Spring wrap up, coaches stand tall
Aaron Webster
With men’s tennis and ladies golf winning region titles, Pau Tonnesen winning a track and field indoor heptathlon national championship and baseball being ranked sixth in the nation, spring sports aced, eagled, won gold, and hit a homer this season.
The key to success for spring sports has been the coaching. Ask any coach why their team has been successful, without a doubt they will give all the praise and glory to their players.
It is time for the coaches to get the praise and glory they deserve.
At the community college level, players come and go constantly. Each season, coaches are having to adjust their rosters, make recruiting trips and rebuild teams from the ground up.
In many cases, if a coach has been successful at the community college ranks, they are offered better positions elsewhere. The impressive aspect of the spring sports coaches at MCC, besides softball coach Wayne Hill, who was recently hired within the last year, is that they have had their feet firmly rooted in their programs for over six years now.
Coach Tony Cirelli has led this year’s squad to a 42-14 record, 22-14 in the ACCAC. Lead by sophomores Zach Nothwehr and Michael Wesoloski, the T-Birds have only lost nine games since the beginning of March.
They have the best record in the region and they are currently ranked third nationally.
Coach John Guerrero’s golf teams have once again seen success, especially the ladies golf. Led by sophomores Ashlynn Hall and Jamie Jaruvangsanti, this year’s team created their own category of being elite. It was due in part to coach Guerrero, who relentlessly focuses on being better every time his players step on the tee. “My job is to get these players to compete at national level,” coach Guerrero said “both mentally and physically.”
After seasons of Scottsdale Community College running the men’s region tennis circuit, coach Adam Cohen finally pushed his team to first place.
Led by sophomores Kyle Ogren and Shannon Nelson, men’s tennis finally ripped that Artichoke monkey off their backs. “It feels great to be on top,” Ogren said “this season has been fun.”
In his first season as skipper of the softball team, Coach Hill and the Lady T-Birds have had an up and down season.
“When our hitting was on, our defense was off. When our defense was on, our hitting wasn’t there,” Coach Hill said.
The softball team won’t be making the playoffs this season but Coach Hill has high hopes for next season.
“We have some really great recruits coming for next season,” Hill said.
