Parkland College Athletics

Drawing of athlete Parkland College Cobras
Ready to ssssstrike

Cobra News..

5-7-08

Five Softball Players have earned All-Region and All-Conference recognition in a vote by the coaches announced yesterday. Selected to the All-Region team were sophomores: Beth Current (Bloomington HS), Jessica Gourdier (Olympia HS), Shelby Parker (Bloomington HS), and Lindsay Watkins (Olympia HS) as well as freshman Taylor Sloat (Kansas HS). Gourdier, Parker, and Sloat were also named First-Team All-Conference while Kelli McMahon (Westville HS) and Carley Kemmer (GCMS HS) were selected to the 2nd Team, and Morgan Hackman (Northridge HS, In.) was Honorable Mention.

Catcher/Designated Player Shelby Parker led the Cobras in hitting with a .441 average (60-136) and a .547 on-base percentage. She finished the season with 3 HR and 32 RBI was a perfect 8-8 in stolen bases. She was also an All-Region Tournament selection. Sloat, the Cobras shortstop, hit .401 on the season with a .663 slugging percentage. She lead the team in hits with 63 and triples with 5 and was second in RBI with 47, home runs 6, and doubles 13. She hit .500 in M-WAC play scoring a team-high 39 runs while driving in 30.

Gourdier, the season and career home run leader at PC, hit .358 this season with 10 home runs and 53 RBI, tops in both categories. She cracked 9 of her home runs against M-WAC opponents. Beth Current, a mainstay in centerfield for PC, hit. 363 with a .530 on base percentage. She led the team in three categories this season: runs (52), doubles (16), and stolen bases (11). Second baseman, Lindsay Watkins is the final position player honored from PC. The Cobra lead-off hitter, batted .328 and had an on-base percentage of .474. She finished in the top five in five different categories.

On the mound, Kemmer emerged as the Cobra ace and was particularly effective in the Region 24 tourney where won three games and was named to the All-Tourney team. The freshman won 10 games on the season and compiled a team low 1.71 ERA. Fellow freshman Morgan Hackman was a perfect 7-0 this season with a 2.18 ERA and opposing hitters hit just .196 against her this season. Rounding out the pitching honors is McMahon who was 7-5 on the year with a 4.07 ERA. She was at her best in M-WAC play going 6-1 with a save and an ERA of just 2.31.

Congratulations to all of these young ladies on another fine season.

4-28-08

Bob Huey (73-76 149) and Michael Davan (75-76) paced a balanced line-up as the Men's Golf team finished 2nd at the Lewis & Clark Invitational held at the Lock Haven Country Club. Huey finished in 5th place over-all, three strokes behind the co-medalist from Rend Lake, while Davan was five strokes back. Trevor Wiesner (78-87 157), Cam Henio (76-80), and Tim Walters (77-86) rounded out the scores for PC. Tad Lidy (78-77 155) and Matt Koester (77-77 154) competed as individuals in the two-day tournament.

Rend Lake won the title shooting 593 for the 36 hole event, Parkland was second at 611, and ICC came in 3rd with a 630 in the 11 team invite.
Parkland is off until May 11-12 when they will return to Lock Haven for the Region 24 Tournament. The top two teams at the Regional plus the top 5 individuals not on one of those two teams will advance to the National Tournament in Phoenix, AZ. MAy 19-23.

4-26-08

PC scored nine runs in the first two innings as the Cobra Softball team pounded Spoon River 12-1 Friday afternoon in Canton. The second game was canceled due to rain. PC started quicky as the first two runners reached base and scored on a Taylor Sloat double and Jessica Gourdier chased home Sloat with an RBI single. Two outs later, Chelsea Rowe smacked a two-run single to make it 5-0. The Cobras scored four more times in the second using three hits, two walks, and a Mudcat error to score their runs. Sloat paced the attack going 3-4 with 3 3 runs scored and 3 RBI. Gourdier also drove in three runs while Beth Current had two hits and scored three times. Winning pitcher Morgan Hackman improved to (7-0) allowing one run on three hits and striking out four. PC (28-16 19-4) will be off on Saturday before playing their final games of the regular season when they travel to John Wood for a noon doubleheader.

In a game that featured 30 runs, 40 hits, and 11 home runs, it was probably justice that the Parkland and Kankakee baseball teams battled to a wind-blown 10-inning 15-15 tie, called due to darkness. Parkland's Kevin Crane hit a solo home run with two outs and two strikes in the top of the 9th inning and Cobra reliever Brooks Martin struck out the side with the bases loaded in the bottom half to send the game to extra innings. Crane was 5-6 on the game with 2 home runs, 4 runs scored, and 3 runs batted in. Lance Hanmer went 3-6 with a home run and a pair of runs driven in while Nathan Weglarz also had three hits and Michael Bradburn, Dan Kuhne, and Martin all finished with 2.

PC (32-11-1) head to East Peoria for a 1:00 DH. PC starts the day a half game behind leading with just four days left in the regular season.

4-24-08

Jordan Huston hit a 3-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning to give Shawnee a 4-1 win in the opener. Parkland broke on top early in game two with a three-run first to beat the Saints 7-3 in the finale.

Jessica Gourdier and Shelby Parker got the offense started with RBI singles in the first bunched around a SCC error. Shawnee cut it to 3-2 in the 3rd but PC answered back scoring three times in their half of the 4th. Lindsay Watkins drove in one of those runs and added an RBI single in the 6th as well. Parker went 3-4 in the game while Gourdier and Beth Current each collected two hits. Morgan Hackman earned the win allowing no earned runs in four innings of work while Kelli McMahon picked up the save working a strong final three innings.

In the opening game loss, the two teams were scoreless thru regulation but PC broke on top with a run in the top of the 8th. Chelsea Rowe walked with two outs, moved to second on a single by Carley Kemmer, and scored on an RBI single by Lindsay Watkins. Shawnee loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the inning and scored the tying run on a single to left. With the bases still jammed, Cobra reliever Laura Wright struck out the next two hitters to send the game to the 9th. PC stranded runners in scoring position in each of their next three at bats setting up the game winning heroics off the bat of Hutson.

With the split PC is now (25-16 16-4) ahead of two games at Danville Area CC this afternoon.

4-22-08

Both the Parkland Baseball and Softball teams picked up home sweeps of M-WAC opponents as they head into the final week of regular season play. The Women shutout Springfield College in both games winning by the scores of 8-0 and 12-0 while the Baseball team came away with 9-3 and 3-1 wins over Spoon River.

Kelli McMahon (7-6) threw a two-hit shutout in game 1 striking out six Bulldog hitters. Parkland broke the game open scoring four times in the 3rd, 2 coming on a two-run blast off the bat of Jessica Gourdier. Gourdier went 3-3 in the contest scoring twice and driving in four runs. Beth Current also had 2 hits and drove in a pair while Lindsay Watkins reached base all three times and scored three runs. Taylor Sloat was 2-3 with a double, triple, and two runs scored.

Laura Wright (7-6) also allowed just two hits as PC broke open a close game by scoring nine times en route to the 12-0 win. Erin Galloway cracked a two run homer in the inning while Beth Current and Lindsay Watkins also had 2 RBI in the 4th. Several players had big games for PC including Taylor Freeman (3-3 3 runs), Taylor Sloat (2 hits 3 RBI), Lacey Poulson (2 hits 2 runs) and Holly Engelhardt (2 runs 2 RBI).

Parkland (24-15 15-3) will now head on the road for 10 straight games to end the regular season starting with a double header at Shawnee.

The Parkland Baseball team bounced back from a loss on Monday to sweep Spoon River and move back on top of the M-WAC by a half a game over idol Springfield. Leading 2-1, PC scored five times in the opener to put the game away. Four different players drove in runs as PC used 5 hits, a walk, a hit batsmen, and an error to score their runs in the innings. Michael Bradburn led PC hitters going 3-4 with 3 RBI and Nathan Weglarz and Thomas Norris each added two hits. Steve Kuligowski (2-0) went the distance allowing just one earned run while walking none and striking out nine.

PC scored twice in the first inning of game two on back to back singles by Bradburn and Rich Ruff but SRC scratched out a run in the fifth to make it 2-1. Calvin Frey's sacrifice fly scored Drew Brooks who started the 6th with a single to make it 3-1 and Cobra starter and winner Dan Clifford (2-1) retired the side in order in the 7th to seal the win. The sophomore lefty went the distance allowing one run and striking out five.

