NPCC Knights – Page 41 – North Platte Post Archive

Lady Knights’ Jordan Dickerson Receives Pinnacle Award for Academic Excellence

Posted on July 7, 2014July 7, 2014

North Platte – Jordan Dickerson of the women’s basketball team at North Platte Community College was awarded the Pinnacle Award for Academic Excellence after finishing her two year career as a Lady Knight with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. Dickerson is the second Pinnacle Award winner for head coach Richard Thurin, joining Maggie Carson who received the award following the 2010-2011 school year. The Pinnacle Award for Academic Excellence is the highest academic award the National Junior College Athletic Association gives out.

Dickerson started all 29 games for the Lady Knights during her sophomore season in which she averaged 8.5 points and 3.4 rebounds. Dickerson led the Lady Knights with 3.9 assists per game while playing 32.9 minutes per game which was also a team high.

“We are very proud of Jordan for her accomplishments off the court,” said head coach Thurin. “It is a testament to her hard work and dedication that she earned such a great GPA. I know that Jordan will be successful in whatever she decides to do.”

Jordan Dickerson was also named to the All-Region and All-Conference Academic teams for her stellar academic performance. Jordan was joined by her sister Briana Dickerson on both teams for her academic performance.

NPCC Lady Knights Volleyball Signs Erika Goodwin

Posted on June 29, 2014

North Platte- The North Platte Community College Lady Knights volleyball team announced the signing of Junction City, Kansas’s Erika Goodwin to a National Letter of Intent. Goodwin transferred to North Platte where she will be a sophomore for the Lady Knights after playing her freshman year at Western Nebraska Community College.

The 5’8″ Goodwin will play either the Libero or DS position as the Lady Knights look to improve on their Region IX Division II Runner-Up finish from a year ago. Goodwin is the daughter of Mike and Leslie Goodwin and is surrounded by siblings Charly, Cole and Morgan, her mother, and Coach Vicki Hopping as she signed her National Letter of Intent.

“I’m looking forward to a good season and getting to know everybody better,” said Goodwin.

“We are excited to welcome Erika to our program,” said head coach Sally Thalken. “She brings experience from playing a year of college volleyball already and has been around a very successful program.”

Allison Finkbeiner of Arizona Signs with NPCC Softball

Posted on June 25, 2014

North Platte- Allison Finkbeiner from Kingman High School in Kingman, Arizona signed her National Letter of Intent to play softball at North Platte Community College. Finkbeiner will play in the outfield for the Knights and is a versatile batter at the plate.

During her senior season at Kingman, Finkbeiner finished with a .300 batting average and a .998% fielding percentage.

“Allison was a standout student-athlete while at Kingman High and academics were very important to her as she was deciding where to continue her education and her softball career,” said head coach Janelle Higgins. “Allison has the drive and determination to be a standout student-athlete in any program. Her attitude and willingness to do whatever it takes on the field or in the classroom will definitely be a great addition to our program.”

“I decided to committ to NPCC becasue it is a small town just like back home,” said Finkbeiner. “I have always wanted to get out of Arizona and the desert and NPCC and coach Higgins gave me that opportunity. I really liked the college campus and all the great academic classes and educational programs that are offered.”

“Allison has a great first step and read of the ball off the bat in the outfield and she is not afraid to leave her feet to dive or get dirty to make a play,” said Higgins. “In the batters box she hits for power but can lay down a bunt depending on the situation. Allison is definitely going to help round out our recruiting class for the outfield and fill gaps from graduation. Her personality and attitude fit with what we are looking for in athletes and I am very excited to get her back to campus in the fall.”

Tyree Peter of Omaha Benson Signs with Knights

Posted on June 23, 2014

North Platte- Tyree Peter of Omaha Benson High School signed his National Letter of Intent to join the North Platte Community College Knight’s men’s basketball team. Peter is the fifth player to sign with the Knights for the 2014 class and the ninth player from the Omaha Metro to play for the Knights in the past four years.

