Magic sports you won’t be cheering for anymore
By: Spencer Gleason
-Sports Editor-
The endpoint in a long line of history in the STLCC athletic programs has become reality for six sports between three of the four STLCC campuses.
Effective July 1, 2010, STLCC-Meramec lost women’s volleyball, men’s soccer and men’s wrestling. The STLCC-Forest Park and STLCC-Florissant Valley campuses each lost their baseball programs, as well as men’s and women’s track and field at Florissant Valley.
These athletic cuts were made because the college must lower its operating budget by more than $1 million for the next fiscal year, according to a press release. The drop in athletics will save the college approximately $200,000.
“There were several plans that were considered,” said Stephen Petersen, Ed.D., former vice president of student affairs at Meramec in a Nov. 2009 interview. “The two proposals that were left at the end of the conversation went on to the chancellor and she chose between the two. To her credit, she chose the more generous one, retaining five teams [per campus] as opposed to something less than that.”
Meramec’s remaining five athletic programs are men’s baseball, women’s softball, men’s and women’s basketball and women’s soccer.
“The other proposal would have saved a few more dollars,” said Petersen, “because it would have eliminated a few more teams, but she chose the more generous one, in keeping the five teams per campus. We all thank her for that.”
Of the three sports Meramec has lost, nearly 60 percent of those student athletes will be entering their second year at Meramec in the fall of 2010. For student athletes who had scholarships, the school will still recognize them, even if their sport is no longer offered at any STLCC campus. However, if their sport is offered at a sister campus of Meramec, they may still participate at either Forest Park or Florissant Valley.
Alicia Eubanks, who just finished her sophomore year at Meramec as part of the volleyball team will be transferring to Central Methodist University.
“I know several of the girls who were in their first year at Meramec will be transferring to Central Methodist, too,” said Eubanks. “Another girl moved back home. She had transferred from another school, but was at Meramec to play volleyball.”
According to Eubanks, only a couple of the former volleyball players are staying at Meramec.
“One girl transferred sports and is going to play women’s soccer for Coach Karl. Another girl will be staying at Meramec because of their stenographer program.”
The Meramec Magic, Forest Park Highlanders and Florissant Valley Norseman will continue to support their five remaining athletic programs. Although, the future of returning the lost sports back to their campuses does not look promising.
“My guess is that it’s unlikely that any of the sports being eliminated now will ever be reconstituted,” said Petersen in 2009. “That’s not to say we wouldn’t like to, but I don’t think that’s likely to happen within the next five to seven years. Beyond that it’s anybody’s guess, because the environment of the college, the environment of the economy and everything changes dramatically.”
As if by magic, student athletes and coaches have the ability to rise above a disheartening scenario and turn it into a positive experience for everyone and for the past several years, every sport at Meramec has had a winning record.
In the athletic years of 2009-2010, women’s volleyball, men’s soccer and men’s wrestling did just that—they went out on top.
Women’s volleyball finished the year with a 22-16 record. The men’s soccer team finished at 16-4-1 and captured their second Regions XVI Championship this decade. Coach Brian Smugala was named Regions XVI Coach of the Year for the 2009 season.
The wrestling Magic sent eight wrestlers to the national championships in Des Moines, Iowa. Deron Winn stood with a gold medal in hand.
He was the last champ.
