Archive for the ‘Athletics’ Category

Join us as we celebrate the induction of the second class of the Raider Athletics Hall of Fame on April 28 in the Health Education Center at Pierce College Fort Steilacoom.

This year’s banquet will recognize and honor the very best of Pierce College and Fort Steilacoom Community College. Event details and tickets will be available from the Raider Athletics office at (253) 964-6613.

For more than 40 years, Raider student-athletes have competed in seven sports throughout the Pacific Northwest. Help us celebrate the accomplishments of these great student-athletes, and share memories from our Raider past.

The Raider baseball team has joined with the Pierce College Foundation for a fundraising dinner auction from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, in the Health Education Center at Pierce Fort Steilacoom, 9401 Farwest Dr. SW, Lakewood. Cost is $40 per ticket. The event will feature a buffet dinner and both live and silent auctions. Items up for bid include overnight stays, tickets to sporting events, and rounds of golf at several local courses. All proceeds will go to the Pierce College Foundation to support the Raider baseball team. Get tickets by calling Rachel Kalac at (253) 964-6613 or visit the ticket office in H308. Go Raiders!

That’s right, it’s time to roll out the balls and hit the court!  The Raiders men’s basketball teams kick off the 2011-2012 season this weekend, when they host seven of the best community college teams for three days of great college basketball!!

The action starts Friday, with the following first round match-ups:
2 p.m. – Bellevue vs Linn-Benton
4 p.m. – South Puget Sound vs Columbia Basin
6 p.m. – Whatcom vs Lane
8 p.m. – Shoreline vs Pierce

Game times on Saturday are at 1, 3, 5 and 7 p.m.
On Sunday, play starts at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and the championship game at 3 p.m.

You can get the match-ups for Saturday’s and Sunday’s games from the Raider Athletics website, immediately following the final game each day.

This year’s field boasts four teams that qualified for the conference championships in March, including our very own Raiders who played for the conference title, falling short by 4 points in a game for the ages.

So, skip the madness of Black Friday, forget football….   It’s Raiders basketball season!!  Bring the houseful of family who descended for the holiday weekend, and show them what community college sports is all about in the Pacific Northwest.

Admission is $6 for adults (for the whole day), $3 for seniors/military/non-Pierce students, kids and Pierce students are FREE.  You can also buy a tournament pass for $14.  OR, you can purchase your Raiders All-Sports Season pass for a mere $25!!!  All proceeds go to support Raider Athletics and the Raider Scholarship fund.

If you can’t make it to the games, but you want to watch the action, follow the tournament on RaiderTV.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, AND GO RAIDERS!!!

The Raider men’s soccer team will host its final home match of the 2011 season at the Washington Premier Football Club (WPFC) Complex, located at 5702 44th St. E., Puyallup.

The match will take place Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 3 p.m. against the Clippers of South Puget Sound Community College.  The Raiders sit 3 points behind the Clippers in third place in the Southern Region, and must win Wednesday’s match to have any hopes of making it to the conference playoffs.

A Raiders win could force a possible playoff tie-breaker match on Monday, Nov. 7, depending on the outcome of South Puget Sound’s final match against division-leading Chemeketa Community College (Salem, Ore.) on Saturday.

Natimia Doss

Natimia Doss, the powerful outside hitter for the Raider volleyball team, has been selected the West Region Offensive Player of the Week for Week 7 of the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges volleyball season.

Doss, known around the conference for her thunderous attacks at the net, has been one of the major offensive forces for Coach Doug Carlson and the Raider squad since the beginning of the season.  Recently selected to the All-Tournament Team at the West Region Crossover Tournament, hosted by Pierce College, Doss has caused fits for opposing teams trying to slow down the Raiders attack.  Carlson calls Doss “a fine captain and team leader, and is a dynamic leaper and hitter.”

Alaurra Boring

Thanks in large part to her consistent play in the backcourt, Alaurra Boring, a defensive specialist for the Raider volleyball team, has been named the Western Region’s Defensive Player of the Week (week six) by the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC).

Boring, of Wilson High School, was also named the All-NWAACC Defensive Player of the Week for the same week.

The freshman DS has provided Coach Doug Carlson’s Raiders with a solid defensive presence this season, and her play has been instrumental in keeping the Raiders in the heart of the race for a spot at the NWAACC Championships in November.

Boring’s award is the first regional or conference award for the Raiders this season.

The 2012 Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held in April.

Pierce College is now taking nominations of exceptional athletes, coaches, and program supporters for the 2012 Raider Athletics Hall of Fame induction in April. Nominations must be submitted by Dec. 1 for consideration.

Eligible nominees will be considered for their athletic achievement (individual athletes and teams), coaching, noteworthy accomplishments in athletic-related areas, or contributions that have brought distinction to Pierce College Athletics (includes non-athletes).

For a full list of criteria for consideration and to nominate online, visit the Hall of Fame website.

The Pierce College Athletics Hall of Fame was established in 2009 to recognize and honor the outstanding athletic achievements of former student-athletes, and the meritorious efforts of coaches, staff, alumni, and other individuals who have made significant contributions to the Pierce College Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.  The Hall of Fame membership spans Pierce College’s (formerly Fort Steilacoom Community College) athletic history and includes many of Pierce’s finest athletes, coaches and supporters of the program.

