Athletes at Clackamas Community College will take the next step to compete at four-year schools.

With spring term coming to a close , that also means that athletics are going to take a break until next fall. We will be welcoming a new group of freshman athletes come fall, but not before we bid a fond farewell to all of the athletes that are moving on from CCC. With all of the success that athletics had this year they deserve the recognition. For a special few CCC athletes, the ride does not stop here.

“I am so very proud of my Cougars as they have worked hard to prepare themselves for the next level, both academically and in volleyball,” said coach Kathie Woods. “All six of the sophomores that played this year have earned scholarships to play at the next level.”

For a lot of us, CCC is a stepping stone in our college experience. We finish up here and then move on to another school or program. For some of our athletes, it is the same way. A place where you can master your craft, get the experience you need and much more.

“[CCC] really helped me with academics,” said CCC wrestler Robbie Rizzolino. “High school wasn’t my cup of tea. I just came here and they put a good program together for me to succeed in wrestling and in the classroom as well.”

Being a Cougar fan you quickly become aware of how successful our athletic programs are. A lot of that praise can be awarded to the highly successful and experienced coaches we have here. It takes a lot of energy and time to win a championship, which most of our coaches have achieved, but it takes a lot more to still be able to develop and help your athletes along the way.

“It’s prepared me for hard work and that adversity is going to come at any time,” said CCC wrestler Ihoghama Odighizuwa. “I got my technique better. They took me to tournaments that allowed me to show off my abilities.”

Being able to compete at this level while still being able to master your craft is not a luxury that many athletes get. CCC seems to have done a good job with giving their athletes the experience they need to be able to compete at the next level.

“They definitely gave me a taste of what competing against big schools is like,” said CCC poll vaulter Zack Supple. “With track we are able to compete against four year schools, they might not be DI but we compete against a lot of DII, DIII and NAIA schools. So just having that experience at those big meets will help me a lot next year.”

A lot of the athletes touched on the invaluable experience that they gained while being at CCC. Whether it be the program, the coaches or the fellow teammates they had nothing but positivity to convey to me.

“It’s been awesome, this is by far one of the best junior college wrestling programs in the nation,” said CCC wrestler Eleazar Deluca. “Just had awesome workout partners here, awesome coaching. Couldn’t really have asked for a better situation to be honest.”

Story by: Jack Spencer