Raider Santonion Martin takes a shot during a game against Jackson Community College on Feb. 22.(Photo: Michael Thayer/Collegiate)

Looking ahead
by Derek Lamb
Collegiate Staff Writer

The GRCC men’s basketball team is 19-7 heading into the playoffs, wrapping up an impressive regular season.

Even with the loss 75-61 loss on Feb 25. to Lake Michigan College team stays positive.

The team has surpassed what coach David Selmon expected from them.

“If you would have told me that with 14 freshman and one sophomore that we would be second in our division or have a chance to win, I wouldn’t have believed you. They’ve exceeded my expectations and, other than being blown out by Kalamazoo, we've played everyone well,” Selmon said.

The players are also happy with the way the team has played, even though they believe they let some close games get away.

“I think the team has played pretty good this year, considering that we were young, but I think we all feel we could have won most of the games we lost, which is kind of a disappointment,” freshmen Brad Schnyders said.

The Raiders continue a tradition of reaching the postseason.

“Our standards with the athletic director and coaches are that if you're not .500 in league play, you won't go to the postseason, so we're excited," Selmon said.

The Raiders have already begun getting ready for their postseason tournament tournament.

“We’re preparing a little differently. Teams will see things that they haven't seen from us before,” Selmon said. “We’ve saved some things for the tournaments. We’re going to bring high-energy and more full court pressure on defense.”

Selmon is confident in his group because of the way they have played all year, and feels the team has a great oppertunity to win in the postseason.

"I think we have just a good a chance as anyone else. I wouldn’t want to play us,” he said.

The team will play in the NJCAA District 8 Tournament starting Mar. 3 in Kalamazoo.

Softball prepares for opening
By Dana Finkler
Collegiate Staff Writer

This year’s Raider softball team is young and learning about time commitment.

“The biggest difference from going to high school to college is the dedication and time commitment,” said right fielder Karri Ort. “We condition a lot and work on our mental toughness, we strive to be error free.”

“They have to want to be here. Coach Paula Maloley said,”The work and time demand, they better like it.”

Last season the Lady Raiders went 32-17, but Maloley still believes the team needs to improve.

“We need to be better defensively and more aggressively offensively,” said Maloley.

Coach Maloley is entering her 22nd season as Raiders softball coach and its excited to get started. This past off-season, Maloley spent the time in Nevada learning a new philosophy or approach to batting that she has implemented in the off-season workouts as well as practice. She wants the girls to be able to manufacture runs, not just with the hit-and-run call, but with perfecting how to bunt, slap, and angle down.

“I’m excited to try it and hope it becomes contagious among the players,” Maloley said.

This year’s team only returns six sophomores, but Maloley is optimistic about the crop of freshman adding. “They are athletic and talented.” “Sophomores will be key in cascading the freshman,” said Maloley.

This years pitching rotation will be anchored around freshman or “the Three R’s,” as Maloley likes to call them; Katie Roach, Krystal Ryskamp, Lindsey Reppins.

“The workouts are grueling, but worthwhile,”pitcher Krystal Ryskamp said. The game aside, Maloley hopes the girls can build relationships and friendships.

“It’s about making connections and life goals,” said Maloley.

The girls travel to Florida during spring break to compete against D1 colleges.

“I hope we come back with a .500 record and hope it gets us prepares us for conference,” said Maloley.

A long tough year for Raiders
By Derek Lamb
Collegiate Staff Writer

The GRCC women’s basketball team is 15- 11 coming to the end of a challenging season.

The Raiders have had a tough time, winning close games, with seven of their 11 losses being by 10 points or less.

"The most frustrating part of this year is the inability to close out games against the best teams.

We have been extremely competitive this year and have been in every game down the stretch.

However, for whatever reason youth, experience, missed opportunities, we have not been able to finish games off,” coach Kelly McEwen said.

Despite struggling throughout the year, McEwen is happy with the way the team has played overall, but he wishes they could have been more consistent.

“I think that we have played fairly well most of the year. The biggest disappointment has been the inconsistency down the stretch,” McEwen said.

McEwan also believes the team has come a long way since the beginning of the season but knows it will be difficult to replace some of his sophomores who have a done a great job while playing at GRCC.

“I am extremely pleased with the progress of our freshman class and we have some great kids who have are a pleasure to be around. Some of our sophomores like Rebecca Moore, Kaylie Meyering, and Aunjuli Stewart... we will miss their presence because they are really good kids, the kind of kids that you like to have represent this institution,” McEwen said.

As the season winds down, McEwen feels like his team is playing better than they have all year.

“We are getting better every game and I think that right now we are playing our best basketball. It has just taken us a little longer to get there than it normally does,” he said.

Sports Briefs: Former Olympian pushes hard for Darfur
By Philip Hersh (MCT Wire)

CHICAGO - Joey Cheek was shocked, but he’s no longer surprised that a number of countries have tried to stifle what their athletes at this summer’s Beijing Olympics say about China.

Cheek has learned that it is one thing for Olympic officials to espouse the humanitarian ideals expressed in the Olympic Charter and another to insist those offi cials stand behind the ideals to help alleviate a humanitarian crisis.

“I was lauded worldwide as the Olympic ideal for donating my Olympic bonus money to buy sports equipment for kids in Darfur,” Cheek said in a recent telephone conversation. “But when I started speaking out about the political issues in Darfur, I no longer was the Olympic ideal to some people.

“What does that tell me? If you help kids play, you’re OK. If you want to help protect people from being slaughtered, you’re not.”

It is two years since Cheek became a speed skating gold and silver medalist at the Turin Winter Olympics and used the media forum available to highlight the situation in the Darfur region of Sudan.

He went a step further, donating his $40,000 in U.S. Olympic Committee bonuses for those medals to Right to Play http// www.righttoplay.com, an organization that seeks to improve kids’ lives by promoting health and hope.

During those two years, Cheek, 28, has retired from speed skating and an outspoken member of activist groups trying to find a solution for the crisis in Darfur.

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