Category: KCKCC

KCKCC’s Stambersky named one of three national coach of year finalists

Valerie Stambersky (KCKCC photo)

by Alan Hoskins  

Kansas City Kansas Community College coach Valerie Stambersky is one of three finalists for National WBCA Basketball Coach of the Year.

Named in honor of legendary Tennessee women’s coach Pat Summitt, the inaugural Pat Summit Trophy will presented at the Fourth Annual WBCA (Women’s Basketball Coaches Association) Awards Show to be held during the NCAA Women’s Final Four in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, April 7.

Trenia Tillis Jones of Tyler Junior College and 2009 Coach of the Year Ned Mircetic of Ventura College are the other finalists for the 2014 Russell Athletic-WBCA Community College Coach of the Year award which will be announced in the Broadway Ballroom of the Omni Nashville Hotel.

“I’m a little lost for words; it’s a great honor,” Stambersky said. “My assistant, Shaun Burki, told me I had been nominated and I laughed. But then I received an email informing me I was a finalist and was totally shocked.”

Stambersky will be accompanied by her husband, Damian Stambersky, and their two children, 6-year-old son Taylor and 4-year-old daughter, Tyler, at the Women’s Final Four.

“In her 15 years at KCKCC, coach Stambersky has done things the right way,” Burki said. “She’s certainly helped me grow as a coach and as a person and I hope that all of her hard work and passion will come to fruition and she’ll win the national coach of the year award I believe she rightly deserves.”

In addition to her coaching duties, Stambersky is the assistant athletic director. Those responsibilities include maintaining the college’s athletic website and campus wide communications.

The winningest coach in KCKCC history with 183 victories, Stambersky’s 2013-2014 team recorded a career best 24-8 record with six of the eight losses to teams ranked in the top four nationally.

Three of the losses came to Highland, which lost in overtime in the national championship game; two to Johnson County, which finished No. 2 in the national rankings; and one to North Iowa, which was No. 1 in the final rankings.

The Blue Devils gave national runnerup Highland a huge scare in the semifinals of the Region VI tournament before a late comeback fell short in a 62-58 loss at Highland.

“Another minute and I think we could have got it into overtime,” Burki said.

The 24 wins are the most since KCKCC finished fifth in the nation with a 35-2 record in 1997. Averaging 74.8 points, the Lady Blue Devils were also the highest scoring team since 1997 while holding opponents to 59.7 points per contest.

Balance was a key to the success with nine players averaging 6.2 or more points a game. With only three sophomores and the only returning starter (Samantha Hurst) lost for the season in the 11th game of the year, the Blue Devils were still 14-1 in December and despite being without their top two scorers for the first five games of January, they still won four of five. Seven of this year’s top nine scorers and rebounders will return next season.

“The WBCA congratulates these coaches on being named finalists for the Pat Summitt Trophy present to the 2014 Russell Athletic-WBCA Junior-Community Coach of the Year,” WBCA CEO Beth Bass said. “Each coach helped lead their team to an outstanding season and was selected by their peers to be candidates for this honor. On behalf of the WBCA and its members, I wish all of the finalists the best of luck at the WBCA Awards Show in Nashville.”

This is the first year the award will bear Summitt’s name and is the only national coach of the year award to do so. The winningest basketball coach (men’s or women’s) in NCAA Division I history with 1,098 career victories, Summitt stepped down as head coach in April 2012 after leading the Lady Vols to eight NCAA Division I national championships. She was named Division I national coach of the year three times.

Russell Athletic and the WBCA annually recognizes six national coaches of the year – NCAA Division I, II and II, NAIA, junior-community college and high school. It is the 32nd year that the WBCA has honored the junior-community college coach of the year. The late Kurt Budke, who got his coaching start at KCKCC, was the 1995 Coach of the Year while at Trinity Valley. B.J. Smith of Highland was the 2012 recipient.

Registration open for Blue Devil 5K run-walk and kids trot

by Kelly Rogge

Kansas City Kansas Community College is getting ready to become more active and is inviting the community to do the same.

“The goal of the Blue Devil 5k and Kids Trot is to get the Kansas City Kansas community more active,” said Joe Mundt, trainer at the KCKCC Wellness and Fitness Center. “Having the event each year helps students and staff at KCKCC as well as the community to stay more active and see the benefits of a regular exercise program.”

The Blue Devil 5K, which is in its 10th year, is at 8 a.m. May 3.

The course winds through the KCKCC campus on the roads, walking paths and sidewalks.

