Tag: NJCAA

Sooners offseason overhaul is complete with No. 2 rated JUCO prospect Jeff Nwankwo transferring to OU

Oklahoma lands the number two rated JUCO prospect in Jeff Nwankwo.

Oklahoma has finished its offseason overhaul. It comes with a bang, as the Sooners just received a commitment from Jeff Nwankwo, a former Oklahoma preps player.

Nwankwo played high school basketball and football at Putnam City North. In football, he helped lead the team to an 8-2 record, a conference title, a district title, and an appearance in the state playoff in 2020 as a wide receiver.

He was also accomplished on the basketball court, but his upside as a football player earned him an offer from Tulane, which he accepted.

He signed with Tulane and didn’t appear in the 2021 season. He would give up playing football and head to junior college to play basketball. He ended up at Cowley College in Arkansas City, Kansas.

There, his true athletic calling began to reveal itself. He started 16 of 19 games in 2022, averaging 10. 7 PPG on about 25 minutes of playing time per game. He shot 35 percent from distance.

He initially committed to Marist University but returned to Cowley for one more go last year. There, he would put together an incredible campaign.

Nwankwo averaged 18.6 points and 7.6 rebounds and shot 37 percent on 3-pointers to earn first-team NJCAA All-America honors this season.

The talented wing committed to Mark Madsen and the Cal Bears on April 13 before reopening his recruitment on Tuesday. Twenty-four hours later, he committed to Porter Moser and the Oklahoma Sooners.

With his commitment, Oklahoma adds more shooting and athleticism to a team that has become loaded with shooters and versatile wing defenders.

At 6-foot-6, Nwankwo can catch and shoot, shoot off the dribble, and showcase the ability to put the ball on the floor, get to the cup, or find open teammates when collapsing a defense. He has two years of eligibility and could factor into Oklahoma’s rotation this upcoming season off his athleticism alone.

With his commitment, Oklahoma is done with the portal additions. The only decision to wait is to see if Jalon Moore, Oklahoma’s presumptive leader for this upcoming season and the most impactful returner from last year’s team, decides to return or if he will stay in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Moore has until May 29 to make his decision and withdraw his name.

Either way, Oklahoma seems set on all fronts to attack 2024 with the group assembled. This team is set to play the school’s first season in the SEC and hope to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time under Porter Moser.

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Amy Bockerstette makes history, becomes first person with Down syndrome to play for NCAA title

The 22-year-old from Arizona teed off at 11:50 a.m. on Monday at the NJCAA women’s golf championships.

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. — Amy Bockerstette has made history.

The 22-year-old from Arizona became the first person with Down syndrome to compete in a college championship event on Monday when she teed off at 11:50 a.m. at Ormond Beach’s Plantation Bay.

Bockerstette is playing in the NJCAA Women’s Golf Championship along with her four Paradise Valley Community College teammates. The four-round tournament runs through Thursday.

Bockerstette shot 111 in the opening round. Seminole State’s Minori Nagano is the current leader after shooting an even-par 72.

This is Bockerstette’s third year on the team, but second full season. She made history two years ago when she joined the team, becoming the first person with Down syndrome to earn an athletic scholarship.

Bockerstette, who has been golfing since middle school, is perhaps most known for her viral video two years ago with U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland.

The two were playing a practice hole at the par-3 16th at TPC Scottsdale before the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open. Bockerstette hit her first shot into the bunker, but managed to save par by sinking an 8-foot putt.

Before the shot, she went viral for telling Woodland, “I got this.”

Bockerstette told The News-Journal last week that Woodland, who finished fifth at Quail Hollow over the weekend, texted her early last week to wish her good luck ahead of Monday’s tee time.

“I loved it,” she said of the par-3 moment. “It was awesome, and now we’re best friends. I’m always so happy to see him.”

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Amy Bockerstette to make golf history once again at NJCAA national championships

Amy Bockerstette and her Paradise Valley CC teammates will compete in the NJCAA national championships in Florida.

