central).

In the tourney’s third place game, McCluer erased an 18 point second half deficit to defeat Webster Groves in overtime, 70-65.

Magic Return From AZ Tourney 11-6; Head To Regional Play

As the pivotal second half of the season begins, the men’s basketball team will see a steady diet of Region XVI opponents and fewer independent teams. The Magic returned from play in the Scottsdale (AZ) Tournament with two wins and a defeat, and an 11-6 overall record. In the Scottsdale Tournament in the Phoenix, AZ area, the Magic opened play Jan. 1 with a 52-50 loss to Lakeland Community College, despite holding a 10 point halftime lead. A day later, against Madison Area Technical College, the Magic held on for the win, 62-58. In that game, Meramec had a 14 point halftime lead.

In January, the team will face a tough challenge in nemesis Penn Valley (Kansas City) on the road Jan. 16. The Scouts have been ranked one in the nation much of the season and defeated Meramec in the Region XVI title game last March. A day later, the Magic will travel up the highway to battle North Central, also a regional opponent. Their first area game for the month will be at Lindenwood, taking on their JV squad Jan. 9 at 6 p.m.

The Magic have played one regional opponent thus far this season, thrashing STLCC-Florissant Valley 87-52 on Dec. 23. The Magic had five players in double figures: Rodney Ford (Affton) with16, Danny Ortiz (Fort Zumwalt South) with 12, Drew Moore (Northwest) with 11, Dallis Johnson (Lafayette) with 11, and Eddie White (Parkway West) with 10 points.

Women’s Basketball Squad Faces Tough January Schedule

Back from a two game outing in Florida, the women’s basketball team (7-10) will also hit the toughest part of their schedule in January as they face several Region XVI rivals. At the top of the list is Cottey College from Nevada, MO who will be visiting the Magic on Jan. 9. Cottey ended Meramec’s season last year 65-56 in the semi-finals of the Region XVI Tournament.

A week after Cottey comes calling, the team will head west to Kansas City for a two game road trip against Penn Valley on Jan. 16, and North Central in Trenton, MO the following day. The decisive month also includes contests against other regional teams STLCC-Florissant Valley (Jan. 21 at home) and STLCC-Forest Park (Jan. 28 on the road) before wrapping up with a road re-match against Cottey in Nevada Jan. 31.

Leading the way will be sophomore guard Capri Savage (Orofino, ID). In a recent 81-54 loss to Brevard College i Florida, Savage collected 21 of the Magic’s points.  She is the team’s top three point shooter as well. Sophomores Molly Zehner (Oakville) and Cynthia Abernathy (Timberland) have also performed well.

Two freshman sensations, Aretasha Barry (Hazelwood East) and Latavia Doss (Francis Howell), have also contributed strongly to the offense. Doss had 13 points in the Brevard game.

Brandt Heads Slate Of April Hall Of Fame Inductees

When the annual Magic Hall Of Fame Induction Banquet unfolds in April, one face heading into the shrine will be familiar to all - 28 year veteran athletic secretary Karen Brandt. Brandt will be well-rested at the April event as she’s retiring from her post the preceding month, much to the dismay of coaches and staff that she has served with outstanding work for nearly three decades. Brandt has been a model of efficiency and professionalism, assembling numerous program books for various sports and tournaments, as well as offering assistance to anyone within reach of the athletic offices with a question.

Brandt was elected for induction as a “first ticket” nominee, along with two others on the ballot for the first time - basketball player Marvin Moorehead, and star wrestler Bob Georger.

As a freshman in the 1988-‘89 season, Moorehead led the team to a 27-9 record and a second place national trophy. A year later, the team racked up a 28-5 mark with the jump shooting guard, as well as a number one national ranking during the season. The 28 wins remain a school record for one season. The accolades poured in his sophomore year as he was named All-Conference, All-Region, and All-American. He averaged nearly 20 points a game as a sophomore. Head coach Randy Albrecht calls Moorehead the single best player he’s ever coached through 31 years at Meramec.

Bob Georger wrestled for coach Ron Mirikitani from 1972-’74 and was a two-time All-American with a career record of 50-12-2. He was also the first two-time All-American at Meramec. Georger also captured a championship at the All-Missouri Tournament, grappling against all NCAA levels. He went on to continue his career at Florida International where he set a record for most wins in two years with a 62-17-4 mark.

Following graduation from college, Georger became a teacher and wrestling coach at DeSoto High School, where he has been for 32 years.

Baseball’s Schrader Commits To Div. I St. Louis University

The baseball team and head coach Tony Dattoli are continuing their trend of placing players at prestigious baseball programs following Meramec. The latest commitment has 6’5” pitcher Michael Schrader headed to NCAA Division I St. Louis University in the fall of 2009.

What is impressive about the placement is that Schrader has yet to throw an official game pitch yet for the Magic with the season not yet underway. The lefthander is a St. Charles West High graduate.

Schrader marks the second Meramec player to head to SLU on a scholarship in two years - All-American shortstop Jon Myers (Fort Zumwalt South) is currently at SLU after playing for the Magic for two years.