Parkland (31-11 19-6) will travel to Spoon River for a single game on Thursday starting at 3:00.

4-21-08

The Parkland College Softball team went (3-1) from Friday to Sunday, taking a pair of games versus Robert Morris and earning a hard fought split with Kankakee. The Cobras were rained out of their Saturday doubleheader and on Tuesday will start a string of 12 games in six days.

Friday:

Kankakee 3 Parkland 1 8 inn.

Parkland took a 1-0 lead to the 7th but a two-out two-strike single to left center tied the game at 1. PC threatened in the bottom of the inning, but failed to push across the winning run. KCC scored twice in the top of the eighth and PC again put two runners on base in the bottom half but could not get the key to tie the contest. Shelby Parker had 2 hits and drove in the lone Cobra run.

Parkland 5 Kankakee 3

Laura Wright (6-6) tossed a three hitter and allowed just three runs (all on home runs). PC took control early scoring twice in the first on RBI singles by Jessica Goudier and Parker. Beth Current tripled in the second to drive in Lindsay Watkins to make it 3-1. PC scored two more times in the 5th as Lacey Poulson and Chelsea Rowe each had RBI singles. KCC scored twice late but could get no closer that the final two-run margin. PC shortstop Taylor Sloat suffered a broken nose in the contest after a foul ball off her own bat came back to hit her at the top of the nose. Her replacement, Taylor Freeman went 4-4 in the game and scored a run while Gourdier had 3 hits and Kali Haussy and Lindsay Watkins each had two.

Sunday:

Parkland 8 Robert Morris 4 10 innings

The two teams were tied going to the 10th before PC exploded for seven runs on five hits and an error. Beth Current drove in the go ahead run with a double and Shelby Parkler followed with an RBI double as well. Chelsea Rowe rounded out the scoring with a two-run double of her own. Robert Morris did score twice in the bottom of the inning but winning pitcher Kelli McMahon got the final two hitters to pop out to end the game. McMahon (6-6) went the distance allowing just two earned runs in 10 innings. Rowe drove in 3 runs, Beth Current had 4 hits and scored twice and Shelby Parker added three hits.

Parkland 7 Robert Morris 0

Morgan Hackman (5-0) went the distance with a complete game four-hit shutout of the Eagles. Shelby Parker's two-run double in the 3rd scored the only runs the Cobras would need. PC added two more in the fifth and scored three times in their final at bat to secure the win. Parker continued her hot hitting going 3-4 with 3 RBI, Current had 3 hits and 3 runs scored, and Taylor Sloat returned to action with 2 hits and 2 runs scored.

With the wins PC is now (22-15 10-3) and will play their final regular season home games on Tuesday at 2:00 when they host Springfield College. PC will play their final 10 games on the road before starting Region 24 play May 2-4 at the Roundhouse Complex in Mattoon.

4-17-08

Softball

Parkland hitters pounded out 29 hits and scored 26 runs while Cobra pitchers allowed Danville Area just three hits as PC swept the Jaguars 9-1 and 17-0. Taylor Sloat and Shelby Parker were the hitting stars of the day with Parker going 5-6 with 2 home runs, 5 RBI, and 4 runs scored while Sloat was 5-5 with 2 home runs, 4 RBI, and crossed the plate four times.

In the opener, DACC scored their lone run of the day in the first before PC answered back with four runs on four straight hits with two outs in the first. Shelby Parker made it 6-1 in the 3rd on a two-run home run and PC put the game away with three more runs in the fourth. In addition to the fine hitting by Sloat and Parker, Jessica Gourdier went 2-3 with a 2-run homer and 3 RBI. Kelli McMahon picked up the win allowing just one run on two hits and striking out six.

In the finale, PC scored early and often as they cruised to the 4 1/2 inning game shortened by the run rule. Taylor Sloat got things going with a two run homer and Shelby Parkler followed three batters later with a 2 run blast of her own. Beth Current added a solo home run in the third, it was the sixth home run of the day for the Cobra offense. Parkland put the game away with a nine run outburst in the third. Kelsey Poole and Kelli McMahon had the big hits in the inning driving in a pair of runs each. Lacey Poulson was a perfect 3-3 in the game and was joined by Poole, Sloat, and Parker with multiple hits in the game. Morgan Hackman gave up just one hit, a single to left just under the glove of the Cobra shortstop and struck out three to improve to (4-0) on the season.

4-17-08

Parkland improves to (19-14 13-3) on the season and will step out of conference on Friday to host nationally ranked Kankakee CC (23-5) starting at 2:30. The two teams split a pair of games earlier this season.

Michael Bradburn went 3-4 and drove in 6 runs to back the strong pitching of Steve Kuligowski and John Perkins as the #19 ranked PC baseball team pounded league leading and #7 Springfield College 14-1 to move within a half game of first place in the M-WAC with just under two weeks left in the regular season.

The Cobras took control of the game early scoring three times in the first as Bradburn chased two runs home with an RBI single. PC tacked on three more in the second, and put the game away scoring three times in the fourth and five times in the fifth. Other hitting stars for PC were Kevin Crane who went 3-3 with 3 runs scored and 3 RBI, Caleb King who was 4-5 and scored four runs, and Elliott Pisarczyk who had two hits and 2 runs batted in.

Kuligowski, a freshman left-hander, worked the first five innings allowing one run on six hits and struck out four. John Perkins worked the final two innings giving up just one hit and striking out three. After a much needed day off, Parkland (26-10 14-5) will return to action this weekend with a three game series versus rival DACC (18-12 11-7).

4-15-08

The Parkland Baseball team knocked seven home runs out of Illinois Field on Tuesday afternoon but could only come away with a split, winning game one 12-0 but falling in the finale 5-3. Parkland rushed out to a 7-0 lead hitting three home runs in the bottom of the first. Nathan Weglarz opened the scoring with a shot to left center, Caleb King walked on four pitches ahead of Kevin Crane's shot over the 400 foot sign in center to make it 3-0. Lance Hanmer's line drive over the NCAA sign in right put the Cobras up 7-0 which was more than enough runs for winning pitcher Spencer Patton (8-0). Patton, held the Bulldogs to just three hits while walking one and striking out three. PC scored four more times in the second off losing pitcher David Miller (5-1), two coming on Crane's blast over the scoreboard in left and another on a solo homer by Michael Bradburn. Crane finished the game 3-3 with RBI while Hanmer was 2-2 with 4 RBI. Patrick Sheehan had 2 of SCI's three hits.

In game two, PC jumped ahead 1-0 on Crane's third home run of the day and led 2-1 before SCI scored three times in the third. Alex Urbas tied the game with an RBI single, and the go ahead run scored on a fielders choice by Michael Hurt. PC cut the lead to 4-3 on a Lance Hanmer homer but SCI answered back with an unearned run in the sixth. The Cobras threatened in the seventh getting the first two men on, but Bulldog reliever Matt Miller struck out the next two hitters and got an infield ground out to seal the victory. Randy Piper (3-0) picked up the win and Miller earned his third save while Brooks Martin (3-3) took the loss. Lance Hanmer was 2-2 with 2 runs scored for PC while Greg VanLeer had 2 hits and Michael Reese scored twice for SCI. With the split, the Bulldogs (24-7 14-3) kept their two game lead over the Cobras (24-10 12-5). Next up for PC will be a 3:00 single game at Lincoln on Wednesday afternoon.

4-15-08

The PC Softball team ran their winning streak to seven games on Tuesday as they swept two games from Lincoln Land, winning by the scores of 4-3 and 9-6. The wins improved the Cobras to (17-12 11-3) ahead of a crucial Region 24 doubleheader at Illinois Central on Wednesday.

PC got off to a quick start in game one as Lindsay Watkins and Beth Current singled and Taylor Sloat hit a home run to make it 3-0 after just three hitters. Lincoln Land hit two solo home runs to cut it to 3-2 before PC added an insurance run in the fourth on an RBI by Current. LLCC started the 7th with another solo shot but could not score again. Kelli McMahon earned the win while Carley Kemmer picked up the save. Watkins, Shelby Parker, and Erin Galloway each had two hits in the contest.

