We are heading into a very busy time of year for CNCC athletics, so this month we wanted to share a bit about upcoming events and some exciting changes happening within CNCC Spartan Athletics.
First, our men’s and women’s basketball programs are closing out their seasons. Each team has three home games remaining that will take place between Feb. 10 and 15. Feb. 12 will be a special game celebrating sophomore day and will be our alumni game. CNCC’s local PTK chapter will be holding their food drive and admission will be free with the donation of non-perishable food items. The basketball team’s seasons will end at the SWAC Regional Tournament in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Feb. 23-26.
Our baseball and softball teams began competition on Jan. 28. They are currently competing it tournaments in warmer areas, like Las Vegas and Phoenix. This will help as they gear up for conference play starting in late February and early March.
The second half of rodeo season is just around the corner. The first rodeo will be in Salina, Utah on March 3-4. CNCC will host the Spartan Showdown Rodeo April 1-2 at Columbine Park in Rangely. Mark your calendars.
The hiring of Tammy Olson as head coach in November will allow for the expansion of the rodeo program to our Craig campus starting fall 2022. This will create opportunities for many young local rodeo athletes since there are numerous pipeline youth programs in Routt and Moffat counties and Craig is currently the home of the Colorado High School Finals Rodeo.
In all 2022, the men’s and women’s soccer programs will transition to the Rangely Campus. Soccer will be joining six other athletic programs and over 100 other student athletes on our Rangely Campus. The change will improve support and better meet the needs of our soccer students.
Cross country will be added to the Rangely campus this fall. There are few junior colleges in the state of Colorado with cross country teams. Adding cross country to CNCC is a smart move because there are many athletes in the states of Colorado and Utah without a college team to call home. CNCC is currently searching for the right coach for this program.
Finally, the CNCC athletics page (https://athletics.cncc.edu/) just finished a makeover. Check out the new look and get to know the teams, coaches, schedule and see the latest updates of your favorite Spartan athletic team. Go Spartans!
Candra Robbie is the athletic director at Colorado Northwestern Community College
By CANDRIE ROBBIE – Special to the Herald Times
