IVCC fall sports preview: Eagles cross country team debuts

IVCC will run its inaugural cross country season this fall.

The Eagles have six runners on the men’s roster and two on the women’s team under coach Matt Baker.

The men’s squad have a pair of area runners in Princeton graduate Christian Yepsen and Putnam County alumnus Azeal Vargas.

Four international students from Zimbabwe who came to IVCC to play tennis in the spring round out the cross country roster in Ziko Bingura, Tafara Kaguru, Shingai Manyonja and Rawland Jasi.

“I think getting the team known in the community is a big piece for this year as well as starting to get those numbers up and hopefully getting the word into the high schools so we can really establish a good foundation for future growth.”

—  Matt Baker, IVCC cross country coach

The women’s roster consists of Hall graduate Yovanna Reyes and Streator alumna Kristy Hoang.

With the numbers to field a full team on the men’s side, the Eagles look to be competitive in the conference and region.

“I’d love to see us look good in the conference and region meets,” Baker said. “I think we have a chance. Based on the past couple of years, it’s very common at our community college level that you don’t have full teams, so the fact we have a full team on the men’s side means at least we’ll be able to finish as a team versus just as individuals. We may be able to beat other teams in the conference kind of on numbers alone. Hopefully, that will help spark some more interest in the program if we have that initial success.”

The main focus for this season is laying the foundation for the program.

“The big goal is to start building the team and getting the word out that it exits,” Baker said. “A couple weeks ago we volunteered at the Boo Milby 5K. I think getting the team known in the community is a big piece for this year as well as starting to get those numbers up and hopefully getting the word into the high schools so we can really establish a good foundation for future growth.”

Men’s soccer looks to repeat as conference champions

The men’s soccer team returns a strong group of players from last year’s team that won the Arrowhead Conference title plus adds a talented group of freshmen, including three players who helped Mendota win a sectional title in 2021 and reached a sectional final in 2022.

Midfielder Tyrese Baijnath returns after scoring six goals and tallying seven assists last season, while forward Tyler Marconi had four goals and seven assists last fall.

The Eagles also return goalkeeper Colin Hart (2.26 goals against average, three shutouts in 2022) along with defender Francisco Pereira, who is a team captain, and defensive midfielder Danny Cruz.

The Mendota trio joining the roster is Johnathan Cortez, Jasiel Watson and David Garcia. All three will play in the midfield.

Last fall, Cortez had 24 goals and 16 assists and Watson had 35 goals and 12 assists. Both were NewsTribune All-Area selections. Garcia missed his senior season last year while undergoing cancer treatments but he was an all-area pick as a defender as a junior.

Other newcomers to the team who are expected to make an impact are midfielders Rodrigo Rochete, Ivan Patricio and Erfrain Lemus and defenders Liam Clarkson, Francisco Fernandes, who missed last year with an injury, and Jorge Martinez, a La Salle-Peru graduate.

“Overall team speed is really improved and we have multiple scoring threats,” Cottingim said about teh team’s strengths.

The Eagles are off to a 3-1 start.

“We definitely want to repeat as conference champions,” Cottingim said. “We hope to have a team that can compete for the region title as well.”

Men’s golf aiming for nationals

With a large roster of 12 players full of some of the area’s top talent, the men’s golf team has high hopes for the 2023 season.

“I want to have at least one team win. I want to have two to three,” coach Pat Guilfoyle said. “The main goal is to win conference and qualify for nationals. I think these guys can do it. We were close to a top three finish for the team in our first event. These guys are competitors. The program is changing in a good direction For the first time in many years we’re able to have two full teams going to events. We’ve implemented a workout program the kids are doing two to three times per week as well as mandatory course practices to tighten up their games. This is a whole new Eagles squad.”

Key returners for the Eagles are Serena graduate Dylan Cartwright, who had an 81 average and won the Galena tournament in the spring, and La Salle-Peru alumnus Connor Noramczyk.

Freshmen have already made an impact for IVCC. The freshmen class includes Ottawa graduates Drake Stoudt and Jonathan Cooper, St. Bede alumnus Jake Delaney, L-P graduate Carter Fenza, Serena alumnus Camden Figgins and Hall graduate Grant Plym.

In the team’s opener on Aug. 26, Stoudt tied for fifth and Delaney tied for ninth, while Cooper finished just outside the top 10.

“We’re going to be pretty deep this year,” Guilfoyle said.

Women’s tennis has all new roster

The Eagles have a roster made up entirely of freshmen this season.

“We have a great mix of our area players,” coach Julie Milota said.

Mendota graduate Alex Stremlau was the No. 1 singles player for the Trojans last season. The Eagles have three players from Streator in Marissa Vickers along with Charlee Bourell and Syria Zinga, who played No. 1 doubles for the Bulldogs.

The roster also includes Emma Walker, who played No. 2 doubles for Ottawa, and La Salle-Peru graduate Briana Keith.

“This is a hard working group of women,” Milota said. “We are looking forward to competing and battling for the Division I Region IV title in October.”

Women’s soccer has new coach, local roster

The Eagles have a new coach in Gerald Stuart, who comes to IVCC after serving as an assistant coach at a junior college in Arizona.

In his first season, he has a roster made up mostly of local players with L-P graduates Isabella Lambert, Emma Higgins and Sasha Bruins, Mendota alumnae Flor Delao, DePue graduate Amy Munoz, Ottawa alumni Morgan Clements, Gabrielle Buendia and Alexis Kerley, Streator graduates Anna Jawarski and Lydia Huey and Princeton alumnae Anastasia Mallery Sondgeroth.

The only nonlocal player is goalkeeper Grace Johnson from Lawton, Ok.