By Chris Trujillo
Herald Writer
EVERETT – The good news is that Everett Community College has added cross country to its fall sports lineup after eliminating it 15 years ago.
The bad news is that there are no scholarships to be offered, nor is there much interest among students already attending the school. The lack of appeal has left the women’s team short on runners with just four, making it ineligible to score team points in events.
And now the men’s team has taken a hit by losing two of its runners (one also an assistant coach) to military duty. The team of eight is now just six, one more than the five-member minimum for team scoring, leaving little room for injuries or anything else that may arise.
Instead of competing, 34-year-old Andrew Macoleni, also the team’s assistant coach, and teammate Allen Duncan, will join thousands of other reservists called up to serve their country in the wake of the Sept. 11 East Coast terrorists attacks.
“I just got a team together, and suddenly two of them are called up,” coach Sue Grigsby said. “I figured the first year would be tough, and it is.”
Macoleni, a U.S. Navy third class gunners mate, dropped out of school last week in order to get ready for a possible one-year active duty commitment. All he knows for sure is that he’ll be stationed somewhere in the Puget Sound region instead of going overseas. The same goes for the 24-year-old Duncan, except he’ll be serving with the Coast Guard.
“I served in the Persian Gulf, so I am happy to stay close to home this time around,” Macoleni said. “I am not sure where I’ll be. The Puget Sound region is a large area, so I’ll have to wait and see. I just wish it would get started.”
As for the remaining members of the men’s team, they’ll compete this weekend at the Clark Invitational in Lewisville Park, the same course where the NWAACC Championships will be held on Nov. 10. According to Grigsby, it will be a good opportunity for the team to get familiar with the course.
“It’s been a tough year,” she said. “But I think we can compete with the other teams. I think we can be frontrunners. It will be a good preview race for the championships in November.”
Although her first year has been a bit rocky, Grigsby, a former Lake Stevens High School assistant cross country coach, has already began scouting local high school talent. She is also trying to find ways to entice local sponsors to donate funds in order to start a scholarship program. If that’s not enough, she using her spare time to revamp the school athletic web site, which she believes can be used to attract future prospects.
“I’ve been lobbying for community donors,” Grigsby said. “It would help a great deal if we can offer athletes some help. The scholarships can only be worth $200, so it’s not too much, but everything helps.”
Dynamic Duo: Sophomores Ryan Hopp and Patrick Pollock are on a mission. After leading the Edmonds Community College men’s soccer team to a flawless 16-0 regular season record last year, the duo has dedicated itself to not repeating last season’s disappointing ending – a first-round playoff loss to eventual champion Tacoma.
While the team will not repeat its unscathed record due to an early-season loss, it is still a top contender with a 6-1-2 record.
Offensively, Marysville-Pilchuck’s Hopp has been unstoppable. Last year’s NWAACC All-Star forward has scored 18 goals in just nine games, and had hat tricks in both a 7-0 victory over Everett and a 5-4 win over Wenatchee Valley last week.
“He came out of high school a great recruit,” EdCC coach Eddie Fernandez said. “He works so hard. He doesn’t let his success get to his head. He works hard all the time, which helps avoid bad habits.”
Two weeks ago, Hopp, the team’s captain, scored two goals in two games which were preceded by a four-goal game against Columbia Basin earlier this month. According to Fernandez, though, Hopp wouldn’t be nearly as effective if not for running mate Pollock, who was named last year’s NWAACC Offensive Player of the Year.
“Patrick (Pollock) is almost always on the end of Ryan’s goals,” Fernandez said. “They compliment each other very well. And they have a great friendly rivalry between each other, which I believe brings out the best in both of them.”
Next year, the two, who are currently on scholarship, are destined to play at four-year schools, according to Fernandez.
“We will sit down and figure what is best for them,” he said “Regardless of what level, they will definitely play somewhere.”
EdCC, currently tied for second place in the league standings, will host Walla Walla on Friday beginning at 6:30 p.m., and Columbia Basin on Sunday at 4 p.m. All home games are played at Lynnwood High School.
Other community college results – Volleyball: EdCC (2-3 in league, 3-4 overall) split last week’s games, defeating Olympic 3-0 and losing to Whatcom 3-0 to fall to fourth place.
EvCC (0-5, 2-6) lost 3-0 to Whatcom last week to remain winless in league and alone in last place.
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