In game two PC built an early 6-0 lead scoring two runs in the first, three in the second, and a single run in the third. Jessica Gourdier had a two run single in the first, and Watkins added and RBI single in the second to put PC ahead. LLCC rallied to tie the game at 6 chasing Morgan Hackman from the hill in the fifth. Taylor Sloat's two out two-run double broke the tie and Kali Haussy hit a solo home run in the sixth to put the Cobras up to stay. Laura Wright earned her second win in as many days, working 2.1 innings in relief allowing no runs on two hits while striking out three. Chelsie Rowe had three hits and scored twice, Lindsay Watkins scored three runs, Beth Current added two hits and two runs.

4-1-08

Former Illini McClain set to take over at Parkland

Former Illini Basketball star Sergio McClain will be named Tuesday as the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Parkland College. McClain will succeed Chris Warren who resigned two weeks ago after seven years as the Cobras Head Coach. Parkland was 10-22 this season but will potentially return ten players next season including three starters.

“We are excited to get someone of Sergio’s reputation and character to coach at Parkland.” “He is extremely knowledgeable about the game and I think he will be an excellent coach both in practice and in games.” “We hope that our players will display the same hustle, dedication, and work ethic that Sergio had at both Manual and Illinois.”

McClain most recently served one year as the Player/Head Coach of the Peoria Kings of the Prairie Basketball Association where he led the first-year team to the playoffs. He has also spent one year as an assistant Coach at Champaign Central in 2005-2006. He is currently working as a Basketball Instructor for Mettler Athletic and a Sales Consultant/Program Implementer for Prime Time Computer Services.

Sergio is best known as the “glue” of the Fighting Illini during his four-year career from 1997-2001. During his time at Illinois, the Illini compiled a record of 86-46 (.652), winning the Big 10 Championships during his freshman and senior seasons. He was the team co-captain as a senior in 2001 leading Illinois to 27 wins, the third most in school history. He recorded just the second triple-double by an Illini in a game vs Michigan on January 13, 2001 when he finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.

When in high school, McClain started for his father current Illini assistant coach Wayne McClain, where he was part of one of the most heralded high school teams in the nation. He helped lead Peoria Manual to four-consecutive state titles, a mark that stands alone in the IHSA record book, and was a three time All-State selection. McClain is engaged to be married to LaEisha Meaderds and has a six-year old son Sergio McClain Jr. McClain is expected to retain current Cobra assistant Ryan Sosamon on his staff and plans to hire one additional assistant coach.

3-30-08

Baseball

Parkland pounded out 27 runs and 30 hits on Saturday to sweep Lewis and Clark 10-6 and 17-1 in a pair of M-WAC contests. The Cobras rallied from a 6-4 deficit in game 1, scoring four times, in the bottom of the 4th and two more in the 5th to make a winner of Mark Walther (2-0) who allowed just one hit and no runs in 3 and 1/3 innings of relief. Brett VanAsldlen's two-run single in the 4th put the Cobras ahead to stay. VanAsdlen had 2 hits and 3 RBI in the contest while Kevin Crane went 4-4 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBI.

Eight straight Cobra hitters started game two with base hits as PC exploded for 15 runs on 13 hits in the opening inning to cruise to the win. Five different players had two hits in the inning, led by Calvin Frey who had a grand slam home run and two runs scored. Caleb King had 3 hits and 3 runs scored, Crane went 3-4 with 4 RBI, and Lance Hanmer and Brett VanAsdlen each had two hits and two RBI.

John Perkins (1-2) worked three innings to pick up the win with relief help from Gerry Martinez and Michael Laird.
The wins improve PC to (17-5 5-0) while Lewis and Clark falls to (9-4 4-2). The two teams will complete their three game series with a single game tomorrow at 1:00 at L&C.

3-30-08

The Parkland Softball team opened the home portion of the 2008 season in fine fashion sweeping a pair of doubleheaders from Lewis and Clark on Saturday 15-4 and 1-0 and 12-4 and 9-0 against John Wood on Sunday.

On Saturday, the Cobra bats came to life scoring 15 runs on 18 hits. Leading the way for PC was Lindsay Watkins who hit her first career home run and was 3-4 with 4 RBI in the game. Also collecting three hits was Kali Haussy who had a double and 2 RBI. Jessica Gourdier drove in three runs while Taylor Sloat, Shelby Parker, and Erin Galloway each had 2 hits and drove in two runs. Carley Kemmer (4-1) went th distance to earn the win.

Kelli McMahon (1-3) came up big in game 2 limiting L&C to just 2 hits while striking out 11 and walking none. PC scored their lone run of the game with an RBI single by Watkins scoring Parker.

On Sunday, PC scored five times in the first inning and held on to beat John Wood 12-4. Five different players collected two hits for the Cobras led by Jessica Gourdier who scored twice and drove in three runs. Erin Galloway and Taylor Sloat both had 2 RBI while Beth Current had two hits and scored three times and Lindsay Watkins had two hits. Morgan Hackman (2-0) earned the win with relief help from Carley Kemmer.

In the Sunday finale, PC and JWCC battled to a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth before the Cobras struck for 9 runs on 7 consecutive hits. Jessica Gourdier delivered the big blow in the inning stroking a three-run home run to right center to make 4-0. Beth Current and Taylor Sloat each had two hits, two runs, and two RBI in the inning. Laura Wright (1-5) picked up her first win of the year with a four-hit shutout striking out four.

PC (8-9 5-1) will have a busy week ahead with road contest on Tuesday at Shawnee and Thursday at Kankakee sandwiched around a Wednesday home double header against Heartland.

3-27-08

Baseball

Parkland scored three times each in the first and third innings and hung on for an 8-4 win and a series sweep of Shawnee. The win improved the Cobras, winner's of 15 of their last 16 games, to (15-5 3-0) while Shawnee fell to (4-7 0-5).

The Cobras did most of their damage on Wednesday after two were out. In the first, Kevin Crane reached on a two-out single, Brett VanAsdlen walked, and Michael Bradburn followed with an RBI single. Rich Ruff plated two more runs with a triple into the right field corner. Caleb King made it 4-0 Cobras with a solo home run leading off the fifth before Shawnee got on the board with a run in the sixth and two more in the seventh. King raced home on a wild pitch to put PC ahead 5-3 in the bottom of the seventh before the Cobras scored three times in the 8th. Caleb once again came up big stroking a two-run triple to right center and Crane drove King home with a single. King finished 2-3 for the day with 3 RBI, Michael Bradburn had three hits, while Crane and Calvin Frey each had two hits.

Kory Romold earned the win improving to (2-1) working six solid innings allowing just one run while striking out seven. Max Friedman, one of four Cobra relievers, earned the save allowing just one hit in 1 and 1/3 innings of relief. Parkland is off until Saturday when they will host Lewis and Clark (8-2 4-0) in a 1:00 doubleheader.

3-26-08

Baseball

Spencer Patton worked six scoreless innings while striking out a career high 12 and Kevin Crane drove in 5 runs, three coming on a three run home run to help lead the Parkland Baseball team to a 9-1 win over visiting Shawnee in the second game of a double header at Cobra Field. PC also won game one, rallying from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Saints 4-3.

Patton, a sophomore right-hander from South Central HS, threw his best game of the young season allowing just two hits and walking one to improve to (5-0) on the season. Crane stroked a two-run single in the third and lined his third home run of the year over the left field fence to push across the Cobras final three runs of the contest. Lead-off hitter Nathan Weglarz also had a big game reaching base and scoring all four times on two walks, a hit-by-pitch, and a double.

In the opener, sloppy defense allowed the Saints to take a 3-1 lead into the fifth inning before PC scored three times. Weglarz led off with a double and Caleb King followed with an infield single. Pinch-hitter Michael Bradburn sacrificed the two runners over. Weglarz scored on a wild pitch and Brett VanAsdlen tied the game at 3 with a single to left. Crane followed with a single and Rich Ruff chased home the eventual game winning run with a double to right. Israel Martinez came on in relief with one on in the sixth and allowed just one runner to reach base over the final two innings to earn his fourth save of the season. Brooks Martin got the start and improved to (2-1) allowing just one earned run.

Parkland (14-5 2-0) will wrap up their series with the Saints (4-6 0-4) with a single nine-inning game tomorrow starting at 2:00.

