RIVER FOREST, Ill. – Concordia University Chicago (CUC) athletics had a strong showing last week, with the opening of the men's volleyball season, multiple Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) victories, and personal records. Plus, the Pack the Stands event last Saturday for our basketball doubleheader was a huge success, creating an electric atmosphere in Geiseman Gymnasium.
Women's Basketball (7-9, 5-3)
The women's basketball team picked up two conference wins this week.
The Cougars began the week with a quick trip to Chicago to face Illinois Tech in a NACC matchup. It was a back-and-forth battle, but CUC pulled away with a strong fourth quarter and won, 74-56.
Ai Yonemura (Yachiyo, Chiba-Japan) led the squad with 19 points, two assists, and four steals.
Grace King (Fairland, Ind.) followed closely behind with 14 points, two assists, and two steals. In addition, King recorded a team-high nine rebounds. Both
Sophia Pedraza (Carol Stream, Ill.) and
Hannah Lopez (Chicago, Ill.) sank double digits, putting up 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Then on Saturday, CUC hosted the Muskies of Lakeland University. The Cougars came out hot, shooting 54% from the field, 41.7% from three, and 82.6% from the free throw line to pull out an 83-66 dominant victory. Both
Naveya Jackson (Sun Prairie, Wis.) and Yonemura recorded a team best 21 points and three rebounds. Yonemura also added eight assists while Jackson had three steals. King had another all-around game, posting 11 points, five rebounds, six assists, and two steals. Lopez knocked down three from beyond the arc for nine points and grabbed four boards.
The Cougars play two NACC games this week. On Wednesday, January 21, CUC takes on Aurora University at 7:00 pm in Geiseman Gymnasium. Then on Saturday, January 24, the Cougars travel to Wis. to face St. Norbert College at 1:00 pm.
Men's Basketball (6-10, 5-4)
The men's basketball team also played Illinois Tech and Lakeland this week.
Against the Scarlet Hawks, the Cougars battled until the very end but came up just short, 79-77. Honore Yangoua (Williamstown, Ky.) and
Aaron Brown (Joliet, Ill.) each tallied a team leading 14 points. Yangoua also grabbed 10 boards and recorded five assists.
Ryker Johnson (Fond du Lac, Wis.) added 12 points while
Jacob Robinson (Saint Louis, Mo.) chipped in a career-high 10 points.
On Saturday, the Cougars hosted Lakeland. The Muskies didn't make it easy for the Cougars, but CUC was able to hold onto the lead and claim victory, 70-67. Yangoua once again led the Cougars, scoring 18 points and registering five rebounds and two assists. Brown followed with 14 points and a team high 11 rebounds.
Matthew Guthrie (Carlyle, Ill.) had a game with 11 points, three rebounds, two assists, and one block.
This week the Cougars will take on two NACC opponents. They will travel to face Aurora on Wednesday, January 21, at 7:00 pm. Then on Saturday, January 24, CUC will head up to Wisconsin to face St. Norbert. Tipoff is set for 3:15 pm.
Track & Field
Both track & field teams competed at the Heenan Invitational, hosted by North Central College (NCC).
On the men's side, the Cougars ran two teams in the 4x400m relay. The team consisting of
Donovan Depakakibo (Norridge, Ill.),
Kamren Hannah (El Paso, Texas),
Nathaniel Hernandez (Harwood Heights, Ill.), and
Kyle Knutsen (Sterling, Ill.) finished third with a time of 3:34.42. The team consisting of
Tremain Dockery (Chicago, Ill.),
Jordyn Boatman (Elmwood Park, Ill.),
Jayden Taylor (Southfield, Mich.), and
Julian Switzer (Lake in the Hills, Ill.) finished fifth with a time of 3:42.40.
Vincent Scarnato (Pottstown, Pa.) ran a 52.50 and
Austin Knight (Forest Park, Ill.) ran a 53.22 in the 400m, to finish fourth and seventh, respectively. Boatman set a personal best leap of 6.72m in the long jump, finishing sixth.
For the women's team,
Madison Hipshire (Riverview, Mich.) led the charge with a fifth-place finish in the 400m with a time of 1:06.07. Less than a second behind Hipshire was
Ashley Vasquez (Riverside, Ill.), who recorded a time of 1:06.30. In the long jump,
Kirsten Bockhorst (Union, Mo.) and
Aniyah Isom (Chicago, Ill.) finished sixth and seventh, respectively, with leaps of 4.80m and 4.70m, respectively.
Noor Sammour (Berwyn, Ill.) and
Harmonie Cooper (Chicago, Ill.) finished seventh and eighth, respectively, in the high jump. Sammour recorded a mark of 1.50m while Cooper recorded a mark of 1.45m.
The Cougars' next meet will be the Aurora Grand Prix on Saturday, January 24. It will be hosted by Aurora in Aurora, Ill.
Men's Volleyball (0-1, 0-0)
The Cougars kick off their season, hosting Illinois Wesleyan University.
Despite winning the third set, 44-42, the second-highest combined points in a set in all of NCAA Division III, CUC fell 3-1.
Jackson Stella (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) led the Cougars with 20 kills, while also adding 11 digs and a block.
Tyler Holubek (New Lenox, Ill.) followed up with 15 kills, one service ace, and a team leading 12 digs.
Alexander Ford (Skokie, Ill.) and
Wyatt Anzenberger-Shea (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) each tallied 10 kills. Both stood strong at the net as well, with Ford totaling five blocks and Anzenberger-Shea recording three. Elijah Mosher (Clayton, Ohio) recorded a team high 55 assists.
This week the Cougars have two matches. On Thursday, January 22, CUC will take on NCC at 7:00 pm in Naperville, Ill. Then on Saturday,, January 24, CUC hosts Augustana College at 1:00 pm.
You can keep up with all things CUC Athletics on Twitter @CUChicagoSports, watch all the action at cucougars.com/coverage, and view all photos from the seasons
here.