“We are excited to welcome Tyree to our program,” said head coach Kevin O’Connor. “He plays with great energy and competes on every possession. Tyree is a versatile player who can play either forward positon.”

The 6’6 forward is the newest Knight after helping lead his Benson Bunny team to a 3rd place finish at the 2014 State Tournament after a 4th place finish at the 2013 State Tournament as a junior. Peter was named All-State Honorable Mention as a senior during a season in which he averaged 11.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Peter was a teammate of North Platte signee Matt Thomas during the summer on the Omaha Sports Academy Crusaders National Team.

“I am glad that I found a school with coaches I feel will help improve my game,” said Peter. “It was a blessing to have North Platte offer me a scholarship and I am looking forward to some great years there.”

NPCC Knights Sign Two from Toledo

Posted on June 19, 2014

Fadil Robinson Michael Mitchell NPCC Knights Basketball — No. 40 Fadil Robinson (Left) and No. 40 Michael Mitchell (Right)

North Platte – The North Platte Community College men’s basketball team announced the signing of two players to National Letters of Intent from Toledo, Ohio. Fadil Robinson of Rogers High School and Michael Mitchell of Start High School are the newest Knights and will both be freshman during the 2014-15 season.

The 6’7 Robinson brings size to the Knights front court. Robinson averaged nearly a double-double as he finished with 9.5 points and 10 rebounds per game as a senior. As a junior, Robinson was a large part of the state runner-ups in the largest class in Ohio. In the State Championship game he scored 10 points and pulled down seven rebounds.

“Fadil brings size to our team which is something we are always looking for,” said coach Kevin O’Connor. “He has been a part of a very successful program and knows how to win.”

“I am excited to be a Knight!” said Robinson. “I can’t wait to get to North Platte and start my college career.”

The 6’5 Mitchell brings size and athleticism at the wing position as the Knights look to replace graduated Tim Simmons. Mitchell averaged 12.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game as a senior.

“Michael is a player that brings some versatility to our line-up,” said coach O’Connor. “He is a big guard that can score and defend for us.”

“Signing with NPCC and becoming a Knight will be great,” said Mitchell. “It will help me further my education and basketball dreams.”

“We are excited to add both of these players to our team and we can’t wait to get them on campus in the fall,” said coach O’Connor.

Robinson and Mitchell are the third and fourth members of the Knight’s 2014 class.

NPCC Lady Knights Sign Three to 2014 Class

Posted on June 16, 2014

Whitney Edwards (Right), Zulema Viescas (Center) and Haley Cochran (Left) sign their letters of intent. — Whitney Edwards (left), Zulema Viescas (Center) and Haley Cochran (right) sign their letters of intent.

North Platte – The North Platte Community College women’s basketball team announced the signing of three players to National Letters of Intent for the 2014-15 season. Whitney Edwards of Garland, Texas, Zulema Viescas of El Paso, Texas and Haley Cochran of Kamloops, British Columbia are the newest members of the Lady Knights basketball team and will all be freshman as the Lady Knights look to defend their back-to-back Region IX Division II Championships.

Whitney Edwards will join the Lady Knights after graduating from Lakeview Centennial High School. The 5’8″ Edwards will join the Lady Knights back court and bring depth at the small forward position.

“We were mainly drawn to her competitiveness and skill level,” said head coach Richard Thurin.

Zelema Viescas will join the Lady Knights after graduating from J.M. Hanks High School. The 5’2″ point guard was named 1st Team All-Region after leading her team to the conference championship, sectional championship and a regional runner-up finish.

“Zulema is a very quick guard who averaged six assists per game,” said coach Thurin.

Haley Cochran will join the Lady Knights after graduating from Sa Hali Secondary. The 5’11” forward will play either the small forward or power forward position.

“Haley’s high school team has been very successful and she does a good job getting to the basket,” said coach Thurin. “We are excited to welcome all three girls to our team and we can’t wait to get them on campus this fall.”