3-26-08

The Parkland Softball team returned to action after an 11 day lay-off and split a double header with conference foe Lincoln Land winning game one 16-2 and losing a heartbreaker 5-2.

PC scored in every inning of game one with Jessica Gourdier getting things started with a three-run homer in the first. Erin Galloway collected her first homer of the season in the second to help PC cruise to the win. Lindsay Watkins was 3-3, while Taylor Sloat, Lacey Poulson, and Shelby Parker all had two hits for the Cobras. Carley Kemmer (3-1) had another strong outing on the mound limiting LLCC to just 6 hits while walking none and striking out three.

PC lost in the finale when Lincoln Land hit a two-out walk-off three run home run in the bottom of the seventh off losing pitcher Laura Wright (0-5). PC had trailed 2-0 going to the 6th before Gourdier drove in a run with an RBI single and Pouslon tied the contest with a double to right center. PC threatened again in the top of the 7th getting their first two runners on base but failed to chase the runners home.

The split leaves Parkland at (4-9 1-1) while Lincoln Land stands at (9-4 3-1). Today's scheduled home opener vs Spoon River has been canceled due to Spoon River having just eight healthy players. The Cobras will travel to Kankakee on Thursday before hosting Lewis & Clark and John Wood over the weekend.

3-12-08

Warren resigns as Cobra Hoops Coach

Longtime Parkland Men’s Basketball Coach Chris Warren has resigned after seven seasons at the helm of the Cobras. Warren, a Mahomet native, was named the Head Coach in 2001 after serving for four years as the assistant coach. Warren also played for the Cobras from 1991-93 where he earned Academic All-American honors and was the captain of the ’93 team that won the Region 24 title. He went on to play at Concordia University outside of Chicago from 1993-95.

Warren compiled an over-all record of (112-108 .509) with the best season coming in 2003-2004 when the Cobras finished 23-10 and advanced to the Region 24 Championship game against Lewis & Clark. During Warren’s tenure the Cobras produced many All-Region and All-Conference performers as well as an All-American in 2005, Matt Neaville. Parkland also had several NJCAA Academic All-Americans including Robert Beauchamp and Steven Gilbert in 2006-2007.

Chris has given his heart and soul to the program over the last 11 years and he has put an amazing amount of time and energy into being successful” said Parkland Athletic Director Rod Lovett. “ I appreciate all he has done and I know this was a difficult decision for him. He will remain a full-time instructor at Parkland and will still be involved with many of our athletes in the classroom and working with them to improve their strength and conditioning. We will begin a search for his replacement immediately and hope to have someone in place as quickly as possible.”

3-10-08

The Parkland College Baseball team received several strong pitching performances on Saturday as they swept #1 ranked and defending D-II National Champions Longview, by the scores of 10-2 and 2-1. In game 1, Parkland scored early and often putting up three runs in the first, two in the second, and three more in the third to build an 8-2 lead. Lance Hamner drove in a pair in the first and added a solo home run in the third while Nathan Weglarz added a two-run double to pace the Cobra offense. Brooks Martin earned the win working five strong innings allowing just two runs on four hits while striking out five. Mark Walthers worked a scoreless final two innings to seal the win.

In game two, three Cobra pitchers combined for 16 strikeouts as PC held on for the one-run victory. Trailing 1-0 going to the fifth, PC's Kevin Crane squeezed across Michael Bradburn with the tying run. In the sixth, Jordan Mitchelhill's RBI double scored Weglarz to put the Cobras ahead to stay. Kory Rombold worked four strong innings allowing one run while striking out eight, Spencer Patton picked up the win going 1.2 innings striking out five, and Izzy Martinez earned the save working out of a seventh inning jam striking out the final hitter of the game with the tying run on second and the winning run on first. PC will return to action this weekend at the Cal Ripken Tournament in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The Men's Basketball team could not rally from an early deficit and fell to #10 ranked ICC 63-50 in the quarter finals of the Region 24 tournament. The loss ends the Cobras season at (12-20). PC trailed 30-21 at the break and trailed by as many as 25 in the second half as PC committed 24 turnovers and shot just 38% from the field. Tydus Townsend was the lone Cobra in double figures finishing with 14 points.

PC's softball team found the going tough at the Lead-Off Classic in Panama City Beach, Florida. The Cobras lost all five games they played by a total of six runs in their season opening tournament. PC opened play with a 1-0 loss to Florida CC-Jacksonville. FCC-J scored the only run of the game with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Laura Wright was the tough luck loser. PC scored five times in the bottom of the seventh but fell to Gulf Coast CC 7-6. Beth Current had two hits and Lindsay Watkins drove in a pair in defeat.

Nationally ranked Chattanoga State shut out PC 2-0 in game 3 limiting the Cobras to just four hits. Carley Kemmer suffered the loss despite giving up no earned runs and just five hits. Frustrations continued with two heartbreaking losses in the Cobras next two games. PC fell to Aiken Tech of South Carolina 11-10 on a three-run homer run in the top of the seventh by Hillary Stringer. PC gave up five unearned runs and trailed 8-3 before rallying to for a 10-8 lead going to the 9th. Erin Galoway hit a 2 run home run while Lindsay Watkins and Jessie Gourdier each drove in a pair of runs. In the final game of the tourney, PC fell to CCBC-Catonsville 4-3 in 8 innings. PC led 3-0 going to the 6th but 5 walks in the inning allowed for 3 runs to score. PC plays Pensacola JC on Tuesday.

3-5-08

The #9 ranked Parkland Women's Basketball season came to an abrupt finish as the Cobras turned in their most disappointing performance of the season in a 61-46 loss to Lake Land. The Cobras were ice cold from the field making just 24% of their shots and committed 30 turnovers.

The first half was especially tough for the Cobras who made just 5-29 (17%) including just 3-24 shooting from the starting five. PC trailed 31-22 at the break and clawed to within six points on three occasions in the second half but each time Lake Land answered with a three to hold the Cobras at bay. PC managed just six points in the last 9 minutes of the game as Lake Land sealed the win knocking down 8-10 free throws.

Ashley Lillard came up with 11 points and 20 rebounds to lead PC, it was the 20th time this season that the sophomore had a double-double. Amanda VanEtta came off the bench to add 10. Amanda Wolke led Lake Land with 20 points and 11 rebounds while Jill Ginder added 16 points.

Lake Land improves to (17-15) on the season and will play Illinois Central College at 2:00 on Saturday at Illinois College in Jacksonville. Parkland ends their season at (23-8).

3-4-08

The Parkland Men's Basketball team opened Region 24 play on Tuesday night with an 81-75 win over Shawnee CC. The victory moves the Cobras (12-19) into the quarter finals at Illinois Central (22-6) on Thursday night at 7.

PC won the game at the free throw line making (33-45 73%) while the Saints shot just 14 free throws making 10. The Cobras also came up big winning the battle of the boards 44-32. Leading just 67-66 with 4:39 remaining, PC made just one more basket but knocked down 14-18 from the line to seal the win.

Antonio Lofton led a balanced attack with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists while Matt Mierzycki also scored 17 and added 5 boards. Andrew Wilkerson (13 points) and Tydus Townsend (11) also finished in double figures for the Cobras who shot 41% for the game.
Brandon Anderson led the Saints (10-21) with 20 and Jonathan Griffin had 19 points and 12 boards.

2-23-08

Ashley Lillard scored 23 points and fought for 15 rebounds to help lead the #10 Parkland Women's Basketball team to an 80-69 win over a stubborn Lincoln College team Saturday afternoon. The Cobras trailed 54-53 with 9:35 remaining but a 14-1 PC run over the next 3 minutes put the game away. Lillard led a balanced attack for Parkland which also had 16 points and 9 boards from Jara Bachtold, 15 points and 8 rebounds from Ashley Runck, and 13 points and 5 steals from Jessy Young.

The Cobras won the game at the line, making 20-24 free throw attempts and on the boards, out rebounding the Lynx 53-33. Lincoln also had balanced scoring with 5 players in double figures. The win improves PC to (22-7 11-2) while Lincoln falls to (8-20 4-8). PC will play their final regular season game on Wednesday night when they travel to Spoon River for a 5:30 contest.