Dec. 17, 2008

31st Annual Meramec Holiday Tourney Tips Off Dec. 26

Featuring several of the top ranked teams in the St. Louis area, including new entry McCluer, the 31st Annual Meramec Holiday Tournament will tip off Friday, Dec. 26. The title game will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 30.

The 6-1 Comets are the tourney’s number two seed, and are ranked first among large schools by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. They’re led by the Boga brothers, Lonnie and Shaquille, and their coach, former college standout
Erwin Claggett. 

Joining McCluer from the Suburban North is top seeded Hazelwood Central, sporting a 6-0 season and third ranked in the area by the Post. The Hawks are sparked by a pair of senior guards in Bryce Foster, averaging 17 points a game, and Connell Crossland, with 11 points and 10 rebounds per game.

Third seeded Lafayette will feature four year varsity player Tyler Griffey, a 6’8” forward, who recently committed to the University of Illinois. Also powering the Lancers, ranked number seven in the Post-Dispatch poll, is 6’7”, 255 lb. forward Will Kirksey.

Defending state champion Webster Groves, ranked fifth by the Post, is the tourney’s  four seed. The young Statesmen have just one senior on the squad. Defending Holiday Tourney champion St. Charles West is off to a 5-0 start and is ranked sixth among Post small schools. As the tourney’s six seed, they’re led by sophomore transfer sensation 6’7” Christian Kirk.

Other tourney entries on the Post’s “bubble” ranking list are Fort Zumwalt West, Troy, and Kirkwood.

Last year’s Ken Braden Sportsmanship Award winners, DeSmet, will have a new look as head coach
Kevin Poelker makes his debut, replacing longtime and successful coach Bob Steiner. The Spartans return 6’6” senior forward Nate Kroeker who is averaging 14 points and 7 rebounds a game.

The tourney begins with four opening round match ups on Dec. 26 starting at 4 p.m. The remaining four first round games will be Saturday, Dec. 27, starting at 4 p.m. Tickets are $5 and are available at the door only. Programs are $2 and tournament t-shirts will also be on sale in the lobby.
     
For more information contact:
Sports Info. Director Bob Frischmann
314-972-0770

Dec. 11, 2008
 
Magic Thrash Missouri Baptist JV by Largest Victory Margin in 15 Years
 
Putting on an offensive show, the STLCC-Meramec men's basketball team racked up its largest point total and margin of victory in 15 years, demolishing the Missouri Baptist junior varsity squad 129-46 Wednesday night.

The Magic raced to a 61-22 halftime edge on the strength of 17 first-half points by freshman forward Mersad Ramic (Bayless). By the end of the night, seven Meramec players ended in double figures, also a first since the early 1990s.

Ramic led all scorers with 26 points, followed by freshman center Dallis Johnson (Lafayette) with 25 points. John Topliffe (Columbia, Ill.) had 17 points; sophomore guard Drew Moore (Northwest), 16; and guard Eddie White, 11. Guards Rodney Ford (Affton) and Julian Gilliam (Parkway South) each had 10 points.

The team will next tip off at noon Sunday, Dec. 14, against Shawnee College in the Rawlings JUCO Shootout. Three other strong junior college matchups will follow on Sunday.

Dec. 9, 2008
 
Historic Coaches, Division I Talent Highlights Rawlings JUCO Shootout Dec. 14
 
Two of the nation's winningest junior college basketball coaches will square off in the Rawlings JUCO Shootout this Sunday (Dec. 14) at STLCC-Meramec.

Three Rivers College's Gene Bess, the winningest coach in the history of junior college basketball, will face Jay Harrington of Southwestern Illinois College in a 4 p.m. contest. Bess has notched more than 1,000 victories, while Harrington has garnered more than 600 career wins. SWIC features 6-8 Chris Hines, who already has committed to play at the University of Alabama next year.

The shootout annually draws NCAA Division I coaches and NBA scouts from around the nation.

Host Meramec will open the day at noon, facing Shawnee College. Magic coach Randy Albrecht also ranks among the elite college coaches with 655 career wins. Moberly College battles Vincennes at 2 p.m. Mineral Area (Park Hills, Mo.), coached by former University of Missouri star Corey Tate, wraps up the day at 6 p.m. versus John Wood (Quincy, Ill.). 

 

Meramec Magic Athletic News                                                           December, 2008

Magic Wrestlers Set Sights On Stretch Run, National Crown

With just one open tournament remaining before the holiday break, the Magic will begin gearing up for the crucial National Duals at the University of Northern Iowa Jan. 10-11. The duals are considered a preview of the NJCAA National Tournament Feb. 27-28 where Meramec will gun for its first-ever national team title. The Magic finished second a year ago and head coach Ron Mirikitani was named National Coach of the Year.

Prior to the January National Duals, the Magic will take it on the road one last time this calendar year, traveling to Wisconsin Saturday, Dec. 6, for the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Open. They’ll then have a five-week period with a combination of break time for final exams and the holidays, before intensive training resumes for the National Duals.