For the first time in program history, Raider baseball has won the western division title in the Northwest Athletic Association for Community Colleges.

The Raiders completed their record-setting season May 16 with a league record of 20-4, and an overall record of 31-7.  Both win totals are single season records for Pierce baseball, as are the league and overall winning percentages.  The Raiders dominance of the west included season sweeps of Centralia, Clark, Grays Harbor, and Tacoma, and series splits against Green River and Lower Columbia.

“Second year Head Coach Mike Nadeau and his staff have put Raider baseball on the map in the baseball world,” said Athletic Director Duncan Stevenson.  The Raiders were ranked as high as third in the NWAACC Coaches Poll during the 2011 campaign, finishing fifth in the final poll May 9.  The team is currently ranked fifteenth in the ABCA Pacific Division Association Poll, which ranks all community and junior college baseball programs on the West Coast.

Dating back to the team’s 1975 inaugural season, the program has experienced limited success. The 1985 team qualified for the NWAACC tournament, but it was another 23 years before a second Raider team qualified.

“The 2008 Raiders didn’t win the championship, but they did send a message to the rest of the NWAACC that the status of Raider baseball was changing, and the team was becoming a force to be reckoned with,” added Stevenson.

The Raiders enter the NWAACC tournament as the number one seed from the West, and will open play against the second-seeded team from the East Region on Thursday, May 26, at Lower Columbia College, in Longview.  Game time TBD.

Pierce College coaches and players will open up their playbooks for young athletes this spring and summer with soccer, basketball, and volleyball camps. Featuring the area’s best coaches and top-notch facilities, young athletes will gain tactical skills and confidence in an encouraging, positive atmosphere. Each camp provides instructional clinics, drills, leagues, contests, and other fun activities to keep athletes challenged and excited.

Space is limited for all camps, so parents are encouraged to sign up their children early. Multi-player, family discounts are available. All campers will receive a t-shirt, ball, and certificate.

Raiders Youth Basketball Skills Camps

Boys and girls ages 7-13

Session I – June 27-30 (Mon-Thurs, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

Session II – July 11-14 (Mon-Thurs, 9 am. To 3 p.m.)

Location – Health Education Center, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom, Lakewood

Cost – $90 per camper in advance ($100 day of camp). Family discounts available.

Camp Director: Bill Mendelson, head coach, Raiders men’s basketball

Veteran Raiders Coach Bill Mendelson will teach young athletes the fundamentals of the game and impart the wisdom that helped him lead the Raiders to a second place finish in the conference championships in 2010-11 and 2004-05, and to the conference playoffs 22 of the last 27 years.

Raiders Youth Skills Volleyball Camps

Skills Development Camp

Girls ages 6-12

July 18-21 (Mon-Thurs, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

Location – Health Education Center, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom, Lakewood

Cost – $90 per camper in advance ($100 day of camp). Family discounts available.

Camp Director: Doug Carlson, head coach, Raiders volleyball

Advanced Skills Camp

Girls ages 12-15

July 25-28 (Mon-Thurs, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

Location – Health Education Center, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom, Lakewood

Cost – $90 per camper in advance ($100 day of camp). Family discounts available.

Camp Director: Doug Carlson, head coach, Raiders volleyball

Head Coach Doug Carlson, his staff, and players, will lead young athletes through a fun, educational, and exciting week of clinics, drills, contests, and leagues. Carlson has coached for 20 years at various levels and has helped many young players achieve greater levels in the game.

Raiders Youth Soccer Academies

Boys and girls ages 8-17

Summer Session – Aug. 1-5 (Mon-Fri, 3 to 5 p.m.)

Location – Heritage Recreation Center, Puyallup

Cost – $100 per camper in advance ($110 day of camp). Family discounts available.

Camp Director – Bill Pearson, head coach, Raiders men’s soccer

Head Soccer Coach Bill Pearson, his staff, and Raiders players will lead young athletes through the skills and drills, both technical and tactical, needed to elevate their games.

For registration and additional information on any of the above sports camps, contact the Raider Athletics Office at (253) 964-6613. Or visit the athletics website.

In a hard-fought match at the Toyota Center in Kennewick, the Pierce Raiders lost the Northwest Athletic Association of Community College’s tournament championship to the Peninsula Pirates, 80-76, on March 8.

“Despite finishing in second place, our young men are truly champions,” said Athletic Director Duncan Stevenson. “We are extremely proud of how the student-athletes and coaches have represented this season — from start to finish.”

In addition to the second-place title, several individual players were recognized for their character and contributions to the tournament. Brandon Thomas received the Most Inspirational award and Alfred Davis was named to the first team all-tournament roster.

“This is an amazing group of young men,” added Stevenson. “The quality of their character, their commitment to their academic coursework, and their dedication to be the best they can be in their athletic endeavors, is something we can all be proud of.”

2011 Raiders

Alfred Davis
Marquise Doss
Cramer Doughty
Alix Hernandez
Danny Knox
Sian Laine
Keenen Mays
Keith Mays
Niclas Plahn
Michael Stepovich
Brandon Thomas
Derek Van Essen
DeAndre Winbush

Head Coach Bill Mendelson

Assistant Coaches Don Green, Michael Wright, and Brannon Asbury