The #8 Lincoln College Men used a 16-2 run to close the first half as they cruised to a 78-52 rout of the Cobras. The Lynx used 18 offensive boards to convert several second chance opportunities while winning the battle of the boards 43-34. Colby Johnson was the star for Lincoln (22-6 13-1) scoring 22 points and pulling down 12 boards. Don Gavin finished with 19 and 7 rebounds for the winners. PC shot just 30% for the game making just 16 baskets in the contest. Matt Mierzycki led PC with 16 points while Tydus Townsend added 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks. The Cobras fifth straight loss leaves them at (10-18 7-7) ahead of a 7:30 Wednesday game at Spoon River.

The afternoon was highlighted by the induction of the first class for the Parkland Athletic Hall of Fame. The group included the following individuals and teams:

1985-85 National Championship Men's Basketball Team
1999 National Championship Volleyball Team
Joe Abbey-AD and Track Coach
Jim Reed-AD and Baseball Coach
Bob Abbuehl-Friend of the Program
PJ Bowman-Men's Basketball
Russ Oliver-Men's Basketball
David Patrick -Men's Track

2-21-08

On behalf of the Parkland College Foundation and the Athletic Department we would like to remind everyone that the 2007 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place this Saturday at halftime of the Men's Basketball game vs Lincoln College.

The day will begin with the #10 ranked Parkland Women's BB game hosting Lincoln at 2:00 with sophomore players and members of the Dance and Cheerleading team being recognized. The Men's game against the #8 ranked Lynx is expected to begin at 4:00 with the induction taking place at halftime (approximately 4:40).

The inaugural class includes:

Coaches:

Joe Abbey- Parkland AD for 20 years, longtime Track and Cross-Country Coach
Jim Reed-Former AD and long-time baseball coach

Contributor:

Bob Abbuehl-Volunteer for Track, Basketball & Baseball teams

Athletes:

Dr. PJ Bowman-member of 1988 National Runner-up Basketball team, Member of 1989 Flying Illini Final Four Team, BB All-American and Academic All-American

Russ Oliver-First PC BB All-American, scored 52 points in game, continued career at Baylor University, played professionally in Sweden.

David Patrick-NJCAA Champion in 400 IH. Three-time NCAA Champion at Tennessee, US Track and Field Champion, 1992 Olympian

Teams:

1985-86 Men's Basketball Team-First PC National Championship Team defeated Keystone 88-72 for title

1999-Volleyball Team Second PC to win National Title, Only Women's team to win a title at PC. Defeated Elgin in four games for championship

Inductees and their family and friends will be honored at a reception at the Tony Noel Center about 30 minutes after the conclusion of the game.

Admission is free with a Parkland ID so come out and honor the 2007 Hall of Fame inductees and support the Parkland Basketball Teams!

2-21-08

The Parkland Women rallied from a six point second half deficit to defeat rival Danville Area College 74-68. The #10 ranked Cobras led 41-29 at the half but the Lady Jaguars came out on fire making 10 of their first 13 shots in the second half to take a 46-45 lead. DACC pushed the lead up to 57-51 before sophomore Jessy Young took control of the game.

Young made two free-throws, converted an old-fashioned three-point play, and knocked down a three from behind the arc to put PC ahead to stay. Young finished the game with 10 points and 3 assists. Jara Bachtold led a balanced attack scoring 14 points, Heidi McKean added 12 points and 4 assists, while Ashley Lillard had another double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Jessi Beachey and Bridget Helms provided a 1-2 punch off the bench with Beachey scoring 9 points and hauling down 9 boards and Helms adding 9 points and 6 boards. Ashley Runck scored 8 points and had 8 boards for PC which improved to (21-7 10-2). PC will host Lincoln College at 2:00 on Saturday.

The Danville Men's Basketball team came out red-hot Wednesday night knocking down 10 three's in the first half en route to an 83-75 victory over Parkland. DACC was 10-17 from behind the arc as they build a 49-35 lead at the break. Parkland did not give in and trailed by just two at 77-75 with just over a minute remaining but were unable to get any closer.

Marcus Thomas led all scorers with 28 points for DACC while Matt Mierzycki finished with 20 for the Cobras. Antonio Lofton added 15 points and Lester Hart 14 for PC which lost their fourth straight game in falling to (10-17 7-6). DACC improved to (18-9 8-6) win the win. PC will host #8 Lincoln (21-6 12-2) on Saturday at 4:00.

2-16-08

Top ranked Lewis and Clark raced out to a 15-2 lead and held off two Cobra rally's to defeat the #10 Cobras 67-54 on Saturday afternoon. The loss ended the Cobras winning streak at 11 games while the Trail Blazers won their 13th straight. The Kenyan duo of Gladys Wanyama (26 points) and Rose Ouma (13 points) proved to much for the Cobras down the stretch.

Ashley Runck led PC with 17 points, Ashley Lillard added 12, and Jara Bachtold finished with 10. The loss drops PC to (20-7 9-2) while Lewis and Clark improves to (23-2 11-0). Next up for PC is a Wednesday night contest at rival Danville Area CC.

Andrew Wilkerson missed a three-point shot off the back of the iron with 1.8 seconds left as Lewis and Clark held on for a 57-56 win over Parkland. The Cobras trailed by as many as 14 points in the second half but finally tied the game at 53 with 3:05 remaining on a three-point play by Tydus Townsend. Chris Bohnhoff knocked down a pair of 3's to start the Cobra rally.

PC had their chances in the final two minutes trailing 57-53, Matt Mierzycki and Antonio Lofton combined to make just 3 of 6 free throws to cut the lead to one with 21.3 remaining. PC fouled Chris Smith who missed the front end of a one and one before Wilkerson misfired on the possible game winning shot. PC struggled at the line all day making just 17-30 attempts and also committed 23 turnovers. Antonio Lofton led PC with 16 points while Chris Obi led all scorers with 17 for Lewis and Clark. PC falls to (10-16 7-5) and has lost three straight games while the Trail Blazers improve to (12-12 6-6). PC travel to DACC on Wednesday for a 7:30 ball game.

2-13-08

The #10 ranked Women's BB team traveled north to South Suburban CC yesterday and made quick work of the hosts defeating the Lady Bulldogs 81-53. The win, the Cobras 11th straight, improved their record to 20-6 over-all and 9-1 in the M-WAC.

Ashley Lillard set the tone scoring the first eight points of the game to put the Cobras up 8-0 after just over a minute of play. Lillard finished the contest with 16 points and 10 rebounds to pace the Cobra attack. Heidi McKean also had a double-double scoring 15 points and dishing out 10 assists. Amanda VanEtta came off the bench to add 14 points while Ashley Runck contributed 10 points and 6 boards. The Cobras shot 49% from the field and 76 % from the line to ease to the win.

The victory sets up a showdown for Midwest Athletic Conference supremacy as the Cobras will battle #1 Lewis and Clark. The Trail Balzers are 20-2 10-0 ahead of tonight's game with last place Shawnee and should enter the game with a 13 game winning streak of their own. L&C handed the Cobras their last defeat back on January 7th by the score of 75-63.

Come out and cheer the Cobras on and remember that it is also "Think Pink" day and t-shirts are on sale for $10 with $5 being donated to the local breast cancer clinic.

The Parkland Men were not as fortunate as they dropped a 76-62 decision to the #6 Bulldogs. PC trailed by just one at the break but could not recover from a 10-0 Bulldog run early in the second half. The loss drops the Cobras to (10-15 7-4) ahead of Saturday's 4:00 home game with Lewis and Clark.

2-12-08

Four members of the Parkland College Baseball and Softball teams have been named Pre-Season NJCAA D-II All-Americans by the NJCAA. Second baseman Lindsay Watkins and center fielder Beth Current were named in Softball while pitcher Brooks Martin and outfielder Caleb King were named in Baseball.

Watkins (Olympia HS) led the Cobras in hitting last season with a .479 average and a .610 on-base percentage. She was second in hits (78), doubles (16), triples (7), and third in runs (51). Current (Bloomington HS) hit .370 with 5 HR's and 48 RBI as a freshman. She also had 5 doubles, 5 triples, and was a perfect 12-12 in stolen bases.

Martin (Streator HS) compiled an 8-1 record and a 2.38 ERA last season leading the Cobras in starts (12), strikeouts (56), and complete games (5). King (Mahomet-Seymour HS) hit .370 as the Cobras lead-off hitter with a .470 on-base percentage. Caleb also had 4 HR and 44 RBI and scored a team-high 65 runs. He also had 15 doubles, 25 walks, and 7 stolen bases.

