Category: Sports

by Alan Hoskins
A tailgate party Wednesday will kick off the opening week of home athletic events at Kansas City Kansas Community College.

The tailgate party will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. Wednesday in the pavilion adjacent to the south end of the KCKCC Field House and will be followed by KCKCC’s volleyball home opener against Hesston at 6:30 p.m. On Thursday, the Blue Devil soccer teams will be opening their home season, against Coffeyville at 5 p.m. (women) and 7 p.m. (men).

Ranked No. 12 in the first NJCCC Division II poll of the season, the Lady Blue Devil volleyball team will be seeking its sixth win in a row after dropping its season opener to No. 1 Parkland.

Free food, games and music will highlight Wednesday’s tailgate party which will also offer a chance for signup with the Blue Crew, a student body organization supporting all Blue Devil athletic teams.

“We’re inviting everyone to stay for the volleyball game,” said Andrica Wilcoxen, event organizer, who said several giveaways will be held during the volleyball game.

The Blue Crew will also be hosting KCKCC’s first Alumni Weekend Oct. 17-20, which will feature home soccer, softball and baseball.

by Alan Hoskins

Kansas City Kansas Community College will begin its third season of women’s soccer with its highest hopes yet.

“I’m excited. I’m really looking forward to this year,” said Alex Mendez, who is in his first year as assistant coach under third year head mentor Ruben Rodriguez. “I know this is going to be a better team than last year.”

The Lady Blue Devils will play host to Coffeyville in the home opener at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4. Coffeyville and the KCKCC men will follow at 7 p.m.

With six returning sophomores, the Lady Blue Devils will have more experience than the first two seasons. Four of the returnees are defenders, Zayra Gonzalez of Lincoln Prep, Torrie Wright of Killeen, Texas, Sonia Reyes of Harmon and Dania Gomez of Wyandotte. They’ll be joined by promising freshmen Chase Holle of Topeka West and Wendy Galvan of Schlagle.

Shayna Thomas of Shawnee Mission North and Krystal Uribe of Wyandotte return as defensive midfielders where they’ll be joined by freshman Emily Soetaert of Tonganoxie. Another Tonganoxie freshman, Madison Simmons, will occupy the attacking midfield position while the right and left midfield spots will be contested by three Kansas City, Mo., frosh, Karla Montes of Alta Vista, Cynthia Conchas of Lincoln Prep and Marissa Alaniz of Cristo Rey.

Friday Landford of Harmon has won the starting forward position while Kennedy Bizzell of Bonner Springs will be in goal, a position Blue Devil coaches believe will be much improved in 2014.

Mendez has been most pleased by the progress of his squad thus far.

“We’re really bonding together and playing as a team. Everyone gets along with each other and that’s important. The things we need to improve on are moving the ball better and playing quicker.”

The Lady Blue Devils have five home contests, all against Jayhawk Conference foes. Following Coffeyville Sept. 4, KCKCC will play host to Neosho County Sept. 23, Cowley Sept. 30, Butler County Oct. 10 and Pratt Oct. 17.

A graduate of Bishop Ward High School, Mendez played soccer at Park University and club soccer in Mexico. He has 15 years of coaching experience at the high school level at Shawnee Mission North and at the club level with the Kansas City Fusion.

Alan Hoskins is the sports information director at KCKCC.

2014 KCKCC Women’s Soccer schedule
Sept. 4 – COFFEYVILLE*, Home, 5 p.m.
Sept. 9 – Barton County*, Away, 2 p.m.
Sept. 11 – Blue River, Away, 2:30 p.m.
Sept. 15 – Maple Woods, Away, 2 p.m.
Sept. 23 – NEOSHO COUNTY*, Home, 6 p.m.
Sept. 26 – Hutchinson*, Away, 3 p.m.
Sept. 30 – COWLEY*, Home, 6 p.m.
Oct. 3-5 – Thunder Duck Tournament, Dallas, Tex.
Oct. 7 – Allen County*, Away, 2 p.m.
Oct. 10 – BUTLER COUNTY*, Home, 6 p.m.
Oct. 14 – Johnson County*, Away, 1 p.m.
Oct. 17 – PRATT*, Home, 5 p.m.
Oct. 21 – Garden City*, Away, 6 p.m.
Oct. 24 – Dodge City*, Away, TBA

2014 KCKCC Women’s Soccer roster

No. Ht. Yr. Pos. Hometown (High School)
9 Kennedy Bizzell 5-9 Fr. K Kansas City, Kan. (Bonner Springs)
2 Wendy Galvan 5-5 Fr. MF Kansas City, Kan. (Schlagle)
3 Torrie Wright 5-2 So. MF Killleen, Texas (Ellison)
4 Chase Holle 5-7 Fr. Def. Kansas City, Kan. (Harmon)
5 Zayra Gonzalez 5-8 So. Def. Kansas City, Mo. (Lincoln Prep)
6 Sonia Reyes 5-3 So. Def. Kansas City, Kan. (Harmon)
7 Friday Landford 5-9 Fr. MF Kansas City, Kan. (Harmon)
9 Karla Montes 5-5 Fr. Fwd. Kansas City, Mo. (Alta Vista)
10 Dania Gomez 5-7 So. MF Kansas City, Kan. (Wyandotte)
11 Krystal Uribe 5-7 So. MF Kansas City, Kan. (Wyandotte)
15 Madison Simmons 5-7 Fr. MF Tonganoxie, Kan. (Tonganoxie)
16 Cynthia Conchas 5-5 Fr. Fwd. Kansas City, Mo. (Lincoln Prep)
17 Emily Soetaert 5-7 Fr. Fwd. Tonganoxie, Kan. (Tonganoxie)
18 Shayna Thomas 5-9 So. MF Shawnee, Kan. (Shawnee Mission North)
24 Marissa Alaniz 5-6 Fr. Def. Kansas City, Mo. (Cristo Rey)
Head coach – Ruben Rodriguez (third season)
Assistant coach – Alex Mendez (first season)