The Seasons of Giving (and Taking) with MCCC Athletics

12/19/23

 

Since it is the season of giving, let’s take a look at our student athletes who have been gifting goals and baskets over the past year or giving out assists that leads to baskets or goals.

 

Vikings’ men’s basketball has three players averaging two or more assists per game.  Sophomore Izaiah Johnson (Burlington, NJ/Burlington City) is averaging 3.7 points per game.  Sophomore Isham McClain (Pemberton, NJ/Pemberton HS) is averaging 2.2 assists per game and freshman Darius Bland (Willingboro, NJ/Florence Twp. Memorial) is averaging 2.1 per game.  Freshman Calvin Moore (Trenton, NJ/Trenton Central) is just below the 2.0 assist per game mark, with 1.9 per game.

 

In men’s soccer sophomore Omolemo Matla (Vereeniging, South Africa/Waterstone College) and freshman Noah Bauer (Neunkirchen, Germany/Gymnasium am Kresburg) led the Vikings with five assists.  Freshman Lesedi Hlabeli (Gauteng, South Africa/Redford House Blue Hills) had four assists in his rookie season and sophomores Felipe Nazario (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Fundacao Bradesco) and Teddy Nkamanyi (Cologne, Germany/Gesamtschule Duisburg Mitte) each had three assists.

 

On the women’s soccer team, the giving was led by sophomore Victoria Woodruff (Hamilton, NJ/Steinert) and freshman Luana Nascimento (Cariacica, Brazil/Colegio Estadual Do Espiritu Santo) who were the team assist leaders with two a piece for the season.

 

There is also giving on the baseball and softball fields.  An assist is when a fielder touches the ball before a put out by another fielder.  In other words, an assist by a fielder helps lead to an out.  Softball sophomore third baseman Cierra Acevedo (Hamilton, NJ/Hamilton West) had 47 assists last spring.  Sophomore pitcher Shea Krebs (Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville HS) had 19 assists on the season.

 

On the baseball diamond, sophomore third baseman Joe Gmitter (Hamilton, NJ/Steinert) had 56 assists last spring.  Sophomore pitcher Ryan Mignogna (Ewing, NJ/Notre Dame) had six assists and sophomore left fielder Torin McKenzie (Hamilton, NJ/Nottingham) had four assists last spring. 

 

Men’s basketball has had very balanced scoring this season and is distributing their baskets across the team.  The Vikings have four players averaging in double figures: Johnson with 14.6 points per game, Bland 12.7 points per game, sophomore Jason Mark (Broward, FL/Blanche Ely HS) 12.1 points per game and sophomore Justin Carbone (Monmouth Junction, NJ/South Brunswick) at 11.2 points per game.

 

On the soccer field, Nkamanyi gave MCCC the most goals, with 14 on the season.  Hlabeli had five goals followed by four from Nazario.  Freshman Alou Gamby (Lansdale, PA/North Penn) and sophomore Kida Yamaguchi (Hiroshima, Japan/Aomori Yamada) each had three goals to help the Vikings this fall.

 

The goal giving on the women’s soccer team was led by freshman Annika Maringer (Asperg, Germany/IB Gymnasium) who led the Vikings with seven goals.  Freshman Laura Kucharz (Singen, Germany/Friedrich Wohler Gymnasium) had four goals and freshman Fiona Madigan (Dublin, Ireland/Fingal Community College) added three goals for Mercer last fall.

 

On the lacrosse field, sophomore Braden Travaglini (Berlin, NJ/Eastern Regional) gave the Vikings 16 goals and will help control the Vikings midfield again this spring.

 

Although it’s the season of giving, watch out for those “Grinches” who take things away.  Freshman Darius Bland is averaging 1.6 steals per game and Izaiah Johnson is averaging 1.2 steals per game.

 

And while we are speaking of takeaways, sophomore Jason Mark (Broward, FL/Blanche Ely HS) is averaging 1.1 blocks per game, helping to keep the opponent out of the basket.

 

Sophomore men’s lacrosse player Izzy Miranda (Tampa, FL/Tampa Catholic) helped take away the ball at face offs, winning 67 out of 100, which was 10^th best in the nation last spring.

 

Mercer soccer goalies did a good job of keeping the ball out of the net.  Freshman women’s soccer player Celina Oliveira (Villa Draia de Ancara, Portugal/Escola Basica e Secoudario Do Vale Do Ancura) finished with 55 saves in nine games, including 20 in a game vs Harcum.  Oliveira earned 1^st Team All-Region honors for her work of keeping balls out of the net.  Freshman men’s soccer goalie Federico Gainotti (Parma, Italy/Giandomenico Ronagnosi) had 43 saves in 12 games and freshman Elias Ruano (Telda, Spain/Juan Pulido Castro) had 16 saves in eight games to keep the Vikings’ opponents out of the net.

 

On the softball field, sophomore catcher Abby Bell (Hightstown, NJ/Hightstown HS) had 167 put outs. Acevedo had 54 putouts,sophomore first baseman Maya Patel (Burlington, NJ/Burlington Township) had 28 put outs and pitcher Krebs had 20 put outs last spring.

 

On the baseball field, sophomore third baseman Joe Gmitter (Hamilton, NJ/Steinert) had 67 put outs last spring and sophomore first baseman Wyatt Baker (Hamilton, NJ/Nottingham) had 34 put outs.  Sophomore right fielder Tyler Gonzalez had 39 put outs and sophomores McKenzie and Mignogna each had 22 put outs.

 

Whether it’s giving goals or baskets, dishing out assists or stealing balls, or making saves or blocks, MCCC student athletes have done their share of work for the holidays this season and we look forward to their continued gift giving or taking on the courts and fields!

 

To follow the latest on the Vikings' teams and the success of our student athletes, visit: https://www.mccc.edu/athletics_home.shtml