The #2 ranked Softball team is scheduled to open play on Sunday March 2nd at John A Logan while the #10 Baseball team hopes to get underway Friday February 29 in Enid, Oklahoma against Northern Oklahoma and Redlands CC.

Full teams are listed at www.njcaa.org

2-11-08

Ten was the lucky number for the PC Women's Basketball team as the #10 ranked Cobras won their 10th straight game with a convincing 74-51 win over #19 John Wood. PC used strong defense and good free-throw shooting to defeat the Trail Blazers for the second time this season. Parkland put away the game with a 29-8 run in the first half by feeding Ashley Lillard in the paint as she scored 14 points as the Cobras built a 39-19 lead at the half.

Coach Karrie Redeker's team built the lead up to as many as 26 in the second half as they cruised to the win. Parkland made 30 of 39 attempts from the free throw line and committed just 13 turnovers in the contest. Lillard finished with 18 points and 8 rebounds while Heidi McKean added 15 points and 5 assists. Jara Bachtold chipped in with 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists and was joined in double-figures by Ashley Runck who finished with 10 points.

Parkland (19-6 9-1) will play a non-conference game at South Suburban ahead of their conference showdown on Saturday with #1 Lewis and Clark.

The Parkland Men also traveled to John Wood on Saturday but came out on the short end of a 76-64 loss to the host Trail Blazers. Reo Quarles was the difference as he scored 15 points and hauled down 15 rebounds to lead a balanced attack. Quarles helped JWCC win the battle of the boards 29-27 and helped force the Cobras into 20 turnovers.

Andrew Wilkerson came of the bench to score 17 points, Jean Selus added 12, and Rob Winnicki had a career high 10 to lead the Cobra attack. The loss drops the Cobras to (10-14 7-4) while John Wood improves to (15-7 6-4). Things won't get any easier for PC as they travel to #3 South Suburban (20-3) for a 7:00 game on Tuesday night.

2-6-08

Andrew Wilkerson's lay in with 3.4 second left gave theAndrew Wilkerson's lay in with 3.4 second left gave the Parkland Men's Basketball team a thrilling 90-89 overtime win over Shawnee Wednesday night. The game winner came following a wild final minute as the Saints had the ball and a three-point lead with 38 seconds left but a turnover led to a Matt Merzycki bucket with 18.4 left to cut the Shawnee lead to 89-88. PC forced the Saints into a 10-second violation and took possession with 8.8 left before Wilkerson's game winning shot. Shawnee was able to get off a shot in the final seconds but a jump ball with 0.3 left sealed the win.

Wilkerson led a stellar effort off the Cobra bench finishing with a game high 20 points, including the game tying three-pointer which sent the game to overtime. Lester Hart came off the bench to score 19 as the Cobras got 56 points from their bench to key the victory. Tydus Townsend added 10 points and 12 boards, Matt Mierzyckii 11 points and 9 rebounds, and Antonio Lofton finished with 10. Chris Bohnhoff and Rob Winnick also were key with 9 points each.

The victory improved the Cobras to (10-13 7-3) and moved them back into second place in the M-WAC while Shawnee falls to (10-14 1-9). The Saints were coming off a 76-70 win over the top team in the conference, Lincoln College. Next up for the Cobras is a trip to John Wood for a 7:00 game on Saturday.

The #10 ranked Cobra Women's team raced out to a 9-0 lead in the first minute of play and cruised to an easy 81-65 win over Shawnee. After taking the early lead, the Cobras struggled at times to keep their focus resulting in 26 turnovers and being out rebounded 38-35. The game however did give the Cobras bench some needed playing time as PC built a 23 point second half lead.

Five players finished in double figures with Ashley Lillard leading the way with 14 points while Heidi McKean added 12 points and 6 assists, and Jara Bachtold had 12 points and 2 steals. Ashley Runck scored 10 points and hauled down 8 rebounds while Amanda VanEtta came off the bench to score 10 points and come away with 4 steals.

The win, the Cobras 10th straight, improves their record to (18-6 8-1) while Shawnee falls to (5-17 0-9). PC will try to keep their streak alive when they travel to #18 John Wood for a 3:00 ball game on Saturday afternoon.

team a thrilling 90-89 overtime win over Shawnee Wednesday night. The game winner came following a wild final minute as the Saints had the ball and a three-point lead with 38 seconds left but a turnover led to a Matt Merzycki bucket with 18.4 left to cut the Shawnee lead to 89-88. PC forced the Saints into a 10-second violation and took possession with 8.8 left before Wilkerson's game winning shot. Shawnee was able to get off a shot in the final seconds but a jump ball with 0.3 left sealed the win.

2-4-08

The #11 Women's Basketball team received strong balanced play on both ends of the court Saturday to defeat Lincoln Land 78-58 at Springfield. Guards Jara Bachtold and Jessy Young led the way in the first half by combining for 25 points as the Cobras raced out to a 37-25 halftime lead. Ashley Lillard and Ashley Runck picked up the load in the second half scoring 26 of PC's 41 points after the break.

Lillard tallied another double-double for the Cobras leading the way with 22 points and 14 rebounds. Bachtold finished with 18 points on 9-10 shooting from the field and Young scored 15 points, knocking down three 3's and snagging 4 steals. Runck also finished in double figures with 10 points and 8 boards. PC shared the wealth with 19 assists, led by Heidi McKean with 6 and Runck 5. The Cobras continued their torrid shooting, making 50% of their shots and hitting 15-18 from the line.

Next up for PC is an M-WAC contest against Shawnee CC starting at 5:30. The victory improves the Cobras to 17-6 over-all and 7-1 in the M-WAC, just a game behind league-leading Lewis and Clark.

The Parkland Men saw their three game winning streak come to an abrupt end as they were blitzed by the Loggers 81-47. LLCC took a 36-24 lead to the break and the Cobras closed to within seven at 42-35 with 14:27 remaining but from there the Loggers outscored PC 39-12 for the remainder of the contest. PC scored just one point over the final 7 minutes of the game, a free-throw by Lester Hart with just 33 seconds remaining.

PC was led by Jean Selus with 11 points and Matt Mierzycki 10 in the losing effort. Lincoln Land upped their record to (12-11 4-5) and avenged an earlier 69-65 defeat at the hands of the Cobras back on January 16. The loss drops PC to (9-13 6-3) ahead of a 7:30 home contest with Shawnee on Wednesday night.

2-2-08

Both the Parkland Softball and Baseball teams find themselves ranked in the Pre-Season NJCAA polls released on Friday. The Cobra Softball team, who has advanced to the Softball National Tourney for six straight years, is ranked #2 behind defending National Champions Phoenix College. PC, who finished 45-17 and in 6th place at Nationals, opens their season on March 2 at John A Logan College. PC will compete in the prestigious Lead-Off Classic in Panama City in early March where they will face at least two nationally ranked D-1 foes. Later in the season they will play #5 Kankakee in a home and away series.

The PC Baseball team comes in at #10 coming off a 45-14 season where the Cobras were upset in the Region 24 tourney. PC has been to the World Series four times since 2001, winning the National Championship in 2002.

This year's schedule might be their most difficult with a season opening trip to Oklahoma where they will play #16 Redlands and the host school Northern Oklahoma. The following weekend they will play a pair of games against top-ranked an defending National Champs Longview and on their first ever spring trip to Myrtle Beach, the Cobras will face #6 Frederick CC of Maryland and #16 Lackawanna CC of Pennsylvania.

As always both teams will face a tough Midwest Athletic Conference and Region 24 schedule beginning in late March. Good luck to Coach Clutts and Coach Rosenthal on a successful 2008 season.

1-30-08

Three Parkland players combined for 54 points and 31 rebounds to help the Cobra Men's Basketball team to a 74-69 upset of #11 Illinois Central College. The victory moves the Cobras to (9-12 6-2) on the season and into sole possession of second place in the Mid-West Athletic Conference while ICC drops to (15-5 5-3) with the loss.