The main goal the entire talented Magic squad is a national team championship. “It’s very important and I think it’s a realistic goal that we’re all trying to reach,” said defending 141 pound national champion Aaron Senzee (Kearney, Mo.). “I think if we all just focus and work hard, the hours will pay off. We all share this common goal. We’re just trying to reach that.”

The “we” is a highly skilled lineup that has already turned heads with big wins at open tournaments competing against four-year major universities. Senzee leads the way, and has recently signed with the University of Northern Iowa for next year. He has medaled in all three open tourneys this fall, winning a championship in the season-opening Lindenwood Open. At the Central Missouri State Open, he went head on with Mizzou’s Nick Hucke, a former three-time Wisconsin prep state champion, taking a 4-2 decision.

“I liked my match with Hucke, he’s a freshman,” said Senzee. “He’s supposed to be one of their better recruits. I wrestled him at Warrensburg and I just pretty much dominated the whole match. The score seemed close, but if you watched the match I definitely wrestled good and wasn’t in any trouble at all.”

Also dominating his opponents is Colin Pierce at 133 pounds, a part of the Kearney High connection with Senzee. And he should dominate -- Pierce was a legend on the prep scene in Kearney, winning four state titles with three undefeated years. Pierce, like all fine athletes, has learned to adapt to his new environment on the collegiate scene.

“I like the style of college wrestling, how they do things, and I think it helps me win matches for sure just the way it’s set up,” said Pierce. “I’ll be defensive whenever I have to. At times, when I need to score, I can definitely be offensive. I like to stay on the defense a lot and not let anybody score on me.”

Pierce has placed second at the Lindenwood Open, third at the Wisconsin Pointer Open, and seventh at the brutally tough Central Missouri State Open. One major win for Pierce came at Central Missouri State over Lindenwood’s Raymond Stephens, the nationally top-ranked NAIA grappler at 133 pounds.

“I got a takedown on him in the last 30 seconds to win the match, 6-4,” said Pierce. “He’s definitely tough, I just had to wrestle him smart. He came at me real hard at the beginning so I had to be defensive. After he got worn out I had to change over to offensive and started wrestling my style. There was 30 seconds left in the match and he was trying to stall out and I got the takedown to win it. I was excited about that.”

Excited about the season would also describe freshman Travis Pettengill, a 197-pound grappler from Kearsley, Mich. Pettengill was recruited by volunteer assistant coach David Mirikitani at the Senior Nationals where Pettengill took second place. Of late, he’s come on strong in the two toughest meets so far -- finishing fourth at Central Missouri State, and a fourth at the Mizzou Open, a hotbed for national Division I talent where simply surviving the first round is considered an accomplishment.

As a high school junior, Pettengill was an undefeated state champ. As a senior, he went 39-0 with 38 pins. His style is that of a skilled boxer -- a counter puncher who waits for his chance. “I’m more laid back, I don’t shoot a lot, I wait for him to do stuff, I pound on the head, I’m a hand fighter, I throw a lot,” said Pettengill.

That strategy recently led to one major upset at Central Missouri State. Pettengill defeated a three-time Division II All-American from Central Oklahoma. “I threw him and he hurt his knee in the third period," Pettengill noted. "He was beating me and then I threw him. I got points for the throw and I was beating him by like two points when he forfeited.”

The win fueled his confidence at the same event against NCAA Division I Adam Rosholt from Oklahoma State. “I had him in the quarterfinals of the tournament and I beat him by two or three points, and that was a big match for me. Just hand fighting, I hand fight a lot, stay in good position,” said Pettengill.

Another good position in the Magic line up is at 165 pounds where returning All-American Donald Woods (McCluer North) wrestles. Woods earned a fourth-place medal at the Mizzou Open. Also in the middle weights is Anthony Almanza (Ponway, Calif.). Battling for the top spot at 125 pounds are two outstanding grapplers in Lillashawn Coleman (Oak Park, Ill.) and T.T. Prayther (South Carolina). Prayther took a second-place medal and Coleman a third at Lindenwood. Coleman went on to earn the coveted championship at the Mizzou Open, and a sixth place at Wisconsin Pointer.

Men’s Basketball Magic Finds Team Unity Key To Wins

Having won three of its last four games, the men’s basketball team is finding that the blend of the three returning players with the large freshmen contingent is starting to pay dividends. Evidence of that was found the day after Thanksgiving in the Mineral Area Invitational where Meramec upended Redlands College 94-91 in overtime, upping the team's record to 5-4.

“We just have to learn to finish games off and that’s what we did this past weekend. That’s how we got those two victories,” said sophomore guard Alonzo Wrickerson (Webster Groves.) “We just played together as a team. We actually had a lot of scoring off the bench in both games, so we’re just pretty much trying to play together as a team and pull these victories off in the second half.”