NPCC Coach’s ‘Gatorade Bath’ to be Shown on America’s Funniest Home Videos on May 18

Posted on May 14, 2014May 14, 2014

In his 48 years of coaching high school and college basketball, North Platte Community College Lady Knights basketball coach Dick Thurin never imagined that he would gain national recognition for a play he never even saw coming.

It was March 2013. Caught up in the excitement of winning the district competition and advancing to nationals, three of Thurin’s players decided to celebrate the victory by dousing their beloved coach with a bucket of ice water. The celebration, however, did not go exactly as planned.

The water was tossed and, with barely a moment to brace for impact, Thurin found himself face down on the slick wood floor.

“When football players celebrate wins with ‘Gatorade baths’ they are usually outside on grass, but we happened to be inside on a basketball court,” he said. “Water on gym floors is never a good thing.”

The laughter and excitement of the players and crowd quickly turned to gasps and hushed silence as Thurin struggled to his feet in the slippery puddle. After assuring everyone that he was fine, the coach dried off and continued the celebration.

His slip on the court might have quickly faded to a distant memory had it not been for Thurin’s granddaughter, who was in the stands filming the entire event.

“She put it up on Facebook and YouTube and before we knew it, it was everywhere,” Thurin said. “When she and my son told me it ‘went viral’ I didn’t even know what that meant. I thought it was something bad.”

As the viewer count grew, the clip of the “Gatorade Fail” soon captured the attention of news media across the county.

“They showed it on ESPN, the Today Show, Fox News, and even Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Thurin said. “It was just everywhere.”

Always a good sport, Coach Thurin played along and laughed with the folks who were laughing at him.

“Once I realized it wasn’t bad publicity for the college I was fine with it,” he said. “It really was funny.”

It was so funny, in fact, that when his son submitted the clip to America’s Funniest Home Videos, they agreed. The video is expected to be shown this Sunday, May 18, at 6 p.m. CT on ABC. (The clip can also be viewed at http://www.mpcc.edu/videos)

As he prepares for another round in the spotlight, Thurin still isn’t taking himself too seriously.

“I just have to laugh about the whole thing,” he said. “I tell people, ‘If you want to be famous in that manner, just do something stupid.’”

Shyquinn Dix of Stamford Academy Signs Letter of Intent with Knights

Posted on May 14, 2014May 14, 2014

North Platte- The North Platte Community College men’s basketball team announced Tuesday the signing of Stamford Academy’s Shyquinn Dix to a Letter of Intent to play basketball with the Knights next year as the second member of the 2014 signing class. Dix comes to North Platte from Stamford, Conn. the same hometown of recently graduated Tim Simmons.

“Shyquinn is a speedy guard with great court awareness,” said coach Barry Woods. “He has the ability to create his own shot off the dribble and create scoring opportunities for his teammates.”

Dix was a First-Team Westchester Independent Athletic Association (W.I.A.A.) selection as senior in which he averaged 25 points, six rebounds and six assists.

“We are excited to welcome Shyquinn to the Knights basketball program,” said head coach Kevin O’Connor. “We are excited with what he brings to the table and can’t wait to get him on campus this fall.”

The 6’1″ 175 pound combo guard scored 30 points five times this season including a high of 38 points. Dix also holds the school record with 43 points scored in a game.

“He is an aggressive defender who loves to pressure opposing guards,” said coach Woods. “He is automatic from 3 pt range but 15 ft and in is really his playground! His ability to play above the rim not only catches opposing teams off guard but makes him a surprising shot blocker as well.”

“A true leader by nature Shy led his team to the W.I.A.A (Westchester Independent Athletic Association) Championship and was named Tournament MVP.”

Tim Simmons Signs With Dallas Baptist University

Posted on May 5, 2014

North Platte – Sophomore Tim Simmons signed a National Letter of Intent Monday afternoon to continue his basketball career with Dallas Baptist University, a NCAA Division II school located in Dallas, Texas.

