Joliet Junior College among nation’s best for nonscholarship athletics

Joliet Junior College wrapped up the 2023-24 school year with a fourth-place finish in the Daktronics Cup nonscholarship division.

The Daktronics Cup is awarded annually by the National Alliance of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators to the junior colleges with the most athletic success. Points are awarded based on finish in NJCAA championship events. The Wolves finished with 107.5 points.

“I am extremely proud of JJC Wolves Athletics to achieve a fourth-place finish in the Daktronics Cup,” athletic director Gregg Braun said in a statement. “This is a true testament of the dedication, commitment and hard work of our student-athletes. Along with the players, our amazing coaches deserve so much credit as well. They continue to work hard and commit to the student-athlete experience here at JJC and to keep us as one of the top five athletic departments in the country.”

During the fall season, women’s soccer reached the district championship, while men’s cross country earned a fourth-place finish at the national meet.

In the winter, men’s and women’s bowling programs finished fifth nationally, with Madi Lave earning a national title. Paul Kadlec earned a seventh-place finish in the NJCAA men’s wrestling tournament, and the Wolves’ competitive cheerleading team earned a second-place finish during the 2024 NCA and NDA College Nationals competition. Men’s basketball returned to the NJCAA Division III tournament, ending its season with a 92-88 overtime victory against Prince George’s Community College in a consolation game.

The spring season saw the men’s track and field team finish third at the national meet with three national championships (4x800-meter relay team of Stephen Lundy, Chris Johnson, Matt Clark and Alex Johnson; 400 by Chris Johnson; 3,000-meter steeplechase by Andrew Ciarlette). The women’s team finished sixth at the national meet.