Parkland led throughout the entire opening period and built a 37-30 lead at the break. The Cobras expanded the lead to 43-30 before ICC went on a 15-1 run to take their first lead of the game at 45-44 with just over 10 minutes remaining. From their ICC took a 60-57 lead with 5:30 to go before the Cobras took command with a 9-0 run of their own. Antonio Lofton hit a bucket and sank three free throws, Tydus Townsend added a put back basket, and Matt Mierzycki added two from the line during the run. ICC could get no closer than three for the remainder of the contest as the Cobras made 8-10 free throws of the stretch.

Lofton led PC with 23 points and 9 boards, Mierzycki had 21 points and 9 rebounds, and Tydus Townsend added 10 points and pulled down 13 boards. Parkland won the game at the line outscoring the Cougars 27-4 and on the boards winning the rebound battle 41-27. Parkland hits the road on Saturday to play at Lincoln Land in Springfield.

The #11 Parkland Women made it eight straight wins with an 80-60 non-conference victory over Robert Morris College. The game was never in doubt as the Cobras took a 41-25 lead into intermission and PC substituted frequently in the second half.

Ten different players scored for PC with Ashley Lillard collecting another double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds while Ashley Runck also scored 17 points and had 8 boards and 2 blocked shots. Jara Bachtold scored 11 points and had 3 steals while Hedi McKean had 8 points and dished out 5 assists. The Cobras shot 51% from the field and forced the Eagles into 31 turnovers.

The win improves PC to (16-6 6-1) while Robert Morris falls to (8-15). Karrie Redeker's squad will resume M-WAC play with a trip to Springfield and a game against Lincoln Land at 2:00 this Saturday.

1-26-08

Both the Parkland Men's and Women's Basketball teams made quick work of Spoon River on Saturday as the Cobras picked up a pair of important M-WAC victories. The Women broke away late in the first half and cruised to an 88-63 win while the Men built a 20 point halftime lead and knocked off SRC 84-64.

In the women's victory, Ashley Lillard continued her strong play scoring 27 points on 13-15 shooting from the field. Ashley Runck poured in 17 points, pulled down 6 boards, and added 4 steals while Jara Bechtold added 11 points. Parkland shot 59% from the field for the game and out rebounded the Mudcats 37-24 and forced them into 27 turnovers. PC improves (15-6 6-1) with their sixth straight win while SRC falls to (8-11 2-4). Next up for PC is a non-conference home game with Robert Morris College at 5:30 on Wednesday night.

The PC men raced out to an early lead and cruised to the 20 point win over SRC. PC was led by the trio of Matt Mierzycki (20 points 7 rebounds), Tydus Townsend (16 points 10 rebounds & 6 blocks), and Antonio Lofton (19 points 3 steals). PC shot 49% for the contest and out rebounded the smaller Mudcats 45-31. Ronnell Isom led SRC and all scorers with 23 points.

Parkland remains in a second place tie in the M-WAC improving to (8-12 5-2) while Spoon River falls to (4-14 1-6). Parkland will host #10 Illinois Central College at 7:30 on Wednesday.

1-24-08

Matt Mierzycki had a team high 24 points and Tydus Townsend added 20 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Parkland Men's Basketball team to an 87-80 upset win over rival Danville Area College. PC led most of the contest but was only up 79-77 with 1:30 remaining. From there, Drew Wilkerson scored on a put back and drained two free throws while Antonio Lofton made 4 of 4 from the charity strip to seal the win. Lofton finished with 15 points, Wilkerson 11, and Jean Selus 10 for the Cobras who improved to (7-12 4-2) with the victory.

The Cobras shot 51% from the game from the field and knocked down 29 of 38 shots from the line. Most impressively for PC was winning the battle of the boards by an amazing 46-22 margin. With the loss, Danville falls to (12-6 4-2). PC will host Spoon River at 4:00 on Saturday.

The #12 ranked Women's team came out on fire Wednesday night and buried rival DACC 87-69 in a key M-WAC contest. The Cobras made 21-29 (72%) shots in the first half to race out to a 51-34 lead. From there the Cobras built their lead to as many 25 points in the second half and the Lady Jaguars could get no closer than 16 for the remainder of the game. Parkland finished the game shooting 63% from the field.

NJCAA D-II Player of the Week Ashley Lillard had her 13th double-double of the season finishing with 19 points and 12 rebounds. She led a balanced attack which saw Ashley Runck also getting a double-double scoring 15 points and adding 10 boards. Heidi McKean tossed in 20 points and dished out 5 assists, Jara Bachtold had 11 points and 4 assists, and Amanda VanEtta came off the bench to hit all five of her shots and finish with 10 points.

Parkland has now won five straight, and seven of eight to improve to (14-6 5-1) while DACC falls to (6-10 2-4). PC will host the Mudcat's of Spoon River College of Canton at 2:00 on Saturday.

1-23-08

Women's Basketball

Ashley Lillard (Danville High School/Danville, Ill.) of #12 Parkland College is the NJCAA Division II Women's Basketball Co-Player of the Week. The 5-10 forward/center led Parkland to a pair of victories last week. In a 103-85 win over Lincoln Land she had 32 points, 14 rebounds, 10 steals and five assists. In a 71-55 win over John Wood she had 16 points, 12 rebounds, two steals and one assist. On the week she was 19-of-27 (.700) from the floor and 10-of-12 (.830) from the free-throw line. Lillard was also named NJCAA Player of the week on November 21.

Jessica Hunecke (Cherokee Washington High School/Cherokee, Iowa) of Iowa Central Community College is the NJCAA Division II Women's Basketball Co-Player of the Week. The 6-0 forward led top-ranked Iowa Central to a 69-55 win over Marshalltown and a 67-53 win over Iowa Lakes. Against Marshalltown she tallied 25 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and one steal. She followed that with 23 points, nine rebounds, three steals, one assist and one block against Iowa Lakes. Complete stats for Jessica Hunecke.

1-20-08

Ashley Lillard scored 16 points and hauled down 12 rebounds to lead a balanced attack to help lead the #12 Women's Basketball to a 71-55 win over #15 John Wood CC on Saturday in the Parkland gym. PC raced out to an early lead and never looked back in winning their fourth straight game and improving to (13-6 4-1).

The Cobras led 37-21 at the break and built the lead to as much as 22 before the Trail Blazers knocked down some late three's to close the gap. Ashley Runck (12 points), Jara Bachtold (10 points), and Heidi McKean (7 points 7 assists) paced the attack with help off the bench from Ashley Sieberns (8 points), Amanda Vanetta (7 points) and Jessy Beachey (5 rebounds). The Cobras came up big at the line sinking 18 of 22 from the charity stripe and winning the battle of the boards 37-34. Next up for the Cobras is a big M-WAC game with rival Danville Area Community College at 5:30 on Wednesday in Champaign.

The Parkland Men's team never got untracked from the field on Saturday as they fell to John Wood 78-49. Parkland trailed 34-23 at the break but were outscored 44-26 after intermission, shooting just 20% on 7-35 shooting from the field. Matt Mierzycki led the Cobra attack with 16 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out. Tydus Townsend just missed a double-double of his own with 12 points and 9 boards. Keenan Stanbridge came off the bench to lead JWCC with 19 points drilling five three-pointers. Justin Reynolds added 14 and Reo Quarles had 13 points and 12 rebounds.

John Wood shot 56% from the field and had an amazing 29 assists on 32 Trail Blazer buckets. With the loss PC falls to (6-12 3-2) while John Wood improves to (12-4 3-1). The Cobras host the DACC Jaguars at 7:30 on Wednesday.

1-16-08

Ashley Lillard pulled off a rare triple-double on Wednesday night to help lead the Parkland Women's Basketball team to a wild 103-85 victory over Lincoln Land. The sophomore from Danville finished with 32 points on 13-16 shooting from the field, hauled down 12 boards, and finished with 10 steals.

The Cobras fell behind 20-8 to start the game as the Lady Logger press forced PC into nine turnovers in the first five minutes. From there the Cobras battled back to take their first lead at 23-22 with 7:07 remaining and trailed by just one point at the break. Lillard and Jessy Young led an 18-4 run as the Cobras shot a sizzling 65.6% in the second half. In addition to Lillards career game, the four other starters each finished in double figures. Heidi McKean had 19 points, Ashley Runck 13, Jara Bachtold 12, and Jessy Young 10 for the winning Cobras. Central graduate Eunice Gill finished with 24 points in a losing effort for LLCC.