“It has been a great two years in North Platte,” said Simmons. “I am excited to continue my education and basketball career at DBU and set myself up for my future.”

Simmons was the Knights third leading scorer at 11.8 points per game to go along with 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game. Simmons led the Knights in shooting percentage at 54.3 percent from the field. Most importantly Simmons was also responsible for guarding the oppositions best perimeter player.

“We are so excited to welcome Tim into our basketball family,” said Dallas Baptist head coach Blake Flickner. “He comes from an excellent, winning program and it shows in his basketball IQ. He is one of those guys that really understands how to play.”

“He is versatile and tough and capable of playing and defending multiple positions. I love his ability to defend, and he also has a feel for setting the right screen or making the right pass, and he’s willing to step up and make the big shot. He is a special young man and we look forward to what he will bring to our campus community.”

Simmons was named to the All-Region IX Tournament team after scoring 16, 11 and 11 to go along with 10 assists over three games. Simmons was also named to the All-Nebraska Community College Athletic Association Conference Second-Team.

Simmons finished his career with 700 career points to finish 40th All-Time in Knights program history.

“We will miss Tim’s leadership both on and off the court,” said head coach Kevin O’Connor. “Tim has really grown and matured during his time here and we always knew we could count on him to show up and not quit until he had won.”

Simmons has been a part of the most successful two year stretch in program history as the Knights compiled a 57-11 record during his career, including a Region IX Championship in 2013 and National Tournament appearance. The 57 wins are the most in program history in a two year stretch and the 11 losses are the fewest. Simmons never knew defeat at McDonald-Belton Gymnasium finishing a perfect 28-0 in his two years, also a school record.

NPCC Knights Softball Ends Season at Region IX Division II Tournament

Posted on May 5, 2014

Beatrice – The North Platte Community College softball team (10-28) ended their season Friday in the Region IX Division II Tournament falling in the opening game of the tournament to the Southeast Community College Storm (3-36) by a score of 6-7 before falling by the same score to the Dawson Community College Buccaneers (27-17) to end their season.

In the opening game against the Storm, the Knights struggled to get their bats going as they fell behind 0-7 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. With their backs against the wall the Knights responded by scoring six runs. However it was not enough as the Knights fell in the opening game 6-7. Shannon Lieber took the loss on the mound as she gave up eight hits, two earned runs and one walk to go along with five strikeouts in four innings. Katharine Savolt pitched the first three innings giving up four hits and two earned runs.

Soliel Atenza and Lieber were both 2-4. Atenza had two RBIs to go with a double and run scored. Lieber had an RBI and scored a run. Brittany Odum was 1-2 with two walks and scored a run. Brooke Wakefield was 2-3 with two RBIs, a double and scored a run.

“We played hard and fought back in game one,” said head coach Janelle Higgins. “It was our fourth time seeing Southeast and we didn’t adjust well at the plate until the last inning. We left eight runners in scoring position which is tough when you lose by one.”

In the second game of the day against the Buccaneers Savolt took the loss as she gave up six hits and three earned runs in seven innings of work. Sydney Standage was 1-1 with three walks, Britlee Anderson was 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored, Jazmin Change was 2-3 with an RBI and a double and Siarra Velasquez was 1-2 with a homerun, three RBIs and two walks.

“In game two we bounced back and scored right away and had the lead most of the game,” said Higgins. “We left 7 runners in scoring position in game two.”

Katharine Savolt and Britlee Anderson were named to the All-Region IX Division II Tournament Team while Savolt and Soliel Atenza were named to the All-Region IX Division II Team.

“The season didn’t end how we wanted but we battled injuries, illness and lost close to twenty games because of weather,” said Higgins. “Our girls still fought hard till the very end. I am very proud of these young ladies and am going to miss our sophomores and their leadership and heart next season as they were great role models for our freshman.”