The two wins Wrickerson referred to were part of a weekend swing to Springfield, Ill., Nov. 21-22. The Magic beat Robert Morris 73-67, and a day later came from behind in the second half to hand Lincoln Land its first loss of the year, 51-43. Even as a team leader and starter, Wrickerson is quick to credit other players with the team’s success.

“John Alexander (Oakville) played really well in that first game. He had like 14 points and 11 or 12 rebounds  - he had a double-double. (Danny) Ortiz (Fort Zumwalt South) also played well off the bench, and Julian Gilliam (Parkway South) had four 3-pointers to give us some scoring off the bench,” said Wrickerson.

However, the recent win over Redlands in overtime was even more satisfying as it showcased the continuing brilliant play of center Dallis Johnson (Lafayette). Against Redlands, Johnson was almost unstoppable with 29 points and 12 rebounds. His dominance in the paint and ability to finish with a soft shooter’s touch has made him a key player. Sophomore Eddie White (Parkway West) had 19 points and has also been a consistent offensive weapon. Depth is quickly becoming the team’s strength.

“It’s good because it just shows when starters go out, we don’t drop down," Wrickerson said. "We stay the same or we can even go up, and it’s just good to have people come off the bench to keep it going because other teams we play, they kind of go down when they have to put their bench in. ut we can play all 10 or 11 of our guys and play at the same level.”

Meanwhile, transfer player Rodney Ford (Affton) is the leading rebounder with nearly 7-1/2 boards per game and assists leader with 3-1/2 per game.

The Magic have several challenges facing them in December. They’ll open the month on Dec. 3 with a home contest at 7 p.m. against the Washington University junior varsity team. On Dec. 9, the Magic will play their second contest of the season against Kaskaskia, who they beat in the season opener, 51-43.

The Rawlings Juco Shootout will see Meramec face a tough Shawnee team at noon on Sunday, Dec. 14, followed by a trip to Florissant Valley Dec. 23.

Women’s Hoops Team Faces Busy December With 9 Games

The month of December will be a strong test for the women’s basketball team, if not for ability, for their stamina. The Magic play nine games during the busy month following an eight-game November that saw the team split at 4-4.

The team will be looking heavily to freshman Aretasha Barry (Hazelwood East), who has been the offensive juggernaut of late.  Barry had nearly half the team’s 58 points with her 25-point night in a 68-58 defeat to host Central Methodist's junior varsity Nov. 22. Against the McKendree junior varsity squad in the season opener, Barry poured in 31 points to go with 11 rebounds. She’s averaging 16½ points per game.

Another key to the team, and offense, is returning guard Capri Savage (Orofino, Idaho). Savage had 19 points in a losing effort against Southwestern Illinois College Nov. 21 and 12 points against Hannibal-LaGrange's junior varsity Nov. 19. Savage is averaging just over 12 points a game and is the leading 3-point shooter with 13.

Meramec will host the Magic Classic Dec. 5-6, taking on Shawnee of Illinois at 7 p.m. Friday, and North Arkansas at 3 p.m. the next day. They’ll also face Three Rivers on Dec. 13 and Mineral Area a week later, both games on the road. To end 2008, the team will travel to Tampa, Florida for a pair of contests.

Magic Sweep Weekend Games In Springfield; Improve To 4-3                       Nov. 24, 2008

With a pair of weekend wins in Springfield, Ill., the Meramec men's basketball team nudged its season record to 4-3.

On Friday, the Magic downed Robert Morris 73-67. Less than 24 hours later, the Magic came from behind to beat Lincoln Land 51-43. Also significant was that the Magic handed the Loggers their first defeat of the season (5-1).

Against Lincoln Land, the halftime score was an uncharacteristically low as the Magic faced a 20-17 deficit. In the second half, Meramec heated up as Julian Gilliam (Parkway South) scored a game-high 15 points off the bench, including hitting all four of his 3-point shots. Sophomore Eddie White (Parkway West) also finished in double figures with 11 points.

Meramec will be back in action on Friday (Nov. 28) in the Mineral Area Invitational taking on Redlands College of Oklahoma at 5 p.m. In the same event, the Magic will play Malcolm X College from Chicago Saturday (Nov. 29) at 5 p.m.

Senzee Signs With Northern Iowa                                                                         Nov. 21, 2008

Continuing the success of his collegiate wrestling career, Aaron Senzee (Kearney, Mo.) has signed a letter of intent to wrestle at the University of Northern Iowa in the fall 2009. Last season as a freshman, Senzee won a national title and All-America honors at 141 pounds for the Magic. Through three open tournaments this fall, he’s walked away with three medals, including a championship at the Lindenwood Open Nov. 1.

“That’s what I’ve been waiting to do, to wrestle in Division I,” said Senzee. “That’s a dream I’ve had since high school and before that, just competing at the next level. It’s just what I want to do and focus on.”

Senzee enjoyed a high school career at Kearney that would be a dream to most. He was the first four-time state champion with a career 167-5 record and twice was named the Missouri 3A Wrestler of the Year. He was twice named a USA Wrestling Cadet All-American and a Senior High School All-American by Wrestling USA Magazine in 2007.