The win moves the Cobras, ranked #12 in the newest NJCAA poll, to (12-6 3-1) while the Lady Loggers fall to (13-6 2-2). Next up for PC is a 2:00 home game on Saturday against
#15 John Wood CC of Quincy.

The Parkland Men's Basketball had a day to remember as the Cobras picked up a hard fought 69-65 win over LLCC on the court and received a victory off the court after Shawnee had to forfeit their 67-64 win over the Cobras on January 5th due to the use of an ineligible player. In tonight's game the Cobras came out fired up and built a 41-24 halftime lead. Antonio Lofton led the charge with 15 points in the first half as PC held the Loggers to just 22% shooting on 6-26 shooting.

The second half was a struggle at times for PC as Lincoln Land came all the way back to tie the game at 60 with just 3:48 remaining. This time PC did not succumb to the pressure as Lofton drove for a layup to put the Cobras back in front by two, and after the Loggers made 1 of 2 shots from the line, Lester Hart drilled a three-pointer to give them the lead for good. LLCC got back to within two but Hart made a bucket and Lofton drained two free throws to seal the victory. Lofton led the way for PC with 23 points and Hart finished with 17 as the Cobras improved to (6-11 3-1). Ryan Sichting led all scorers with 24 points while Central graduate Andrew Chisholm finished with 12 points for Lincoln Land (9-10 1-4). PC hosts the Trail Blazers of John Wood at 4:00 on Saturday.

1-14-08

The Parkland Women's Basketball team used a quick start, strong shooting, and balanced scoring to rout Lincoln College 97-61 on Saturday. The Cobras had six players in double figures led by Ashley Runck who had a career high 21 points including making 9-11 from the line. Heidi McKean broke out of a slump scoring 20 points and 5 assists, while Jessy Young and Ashley Sieberns each added 13 points and Jara Bachtold and Amanda VanEtta tallied 11. Ashley Lillard led the effort on the boards with 10 rebounds.

Parkland won the battle of the boards and made 27-34 shots from the line to race out to a 44-26 halftime lead and never looked back. PC improved to (11-6 2-1) on the season and will now begin a 5 game home stand starting with a 5:30 contest on Wednesday night against Lincoln Land Community College of Springfield.

Men's Basketball

Matt Mierzycki had a career high 41 points, knocking down 13-26 shots from the field and 15-20 from the line, but the Cobras got little other production as they fell to Lincoln College 103-63. Mierzycki entered the contest averaging just 7.7 points per game but the freshman was nearly unstoppable inside as the Cobras continually got the ball to him. In addition to his career high in points, Matt also pulled down 12 boards. No other Parkland player made it to double digits as PC fell to (4-12 1-2) on the season while the Lynx improved to (13-5 4-0).
PC hosts Lincoln Land at 7:30 on Wednesday.

1-9-08

The #22 ranked Parkland Women's Basketball team withstood several ICC rallies and held on for an exciting 61-58 victory over the #10 ranked Lady Cougars on Wednesday night in Champaign. Parkland raced out to an early 10 point lead only to see ICC score the final eight points of the first half to trail 28-26 at the break. The two teams traded baskets most of the half before ICC took a 42-41 with just over 10:00 left setting up a wild finish.

The Cobras built a 59-53 lead with 1:00 remaining but a layup and a three-pointer from ICC's Kylee Grant cut the PC lead to just one with 31.1 seconds remaining. The Cobras Jessy Young sank 1 of 2 free throws to increase the lead to 60-58 and Young was fouled again with 16.6 remaining following a Cobra steel. Young missed the first attempt but knocked home the second to make it 61-58. From there ICC had two shots at a tie but Molly Coyle was long on a three and Grant's three bounded high off the rim at the final buzzer.

Jara Bachtold led the PC attack with 17 points while Ashley Lillard had another double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Ashley Sieberns came up big off the Cobra bench drilling 3 key three-point shots finishing with 11 points, 7 boards, and 4 assists. Both teams struggled with their shooting but PC came up big on the glass out rebounding the athletic Cougars 50-35.

Both teams are now 10-6 on the year as the Cobras will travel to Lincoln College on Saturday for a 1:00 contest with the Lady Lynx.

1-9-08

Antonio Lofton tossed in 26 points and pulled down 10 rebounds while Lester Hart added 25 points knocking down six three-pointers, as the Parkland Men's Basketball team upset Lewis and Clark 86-79 on Monday night. The win was the Cobras first road win over Lewis and Clark since 1997. Lofton and Hart led a balanced attack and were aided by Matt Mierzycki who added 13 points and 10 boards and Andrew Wilkerson who added 10.

PC trailed by one at the break but pulled away down the stretch as Hart nailed 6 of 9 shots from behind the arc and was a perfect 7-7 at the line. The win improved PC to (4-10 1-1) while the Trailblazers fall to (6-8 0-2). PC will play their eighth road contest in their last nine games when they travel on Thursday to #13 Triton (12-4).

The PC women put up a strong effort on Monday night but fell to Lewis and Clark 75-63. L&C ranked #3 in the latest NJCAA poll led 32-31 at the break before PC took their final lead of the game at 42-40 with 12:02 remaining. An 8-0 run put L&C ahead to stay as the Cobras could get no closer the rest of the way.
Ashley Lillard let PC with 18 points and 10 boards while Jara Bachtold added 12 points and dished out four assists.

The loss dropped PC to (9-6 1-1) ahead of a Wednesday night 6:00 home contest with #9 Illinois Central. Lewis and Clark improves to (10-2 2-0) on the season. The two teams will meet again in Champaign on February 16.

1-7-08

The #23 ranked PC Women's Basketball team picked up a pair of road wins last week knocking off Robert Morris College 64-49 and pounding Shawnee 88-54. The two Ashley's, Lillard and Runck, both posted double-doubles for the Cobras in the win over Robert Morris. Lillard scored 14 points and cleared the glass for 11 boards while Runck finished with 11 points and rebounds. Jara Bachtold chipped in 14 points going a perfect 6-6 at the line.

The Cobras raced out to 43-17 halftime and cruised in the win over Shawnee. Parkland used a balanced attack to defeat the Saints with Bachtold leading the way with 15 points. Ashley Lillard tossed in 14 and Bridget Helms had a career high 11. Jessy Young added 9 points and 7 assists while Heidi McKean had 8 points and 5 assists. The wins improve PC to (9-5 1-0) ahead of tonight's 5:30 contest at #3 Lewis and Clark (9-2 1-0). PC returns to action at home on Wednesday night when they host #9 Illinois Central.

The PC men fought back from a 15 point halftime deficit but fell to Shawnee 67-64. Antonio Lofton had a career day scoring 30 points knocking down 11 shots from the field and adding 8 points from the free throw line. Andrew Wilkerson was the only other player in double figures finishing with 13 points, 4 steals, and 3 assists. PC (3-10 0-1) travels to play Lewis & Clark (6-7 0-1) for a 7:30 game tonight in Godfrey.

1-5-08

The Parkland Women's Basketball Team started 2008 in winning fashion by
defeating Robert Morris 64-49 on Thursday night. The Cobras, who had not
played a game since December 17th, used strong defense and solid bench play
to knock off the holiday rust. Parkland was ahead at the half, 33-25, and
held the Lady Eagles to 28% shooting in the second half to keep the Lady
Warriors at bay.

Ashley Lillard and Ashley Runck both posted double-doubles for the Cobras.
Lillard scored 14 points and cleared 11 rebounds, while Runck added 11
points and 11 boards. Jara Bachtold chipped in with 14 points, including a
6-6 effort from the charity stripe, and also snagged 3 steals. Both Bridget
Helms and Jessi Beachey gave spirited efforts off the bench in the paint, as
each scored 7 points. Beachey also pulled down 7 rebounds. Ashley Sieberns
added 5 points, LaShea Conner-Gaten added 4 points, and Heidi McKean added 2
points. Lillard and McKean led the defensive effort with 4 steals apiece,
and McKean and Amanda VanEtta both dished out 3 assists.

The Cobra women travel south to play Shawnee College on Saturday, January
5th. The game is a 2:00 pm start and can be heard on WGCY radio, 106.3 FM,
or on the web at www.wgcyradio.com.

Parkland College • 2400 West Bradley Avenue • Champaign, IL 61821 • 217/351-2200 • 800/346-8089
Parkland Home | Site Map | Web Administrator |Athletics Home

counter