Posted July 2021
2020-21 was a banner year for NCMC athletics. Men’s basketball made its third straight trip to the national tournament. Women’s basketball held a national ranking for the entirety of the season, climbing as high as #7 in the national poll. Softball also cracked the NJCAA poll on their way to a stellar 41-13 season record in head coach Steve Richman’s final season at the helm. Baseball eclipsed the program record for wins plus knocked off three different nationally ranked opponents. Golf teams improved throughout the year and were playing their best rounds at the end of the season.
There were also plenty of individual performances of note. Men’s basketball had Jeramy Shaw receive 2nd Team All-American honors. Shaw and Atavian Butler each were 1st Team All-Region and Kolten Griffin got the 2nd Team All-Region nod. Women’s basketball had freshman Maci Moore lead the nation in field goal percentage on her way to 1st Team All-Region status. Women’s basketball also had three 2nd Team All-Region selections, Lily Osborn, Kortlyn Rounkles and Nora Ford. Softball had two All-Region honorees, 1st Teamer Casey Stout and 2nd Teamer Sammi Bradshaw. Stout ended the season with the second most strikeouts by a pitcher (281) in the nation. Baseball’s Keven Franco earned NJCAA DII Pitcher of the Week honors on his way to the 16th best ERA in the nation (2.66). Franco, Tanner Sears, Braedyn Brewer, Nathaniel Lai, Noah Bodenhausen and Jay Greco each put their mark on the NCMC record books.
A number of NCMC athletes will be moving on to compete at the 4-year level. Below is a listing of those athletes and the school where they will continue their careers.
Baseball
Braedyn Brewer – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (NCAA DI)
Jurden d’Arnault – Erskine College (NCAA DII)
Keven Franco – Jackson State University (NCAA DI)
Albert Gonzalez – Tuskegee University (NCAA DII)
Koby Linder – Missouri Valley College (NAIA)
Braxton Pennington – Southwestern Oklahoma State University (NCAA DII)
Tanner Sears – Central Methodist University (NAIA)
Men’s Basketball
Jackson Andrews – Central Methodist University (NAIA)
Atavian Butler – University of Missouri St. Louis (NCAA DII)
Jeramy Shaw – University of Detroit Mercy (NCAA DI)
Women’s Golf
Sara Golden – Cottey College (NAIA)
Dance Wave
Kassie Frederick – Central Methodist University (NAIA)