Despite much success, Senzee still has his sights set higher. “Last year was kind of like a stepping stone process to me,” he said. “It just meant a lot to me because obviously that’s what everyone’s trying to do. And to be able to actually do it, that’s a pretty good accomplishment, but I still have to focus and keep progressing the way I should.”

Senzee will wrestle for head coach Brad Penrith and a Northern Iowa squad currently ranked 23rd nationally in the NCAA poll.

Meramec coach Ron Mirikitani feels the Northern Iowa Panthers are getting one of the best in Senzee, who helped the Magic win a national runner-up team trophy last season.  “Aaron has been a pleasure to coach, and I am very happy he will have the opportunity to continue his career at the Division I-level with Coach Penrith at UNI,” said Mirikitani.

Women’s Basketball Team Earns Sweep At Highland Classic                            Nov. 17, 2008

The Meramec women’s basketball team swept a pair of games at the Highland Classic in Kansas over the weekend (Nov. 14-15), improving its season record to 3-1.

In the opener against the Mid America Nazarene junior varsity, the Magic outlasted their opponents 82-80 in overtime. Five Meramec players were in double figures, led by Ashton Whitehurst (Francis Howell North) with 18 points. Freshman forward Latavia Doss (Francis Howell) scored 17 points, while sophomore captain Capri Savage (Orofino, Idaho) had 15. Aretasha Barry (Hazelwood East) and Cynthia Abernathy (Timberland) each had 10 points in the win.

On Saturday, the Magic pulled out another close contest, beating the Kansas Wesleyan junior varsity 45-39. Barry led all scorers in that game with 13 points. The Magic next host  the Hannibal LaGrange junior varsity at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19. 

Meramec Magic Athletic News                                                                             November, 2008

Ethridge To Assume Women's Basketball Squad In Fall 2009

Meramec Physical Education instructor Shelly Ethridge has been named the new women's basketball head coach, effective fall 2009. Ethridge brings nearly 20 years of basketball coaching experience and success to the Magic.

The New Baden, Ill., native was head coach at Belleville Area College (now Southwestern Illinois College) from 1991-97 where she compiled a 109-44 record, won a pair of conference championships and twice named Coach of the Year in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Ethridge later became head coach at the University of Missouri-St. Louis from 1997-2003 with similar success. In Ethridge’s six years, she lead the Riverwomen to five winning seasons for the first and only time in the school’s history. She led the squad to its first-ever national appearance at the 2000 NCAA Division II Tournament, and twice finished as conference runner-up.

Ethridge was a keynote speaker, “Rebuilding a Program” at the 1997 NCAA Division I Tournament in Cincinnati, Ohio.  She also served as a member of the USA Basketball Committee at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Most recently she has coached on the prep level at Whitfield High (2005-08). Ethridge was an all-state player at Mater Dei High in Breese and the first four-year letterwinner in four sports at the school (basketball, track, tennis and softball.) Ethridge was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1995.

Ethridge has a bachelor's degree in physical education from Eastern Illinois University, and a master's degree in education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Meramec Pegs New Softball Coach In Maryland Native

Maryland native Kim McCall will take over the Meramec softball program as head coach starting in fall 2009. McCall will also become a full-time physical education instructor at Meramec beginning in January.

“I’m very excited that someone is giving me an opportunity to pursue something that I enjoy doing,” said McCall. “I know the program’s been very successful for many years, so I’d like to help continue that success. I hope to take it piece-by-piece, a little bit at a time.”

McCall recently completed a master's degree in education at Lynchburg College in Virginia, serving as a graduate assistant softball coach. Prior to that, she played for Methodist College in North Carolina and was a team captain her senior year, racking up honors as a scholar/athlete and a spot on the USA South All-Academic team.

“I want each student-athlete to be successful on and off the field," she said. “If they give me the time that I’m asking for, then I respect the time that they need to do their other things, whether it be academic or job commitments.”

McCall takes over the helm of a program that has won 24 conference titles in the last 30 years and captured 16 Region XVI championships. She will succeed Linda McQueen, who will remain the head coach for the spring 2009 season.

November 14, 2008

Three Meramec Kickers Named All-Conference 

Two forwards and one defender have earned MCCAC All-Conference honors for men's soccer. First-team selections are freshman forward Almin Sabotic (Mehlville), who led the Magic in scoring with 13 goals and four assists, and freshman defender Matt Schildz (DeSmet), who shut down the backfield in some of Meramec's biggest wins. Schildz also scored three goals to go with three assists.

Sophomore forward Ian Porta (Marquette) won second-team honors. Porta, with six goals and 15 assists, set single-season (15) and career records (22) for most assists. The previous records had stood since the 1970s. Porta was also named the NJCAA's Player of the Week for the period of Oct. 8 for his play. The Magic finished the season 11-8.

Women’s Soccer Nabs 1st Region XVI Crown Since ‘03

The women’s soccer team, on the strength of a late goal, held on for a 1-0 win over Blue River (Kansas City) in the Region XVI championship game on Saturday, Nov. 1 at St. Louis University High School. The title is the Magic’s first since 2003, and their 14th during the program’s 26-year history.

