MCC awards Banquet, goodbye Bob Klassen
Jeff Moses
The Mesa Community College athletic awards banquet was a melancholy event for everyone involved.Coaches saying goodbye to sophomore graduates and transfers, players saying goodbye to the coaches and school they’ve known for at the very least a season, and the entire MCC athletic community said goodbye to head athletic trainer Bob Klassen.
“I am going to miss Bob so terribly, because he has been one of the best trainers and greatest friends I have ever met,” said Kourtni Thomas of MCC women’s basketball.
The entire Thunderbird family shared that sentiment, when they all arose to give Klassen a standing ovation as he received a Lifetime Achievement Award.
“I felt awkward with all that but I am just totally confident this program is not going to miss a step . being an athletic trainer has never been about us,” Klassen said. “It’s always been about helping the athletes do what they can, keep them on the court, keep them on field, and that’s what gives us our pleasure.”
The biggest winner on the night was Thunderbird track and cross country star Melissa Peters, who brought home MVPs in both track and field, cross country and an academic All-America Award.
MCC men and women’s golf coach John Guererro won the Coach of the Year Award.
The Male Player of the Year hardware was brought home by MCC’s baseball stalwart Darian Johnson.
The Female Player of the Year was won by track star Lacey Palmer, who currently holds the NJCAA national meet pole vault record.
