While offering baseball, softball and women’s soccer at Meramec; men’s and women’s basketball at STLCC-Forest Park; men’s soccer and women’s volleyball at STLCC-Florissant Valley, the Archers look to keep STLCC united as one.
By: Brian Haenchen
– Staff Writer –
BASEBALL
Archers’ valiant run at Region XVI title falls short
Second-seeded Crowder College ended the Archers’ season with a 4-3 victory in the Region XVI semifinals.
After dropping their first game of the tournament to third-seeded Maple Woods Community College, STLCC responded with three consecutive victories. Riding a wave of momentum, the Archers looked to upset Crowder College and advance to their first Region XVI finals. Unfortunately, the Archers were unable to keep their season alive, falling to second-seeded Roughriders 4-3.
Freshmen Mike Ehrhard and Matt Weiss led the Archers offensively, finishing with averages of .369 and .341, respectively. The infield duo also combined for 77 RBI and 52 extra-base hits.
While a pair of newcomers led the offense, it was a group of sophomores who accounted for more than three-quarters of the team’s innings pitched. Mike Krumm, Andrew Reidt, Eric Tiefenthaler, Brian Schwabe, Cody Kennedy, Tim Eason and Ian Miller logged 308 2/3 of the Archers’ 401 2/3 innings pitched. Krumm, who pitched 57 1/3 of those innings, led the team with 50 strikeouts.
The Archers finished the season with a record of 30-31.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Archers finish season ranked 15th in the nation
Region XVI Player of the Year Ryun Davis led all scorers with a career-high 33 points, but it was not enough for the no. 15 Archers who fell to Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley 87-75 in the Region XVI Tournament championship game.
In addition to his Region Player of the Year honors, Davis, who averaged 17 points and eight rebounds per game, was named first team NJCAA All-America, first team all-Midwest Community College Athletic Conference (MCCAC) and first team all-Region XVI.
STLCC Coach Randy Albrecht was named 2011-12 MCCAC Coach of the Year after he led the Archers to a 22-7 finish.
Toraino Hellems (13.4 PPG, 3.5 RPG), Kyle Rice (8.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG) and Jordan Jones (7.3 PPG, 2.2 RPG) joined Davis on the all-Region XVI first team. Hellems, Jones and Davis, who played for Albrecht last year at Meramec, graduated with an overall record of 52-15 at STLCC.
MEN’S SOCCER
Archers look to rebound under new head coach
The Archers’ season came to a conclusion with a 4-1 loss to Crowder College in the opening round of the Region XVI Tournament. STLCC finished the year 6-11.
In addition to the team’s 13 graduating sophomores, the Archers lost Head Coach Mike Mayberry, who stepped down after three years. Mayberry’s replacement, Dan O’Keefe, played professionally for six different teams in 10 years and coached the women’s team at Florissant Valley following the conclusion of his playing career. O’Keefe has worked with the Scott Gallagher Soccer Club for the past 15 years.
SOFTBALL
Pitching staff nearly leads STLCC to Region XVI Title
STLCC suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to East Central College in the Region XVI championship game.
It was the fourth time in 2012 that the Archers had been shut out. They finished the season with a record of 27-23.
Six Archers players earned first-team All-Region honors, including leading vote-getter Tory Ellis.
Ellis, who is also up for NJCAA All-America honors, batted .345 and led her team with 43 RBI and 42 runs scored. The sophomore second baseman also accounted for 11 of the team’s 20 home runs.
First team All-Region selections Samantha Deen and Dani Whitehead led the Archers on the mound, combining for nearly 300 innings pitched and 26 of the team’s victories. The sophomore duo racked up 144 strikeouts and posted a combined ERA of 4.23.
Sophomore Jennifer Ridenhour (.342/15 RBI/33 R) and Kelley Bridgmon (.345/32 RBI/37 R), as well as freshman Jessica Neider (.293/21 RBI/32 R) also garnered first team all-region honors.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Archers reach NJCAA Tournament
Led by a young core of players, the no. 20 Archers swept through the Region XVI Tournament, knocking off Cottey College in round one and Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley in the tournament finals. Their regional championship run gave the Archers a berth in the NJCAA Tournament. It was the second straight national tournament appearance for Region XVI Coach of the Year Shelly Ethridge.
Archers freshman Shakaunna Futrell led all scorers with 18 points, but it was not enough for the Archers who were relegated to the consolation bracket with their 65-61 loss.
STLCC was unable to bounce back from its opening round loss, falling to Chesapeake Community College 60-54 in its consolation game.
The Archers finished the season at 20-10 and boasted four players on the all-Region XVI team.
Freshmen Cierra Gaines (12.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG), Futrell (11.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG) and Datona Ball (12.7 PPG, 7.1 RPG) were named to first team all-Region XVI, while sophomore Shonnisha Davis garnered second team honors.
Gaines and Futrell were also named to the all-MCCAC first team, with Davis earning an honorable mention.
As a team, the Archers received the 2011-12 MCCAC Sportsmanship Award.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Archers end season above .500
The Archers outscored their opponents 27-4 through their first five games en route to a 4-1 start to the season. However, a rash of injuries and struggles in goal quickly cooled off the Archers, who lost their next three games by a combined score of 13-4.
Despite these early season struggles, STLCC managed to stay above the .500 mark and entered the Region XVI tournament as the fourth seed.
Second-seeded Metropolitan Community College-Blue River overpowered the Archers in the championship game, netting three first-half goals en route to a 3-0 victory, effectively ending STLCC’s season. The Archers finished the year at 11-10.
Sophomore forward, Erica Kaiping, who added seven assists to go along with her team-leading 14 goals scored, was one of three STLCC players named to the MCCAC All-Conference First team. Sophomore defenders Allison Ring (4 points) and Lauren Spina (1 assist) were both named to the first team, while freshman midfielders Katie Lanciault (3 G, 7 A, 13 points) and Katie Foytlin (5 G, 17 A, 27 points), as well as freshman forward Brittany Russell garnered second team honors.
VOLLEYBALL
Lady Archers end season on a roll
After struggling to find the win column in their first 11 games, the Lady Archer volleyball team ended the season winning three of their final six games, giving them an overall record of 7-24.
Entering the Region XVI Tournament as the No. 4 seed, the Archers battled the No. 5 seeded Cottey College Comets. The Comets, who ended STLCC-Florissant Valley Fury’s season in 2010, came into the tournament with a record of 5-20.
The Archers kept their momentum rolling, defeating the Comets, three games to two, in the opening round of the Region XVI Tournament. Moving on to the semifinals, the Archers faced the top seeded East Central Falcons. However, they lost to the Falcons in three straight matches, 10-25, 17-25, 13-25, effectively ending their season.
Sophomores Allie Walls-Lisi, Chelsea Higgins and Amanda Kearns were named to the All-Region and All-Conference teams.