With 15:18 remaining in regulation, a pair of freshmen combined for the game-winner as Casey Caldwell (Lindbergh) fed Jessica Milligan (Pattonville) on a give-and-go.

“I was running and passed it to Casey, she passed it right back, and I just took it down and shot it,” said Milligan. “I thought we would score at some point. We had so many chances. It finally feels good to put it in the back of the net.”

Sophomore goalie Michelle Smith (Mehlville) recorded the shutout, her sixth of the season. Jeff Karl was named Region XVI Coach of the Year.

“I think we dominated in the sense of possession, and moving the ball,” said Karl. “They were a hard fought team -- they came to play hard and they did. We had to find ways to beat them and that’s what we talked about at the half -- playing the ball to our wings, and trying to serve an early cross and seeing if we can get something from that.”

Meramec (8-8-1), the third seed in the four-team tourney, needed a little magic of its own to make it to the title game. On Friday (Oct. 31) in the semifinal match, Meramec would battle back from deficits twice to force overtime at 2-2. Caldwell scored both unassisted goals in regulation to keep the season alive.

In the first overtime, sophomore All-American Meghan Thomas (Kennedy) delivered the game-winner. Thomas was named a first team All-Region selection along with forward sophomore Sarah Sanguinet (Lafayette) and midfielder Lara Menke (Washington, Mo). Second-team honorees were forward Michelle Spencer (Notre Dame) and midfielder Courtney Spurr (Melville).

The Magic move on to the District X Tournament, which they’ll host Nov. 7-8. Meramec faces Northern Oklahoma (10-8-2) on Friday, Nov. 7. In the other match on Friday, Lewis and Clark (21-1) battles the Region XI champion. The district title game will be on Saturday, Nov. 8. The winner advances to the NJCAA National Tournament Nov. 20-23 in Phoenix, Ariz.

Men’s Soccer Bows Out In Double OT To East Central

The men’s soccer team ended its season in the quarterfinals of the Region XVI Tournament Oct. 18, dropping a 2-1 decision at East Central in double overtime. Meramec, the sixth seed, held a 1-0 halftime edge on the strength of a Kyle Leifield (Marquette) goal, his ninth of the year to go with eight assists.

Midway through the second half, the Falcons tied the game, prompting overtime, and later a second overtime period.  The teams were 1:05 away from penalty kicks to decide the winner when the goal was scored by East Central.

The Magic finish the year at 11-8, but with several bright spots. Sophomore forward Ian Porta (Marquette) broke two records dating back to the 1970s. Porta's 15 assists broke the single-season record of 13 set in 1972 (and later equaled in 1976). He also set the two-year assist mark with 22, eclisping the previous mark of 19 set in the 1972-73 seasons. Porta ends his Magic career with 22.

Another bright spot was the play of freshman forward Almin Sabotic (Mehlville), a highly skilled player and scorer. He notched 13 goals to go with four assists and controlled play when he had the ball.

Kyle Leifield was also a success story, returning to the squad after not playing in 2007. Leifield returned with a fury, bringing energy and scoring to the forward position as the second-leading scorer. Steve McMahon (Lafayette) delivered instant offense as expected;he ended up with seven goals and three assists.

Coach Brian Smugala finished his fourth season at the helm with a combined 57-19-4 mark.

Meramec Soccer Alumni Part of Historic Year At Rockhurst University

A trio of former Meramec soccer stars are sharing in an historic season at Rockhurst University in Kansas City. Seniors Grant Landon (Marquette), Sam Stremlau (St. Mary‘s) and Charlie Reitz (CBC) are all starters on a NCAA Division II squad that is 14-1-2 and finished the season recently undefeated in conference at 10-0-2.

Rockhurst enters the postseason conference tournament as the top seed among eight teams. The team also has 12 shutouts this year, a school record. Their only loss of the season was in double overtime to NCAA Division I University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Landon, a forward, has booted in two game-winning goals in 1-0 games, including Oct. 24 against Quincy University. He has four goals on the season. Stremlau, a tenacious midfielder, has provided strong ball control, while Reitz, a defender, has been vital in Rockhurst’s air-tight defense. Reitz was named to the All-Conference second team.

All three are also enjoying strong academic success in the classroom and will be graduating in 2009.

Albrecht’s Plan Provides Magic Instant Experience

For the last 31 years, Meramec men’s basketball coach Randy Albrecht has had a plan. This year is no different. Despite graduating All-American center Bill Brandenburg (Kirkwood) and three other starters, Albrecht has created a season game scheme to hopefully fill the void and perhaps even improve in some areas.

These three transfers, who all have a year of practicing or playing college basketball, will join Drew Moore (Northwest), Alonzo Wrickerson (Webster Groves) and Eddie White (Parkway West), to give the Magic six olayers who are familiar with college basketball.