The 4th annual Kids Trot follows at 9 a.m. and is geared toward children 11-years and younger. Registration for the 5K is $20 per person and $5 for the Kids Trot, if submitted by March 31. Registration includes a T-shirt, goodie bag and pancake breakfast following the event.

After March 31, but before April 15, the registration fee is $25. Late registration, which is after April 15, is $30. Registration for the Kids Trot increases to $10 after March 31.

About 200 people participated in the 5K and Kids Trot in 2013.

“The money raised is put back into our community by making improvements to the campus walking trail, which is used by many community members,” Mundt said. “Also, the event helps to promote out KCKCC Wellness and Fitness Center, which is open to the community for use.”

Awards will be given to the top overall male and female finishers. In addition, the winner of each age group will receive and award and a prize.

Activities will be provide for the children between 7:30 and 9 a.m. by childcare volunteers, so parent can participate in the 5K run-walk. Starting at 9 a.m., children in the Kids Trot run in heats based on age groups. Distances will range from 25 meters to one-quarter of a mile.

“People should sign up for the 5k and Kids Trot to help motivate them to take their exercise plan to the next level. If you are just wanting to start a walking program or running a 5k makes it easier because you have something to train for, there is a reason behind all of exercising,” Mundt said. “People should sign their kids up for the Kids Trot to get them more active and teach them that exercise can be fun. Also, it makes for a great family event that will make memories.”

For more information about the Blue Devil 5K Run-Walk and Kids Trot, visit www.kckcc.edu/studentLife/wfc/5kfunrunwalk.aspx.

Information is also available by calling the KCKCC Wellness and Fitness Center at 913-288-7610. An entry form must be filled out for each registrant. Registration is accepted through online registration, in person at the KCKCC Wellness Center or by fax to 913-288-7527.

Kelly Rogge is the public information supervisor at Kansas City Kansas Community College.

KCKCC raps out 48 hits but splits four weekend games

 by Alan Hoskins

Kansas City Kansas Community College rapped out 48 hits in four games over the weekend but still had to settle for splits in doubleheaders with Jayhawk Conference rivals Pratt and Dodge City.

The Lady Blue Devils won the opener in both doubleheaders, defeating Pratt 6-1 and Dodge City 5-3 before losing to Pratt 5-4 and Dodge City 6-2.

The splits left the Blue Devils 8-6 in conference play and 12-6 overall heading into a doubleheader at first place Highland (15-1) Tuesday.

KCKCC then returns home to play host to Maple Woods Friday at 2 and 4 p.m. and a University of Kansas club team Saturday at 1-3 p.m.

Freshman centerfielder Justice Scales led the offense, collecting two hits in each game and driving in four runs while third baseman Lacey Santiago and leftfielder Mierra Morisette each had seven hits.

Leslie Ford, the winning pitcher in both games, helped her own cause with six hits while Amanda Holroyd and Hanna Barnhart each had five.

Ford allowed just four hits, struck out eight and no earned runs in the 6-1 win over Pratt.

Trailing 1-0 in the second, KCKCC scored twice on back-to-back doubles by Morisette and Ashley Henington and an RBI single by Ford and then made it 4-1 in the fourth on a run-scoring double by Laura Vanderheiden and an RBI triple by Scales following Megan Dike’s leadoff single.

The final two runs scored in the sixth following leadoff singles by Ford and Vanderheiden.

Pratt broke a 4-4 deadlock in the top of the seventh of the nightcap, scoring on three singles against Ford, who allowed just four hits and the one run while fanning five in 3.2 innings of relief.

KCKCC took a 3-1 lead, scoring twice in the first on singles by Santiago, Scales and Barnhart and once in the second on Santiago’s two-out hit.

Pratt went ahead 4-3 in the fourth but KCKCC tied it on another Santiago hit following a leadoff single by Ford.

The Blue Devils backed Ford’s 7-hit pitching with 16 hits in the 5-3 win over Dodge City as Santiago and Morisette each had three and Scales, Ford and Megan Dike two each.

KCKCC took a 2-0 lead in the first on singles by Santiago and Morisette, Holroyd’s sacrifice fly and Barnhart’s double and added two more in the second on Scales’ two-out single following hits by Ford and Dike.

A two-run home run in the sixth inning by Amanda Holroyd was the lone highlight in the 6-2 loss to Dodge City. Elizabeth Seimears took the loss, giving up 12 hits.

“Elizabeth pitched well enough to win but our defense gave them a couple of runs,” said KCKCC coach Kacy Tillery. “But we continue to swing the bats with Santiago and Scales at the top of the order and Morisette, Holroyd and Barnhart in the middle.”