Larry Nickel
Contributor
Because of Lewis and Clark Community College’s dedication to a quality sports program, most of L&C athletes go on to four-year universities.
Assistant Soccer Coach and Advisor Ryan Hodge said that all sports are important to this school.
“It gives us a more diverse population on our campus with players from all over the world brought into play the numerous sports we have on campus,” Hodge said. “It also gives us better student life on campus. We have more events for our student population to take part in or to show up and support.”
Hodge said four-year college coaches come out to Lewis and Clark Community College to watch L&C athletes play.
“We have coaches from all over the United States come out and watch our athletes,” Hodge said “Coaches are looking for experienced college players that can come in and make an impact right away and junior college players can do that. Lewis and Clark provides a great opportunity for athletes to receive a very good scholarship at the next level as long as they take care of business on the field and in the classroom.”
Several L&C athletes have transferred or are working to transfer to a four-year university.
Nicole Howard, who recently transferred from L&C to Louisiana State University, was honored by becoming an All-American and Player of the year during the 2015 season.
Howard began playing soccer in kindergarten at the age of 5, according to www.lc.edu.
Howard said the highlight of her time playing at Rolla Senior High School in Rolla, Missouri, was getting career victories number 600 and 700 for her dad, Mike Howard, who coached her high school soccer team.
L&C Head Men’s and Women’s Soccer Coach Tim Rooney said Howard was the best soccer player he has ever seen, and she had an outstanding career during
her stint here.
Bailey McGuire was an honor student and volleyball Player of the Year at Roxana High School in 2013, but in November of that year, she suffered a traumatic brain injury from a car accident and spent over a month in the hospital, as stated in the spring 2016 edition of L&C Discover.
McGuire said she got recruited to Lewis and Clark Community College.
“I was approached by former Volleyball coach Jim Hunstein to play here at Lewis and Clark Community College my senior year at Roxana,” McGuire said.
She is currently enrolled in the dual enrollment at L&C; which is in an agreement with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, that allows a student to be enrolled in both institutions at the same time.
Katie DeLuka said she was originally recruited to go Maryville University, but she suffered an injury and had surgery on her arm. She would like to transfer to a four-year college, like Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Her parents urged her to play softball.
“My mom played Division 1 at Western Illinois University and professionally and her Dad also played on a Fast pitch Softball team,” DeLuka said. “Softball is a big deal in my family.”
To learn more about L&C sports, visit www.lc.edu.