The transfers signed by Albrecht are Julian Gilliam, a Parkway South graduate redshirted by Southeast Missouri State last year; Ronald Patton, a Kirkwood High star player; and Rodney Ford, who played at junior college power State Fair last year. The moves are designed to provide the Magic with enough firepower and experience to win, and win now.

They did exactly that in the season opener Nov. 1 at home, taking a 51-43 decision over Kaskaskia. The Magic were down 20-17 at the half in an uncharacteristically low-scoring game. But they cranked it up in the second half, going on a 10-0 run to turn a 24-23 deficit into a 33-24 lead and never looked back.

"I think our ballhandling, rebounding and defense can be as good, if not better, than last year," said Albrecht, a member of three halls of fame as a coach."I don’t think our inside scoring will be as good with the loss of Bill Brandenburg. I think our depth will be a little better than last year."

While the returning numbers are small, Albrecht is high on their upside now that the trio has a year’s play under their belts.

"Wrickerson has some leadership ability. He comes out of a really great program at Webster Groves where they won a lot," said Albrecht. "I think he understands what it takes to win. Eddie White was the leading scorer in the Suburban West Conference at Parkway West as a senior. Eddie’s got a lot of different ways to score. Drew Moore’s probably our most improved sophomore. He’s very flexible, he can play almost any position on the court, and that flexibility should help us because we can use a lot of different combinations with Drew."

The trio will lead a group of talented freshmen who will have to mesh quickly on the court. The Magic open at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at home against Junior College Division I Kaskaskia. It doesn’t get any easier in their next game on Nov. 5 when they face national Division I power Southwestern Illinois College.

“I’ve heard they have 11 players who have NCAA Division I capability, so that’s going to be the toughest team we play and that’ll be good for us,” said White. “It’ll be a test for us, so we have to come ready to play like we did last year.”

A few days after those two grueling contests, conference rival Lewis and Clark will visit Nov. 8. The new recruits will get a quick baptism under fire. But for some like guard Danny Ortiz (Fort Zumwalt South), they’ve already tasted pressure.

“He’s played four games on the big court in Columbia at the University of Missouri,” said Albrecht. “He’s won regional championships, district championships, sectional championships, so he has had a good exposure to basketball.”

Beside the experience in pressure situations, versatility could be the other key asset for the Magic. The squad has several players who can adapt as need be.

“We have a lot of players who can do more than one thing,” said White. “We don’t have players who are just strictly good point guards or just strictly shooting guards, or post-up players. We have big men who can play a little bit of guard, help bring the ball down the court. We have guards who can post up a little bit. We’re more than one dimensional, we’re multi-dimensional.”

 

Women’s Hoops Season Opener Set For Nov. 5 vs. McKendree JV

Seventh-year head coach Steve Jarvis will try a combination of speed and size for the 2008-09 season, as the Magic try to improve on a 15-16 mark from last year. The Magic open at home at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5, against the McKendree University junior varsity squad.

“We, like always, are going to have to play pretty hard,” said Jarvis. “We’re looking at combinations, we’d like to still get the ball up and down the court. We might be pressing a little bit more than we have in the past couple years.”

Pressing and combinations will open up thanks to a mix of returning and new talent. Three returning players will key the squad in different ways. Guard Capri Savage (Orofino, Idaho) will be looked to for offense and leadership. The sophomore provided both last season with a 13 points and five rebounds per game average. She also was a prolific 3-point shooter, sinking 80 total during the season at a 43 percent clip.

“I think she has the potential to be another All-American candidate for us,” said Jarvis of Savage. “She had several games last year where she scored a lot of points and we need her to shoot the basketball. That’s going to free a lot of things up for us when she’s on and knocking down 3-pointers.”

Sophomore Cynthia Abernathy (Timberland) will also be running the floor again, back as a center/forward. The third returner is Molly Zehner (Oakville), who will be in a unique assignment of playing a position she’s never played before -- point guard.

“I never was a ball handler in high school. I was always down low in the key, so it’s something I’m not really used to but I can handle it,” said Zehner.

Getting used to each other will be the key to settling in for a successful season according to Zehner, a team captain along with Savage.

“We’re pretty quick, so we need to keep under control with our quickness and strengthen our ball handling, really get used to one another’s style of play and be able to know when someone’s going to be open, what they’re going to be able to do with the ball when they get it,” said Zehner.

The ball will hopefully get controlled in the paint by a pair of twin towers in addition to the 6-0 Abernathy. Latavia Doss (Francis Howell) at 5-10 will be joined by the 5-11 Artetasha Barry (Hazelwood East). Coach Jarvis welcomes the height and feels the three will complement one another.

“Doss and Barry will be controlling the inside a little bit more, so that gives Cynthia a little bit more ability to step out and do some other things,” said Jarvis. “We have a little bit more height with those two, a little bit more athletic ability than we had last year, but it’s all relative to what you match up against. If you look to our region opponents, everybody got bigger.”

