Johnson County Community College
Press Release

College Information and Publications
913-469-8500
Julie Haas, Director, ext. 3120
Peggy Graham, Writer, ext. 3425
Tyler Cundith, Sports Information Director, ext. 3122

7/13/2007
Story by Tyler Cundith

JCCC adds another chapter to its athletic tradition

OVERLAND PARK, KS -- Johnson County Community College has a long and proud tradition of excellence in many areas, including a legacy of athletic excellence.  This past year, JCCC teams and athletes added another amazing chapter to the school’s list of accomplishments, capped by finishing third in the nation in the Pepsi/The National Alliance of Two Year College Athletic Administrators Cup Award which recognizes program program excellence in two-year college athletics at the national level.  JCCC has a sixth-place, second-place and two third-place finishes in the four-year history of the award.

“This award is a tribute to the athletes and coaches for their hard work and dedication to JCCC,” JCCC athletics director Carl Heinrich said.  “They have lived up to the expectations and mission of the school.  It was another great year for JCCC.”

At the conclusion of the spring 2007 season, all 18 NJCAA sanctioned teams at JCCC qualified for postseason or championship play.  Fourteen of those teams qualified for their national tournament, with 12 finishing in the top 10 in the country.  Seventeen of the 18 teams were ranked at some point before, during or after the season.  JCCC teams won five conference titles, and finished runner-up six times.  The Cavaliers won seven Region VI championships, and had two second-place finishes.  Individually, JCCC athletes earned 92 All-America honors, 131 All-Region VI honors and 166 were named as an all-conference athlete.

Freshman distance runner Christa Heideman had an amazing year, and is well on her way to becoming the most decorated athlete in JCCC history.  In the fall, Heideman led the women’s cross country team to second-place finish at cross country nationals and a national title at the half marathon championship, earning All-American in both events.  During the indoor and outdoor track and field season, Heideman earned seven All-American honors, four indoors and three during the outdoor campaign.  She enters her sophomore campaign as a nine-time All-American, two shy of the all-time mark of 11 held by Marti Cisper and Amy Gouchner.  

Fans of JCCC’s women’s soccer program witnessed the greatest scoring tandem in team history, and in NJCAA history.  The Cavaliers had four players finish in the top 21 in scoring, including the top two scorers nationally.  Freshman Rachelle Luster and Danielle Blevins finished one-two with 103 and 102 points scored.  They are the only players in team history to top 100 points in a single season.  Freshman Emily Leeper was fourth overall nationally with 79 points, and freshman Courtney Cowan was ranked 21st scoring 53 points on the season.   Luster and Blevins earned NJCAA All-America honors, while Leeper joined Luster as a NSCAA All-American.

National champion in 2005, the JCCC volleyball team returned to nationals in 2006, and came away with a ninth-place showing.  After a tough opening round defeat, the Cavaliers stormed back three straight wins.  Six sophomore saw their careers come to a close, including one of the country’s top liberos Katie Latenser, who earned All-American as a freshman and sophomore.  Additionally she shattered season and career record digs at JCCC.  Her 1,391 digs were 648 greater than the previous career mark.

Staying on the court, the JCCC men’s and women’s basketball teams had another championship season, both claiming Region VI titles.  The men’s team went on to win Districts, and advance to the national tournament, its first appearance since winning the title in 2001.    Both teams witnessed its star player top 1,000 points for a career.   Aaron Linn on the men’s squad moved into the No. 3 spot all-time in scoring with 1,113 points.  Katy Davenport became just the third player to top 1,000 points at JCCC, and her total of 1,293 rank second all-time.  Both players earned NJCAA All-American, and were selected the JCCC Male and Female Athletes of the Year.

On the track, the JCCC men’s team made history by placing third at the indoor championships, followed by a fourth-place finish outdoors.  Both finishes are the best in the 23-year history of the program.  Prior to the indoor national championships, the team captured the region title, the second in school history.  

The men’s tennis team registered its best finish in a Division I National Championship, placing fourth overall.   Zach Frisch and Quentin Peterson-Paul led the way, winning a national championship at No. 1 doubles.  The pair defeated the top team from Collin County in straight sets.  Frisch and Peterson-Paul are the first number one doubles team from JCCC to win a national championship.  Both players earned NJCAA All-American. Frisch also earned ITA All-American in singles, finishing the season ranked among the top 10 players in the country.

The softball team also recorded its best finish in a NJCAA national tournament, placing second at the 2007 Fastpitch Championship.  The Cavaliers lost the title game to Phoenix College, on the nation’s top-ranked team.   Four members of the softball team were selected to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America team.  Freshman first baseman Krista Cummings of Liberty, Mo., and sophomore pitcher Emily Dye of Raymore, Mo., earned first-team honors, and sophomore catcher Aubree Brattin of Lee’s Summit, Mo., and sophomore third baseman Tiffany Carter of Lenexa, Kan., were selected to the second-team.  Cummings also earned first-team NJCAA All-American.
    
Cummings set a new school record with 17 home runs this season.  That total also ranks second on JCCC’s career chart, and ranks her fourth in the country.  Cummings hit for a .429 average (75-for-175), and ranked tied for 27th nationally in runs batted in with 52.  Dye was JCCC’s top pitcher in 2007, posting  a 20-5 record with an earned run average of 1.42.  She also led the squad with 145 strikeouts in 172 innings of work.  Dye recorded a team-high nine shutouts, including a 3-0 shutout over Phoenix College at nationals, forcing an extra game to determine the 2007 national champion.    Brattin posted a batting average of .359 (60-for-167), and recorded a fielding percentage of .996 from her catcher’s position.  She had just one error, and nailed nearly 50 percent of players attempting to steal.  She finished second in the Diamond Sports Catcher of the Year voting for 2007.  Carter was JCCC’s top hitter for average in 2007, hitting at a .442 clip, which tied for 33rd in the NJCAA.  Carter ripped 73 hits and drove in a a team high 62 runners, which ranked her tied for eighth nationally.

Matt Salome of the JCCC golf team posted the top season in program history, breaking the scoring mark with a 74.0 stroke average.  He earned first-team all-conference and led JCCC to a 12-place finish at nationals placing in a tie for 22nd overall.  JCCC had four other join Salome as an all-conference performer.  Freshman Mike Greene earned first-team honors as well, and freshman Mike Elafros, sophomore Andrew Manley and freshman Nate Sargent were second-team players.  

However, at JCCC, excellence is not limited to just team and individual athletic accolades.  In addition to producing great teams, JCCC produced quality individuals.  The coached demand their athletes strive to be the best they can be, not only in the realm of the sport, but also in the classroom.  

“JCCC is committed to developing a well-rounded athlete, and that has paid dividends over the history of the program,” said Heinrich.

In June 2006, a total of 16 JCCC student-athletes were named as NJCAA Academic All-American, the most in the country.  This year, JCCC had 13 earn that distinction, and should again be ranked among the highest in the NJCAA.