Athletic ability will be found in guards like Ora Spivey (Hazelwood East), Deidre Davis (Timberland) and Suelin Tang (Trinidad-Tobago). The depth will be needed because three days after the opener against McKendree, nemesis Lewis and Clark will come calling for a 1 p.m. game Saturday, Nov. 8. The Trailblazers have befuddled Meramec with a lengthy win streak dating back to the ‘90s against the Magic.

“Lewis and Clark’s going to be tough,” said Jarvis. “They came in with a very high ranking (sixth) in the preseason poll, and are quite deserving because they finished up strong last year and just missed going to the tournament because of the tough region they’re in. They’re going to be a handful. They’re a pressing team and come after you all the time.”

Following Lewis and Clark, the team travels to Kansas for the Highland Classic, playing a pair of games Nov. 14-15. The key to winning may be a simple one.

“We have to be mentally focused -- we have to stay focused and just play our game instead of running with everybody else,” said Savage. “We all really want to win. We’ve been working hard.”

Wrestlers Open Season at Lindenwood Open With Pair of Titles

Opening what they hope will be a national championship season, the wrestling team opened its season Nov. 1 at the Lindenwood University Open. Returning national champion Aaron Senzee (Kearney, Mo.) won a first place medal at 141 pounds, while returning All-America Donald Woods (McCluer North) finished first at 165 pounds.

Winning a second-place medal was Colin Pierce (Kearney, Mo.) at 133, and T.T. Prather (North Myrtle Beach) at 125. Third-place medals went to two other grapplers at 125: Craig Chiles (Hillsboro) and Lillashawn Coleman (Oak Park, Ill.). The Lindenwood Open is a hotbed of action, with 20 colleges competing in a meet that lasts about 11 hours.

The Magic are coming off an historic season in which they finished second at the NJCAA National Tournament,had three individual national champions, and seven All-Americans. They’re guided by Hallof Fame Coach Ron Mirikitani, now in his 39th season.

“We have a good bunch of kids coming in,” said Mirikitani. “When you look at them weight-by-weight, if everyone’s eligible and healthy, I think we probably have a little better team than last year, so that’s exciting to me. I think it’s every coach’s goal to win a national title. We were close last year, but I don’t think I would have given up a second place to have three national champions.”

And “better” means upgrading several weight classes from last season. Pierce, a four-time high school state champion from the Kansas City, Mo., area, should substantially improve the 133 slot. Prayther (a two-time state champ), Coleman and Chiles will make 125 a battleground for a starting spot.

“They wrestle off for positions,” said Mirikitani. “It makes each guy sharper because they can’t slack off because the guy behind them is going to be pushing them.”

Entering from Poway, Calif., is Anthony Almanza at 157, who has placed at state four times. The Magic will also be strong at 197 thanks to Travis Pettingill (Kearsley, Mich.), who was an undefeated state champion his final prep year and also finished second at the Senior Nationals. Kendall May from Farmington, a second-place state medalist as a prep senior, adds depth at 197.

At heavyweight Rudy Spaulding (Hesperia, Mich.) will anchor the squad. He’s a four-time state medalist and finished in the top 12 at the Senior Nationals. Andy Springer (Collinsville, Ill.), who finished sixth at state in high school, will also compete.

The revamped lineup according to Mirikitani is largely due to his son, Dave, a volunteer assistant coach who handles recruiting. And, loading the lineup with proven winners makes an enormous difference from a mental standpoint.

“We’ve always been competitive, but Dave has done an outstanding job of just getting the top-notch kids,” said Ron Mirikitani. “We always got kids who were state champions and made the national tournament. Dave now is getting kids who won the national tournament. When you get kids at that level, they have a certain kind of mentality -- they know how to win, they want to win.”

The team travels to Wisconsin for the Pointer Open on Nov. 8, followed by the tough Central Missouri State Open in Warrensburg on Nov. 16. They’ll finish the month in equally fierce competition with the University of Missouri Open in Columbia, battling some of the best junior college and four year Div. I programs from around the Midwest.

Wrestling’s Davis Receives Posthumous Hall of Fame Honor

Todd Davis, a wrestler at Meramec from 2004-06, was honored in ceremonies Oct. 26 in Blue Springs, Mo., where he was posthumously inducted into the Missouri Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall Of Fame. Davis, a member of the U.S. Army, perished in action in Iraq earlier this year.

Magic head coach Ron Mirikitani attended the event. “His whole family was there, and his aunt who raised him was there and she gave a really, really nice speech for him. It was very touching and very good,” said Mirikitani.

His family also received the Medal of Courage at the event. Davis was the first collegiate All-American wrestler from Lee's Summit High School (Kansas City, Mo.), earning the honor at nationals in 2006. Mirikitani recalled the determination with which Davis lived his life.

“He was really a hard worker, very dedicated,” said Mirikitani. "I told his high school coach, ‘You didn’t know this, but when he came here his sophomore year we recruited another kid from Oklahoma, one of the top recruits in the state there. I wasn’t sure if Todd could make the team at that weight class, but Todd beat the Oklahoma kid at every wrestle-off.’ That’s the kind of life he lived -- very dedicated -- and he wasn’t going to be beaten."