Three years ago, Amy Bockerstette made history when she signed with Paradise Valley Community College to play college golf.

Now, she’s breaking new ground again, as Bockerstette will become the first athlete with Down syndrome to compete in a national collegiate athletic championship.

Bockerstette, 22, will be with her Paradise Valley teammates at the National Junior College Athletic Association national championships, which take place at the Plantation Bay Golf & Country Club in Ormond Beach, Florida, May 10-13.

Bockerstette is perhaps most famous for a viral video from the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open, when she parred the par-3 16th hole playing alongside Gary Woodland. “I got this” became her catch phrase, something she said to Woodland moments before draining her par putt.

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NJCAA Moves Football to Spring 2021

Some have suggested college football move it’s 2020 season to the spring of 2021. Now one college sports organization is doing exactly that.

With these incredibly unique times we’ve all heard many different ideas and suggestions on what should be done with college football.

Some think it should just be a shorter season, perhaps only featuring conference games like the Big Ten and Pac-12 are planning on doing.

A while back The Athletic proposed a late-winter schedule for the 2020 football season that would actually be the first of two 2021 seasons.

Some have suggested moving football to the spring and one college sports organization announced Monday they’ll be doing exactly that this coming school year.

This from the National Junior College Athletic Association, released on July 13:

Release…

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

NJCAA moves football season to spring 2021

NJCAA moves football season to spring 2021.

CHARLOTTE — The National Junior College Athletic Association has voted to move the football season to the spring of 2021.

The move stems from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Press release:

Following the recommendations from the NJCAA Presidential Advisory Council and the NJCAA Board of Regents, the NJCAA has announced its adjusted plan of action for the upcoming 2020-21 academic year. Following the Board of Regents’ vote on Monday, a majority of competition will be moved to the spring semester.

“Our greatest focus is and always has been providing the best opportunities for our student-athletes,” stated Dr. Christopher Parker, NJCAA President & CEO. “Through a unified effort from our Presidential Advisory Council, the Board of Regents, and leadership staff, our most recent plan of action provides a path that keeps our student-athletes competing at the highest level with proper safety measures in place. As we move forward as an association, we will continue to provide opportunities for our student-athletes, coaches, and all those involved with the NJCAA to be safe and successful.”

The most recent plan of action shifts all close-contact fall sports to the spring semester. These sports include football, men’s and women’s soccer, and court volleyball. The NJCAA cross country championships for all three divisions and half marathon championships will remain as their originally scheduled dates in the fall as well as Division III women’s tennis.

All winter sports competition will begin in January with a majority of championship seasons moved from March to April. These sports include men’s and women’s basketball, wrestling, and swimming and diving. Men’s and women’s bowling and men’s and women’s indoor track and field will be held at the beginning of March.

Spring sports competition remains intact with minor adjustments to dates. These sports include baseball, softball, beach volleyball, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, track and field, and men’s and women’s tennis.

Along with the adjustments to competition season and championship dates, the NJCAA has provided information as it relates to scrimmage and practice dates and allowances in the fall.

Championship dates are subject to change based on championship facility availability.

Report: JUCO football will move to a spring season

Max Olson of The Athletic reported today that the National Junior College Athletic Association is expected to announce Monday that…

Max Olson of The Athletic reported today that the National Junior College Athletic Association is expected to announce Monday that it will be moving its football season to the spring.

The news comes after conferences including the Big Ten and Pac-12 announcing conference-only schedules for the fall season and the Ivy League cancelling their falls seasons entirely.

Though there is still time before the season is scheduled to kick off in early September, there are now more and more indications of the season being pushed back or not being able to happen at all.

You may remember before March Madness when the Ivy League cancelled their conference tournament days before other conferences were forced to do the same.

If that trend means anything, the likelihood of college football being cancelled this fall seems to be increasing every time news breaks about schedule changes and cancellations.

Here’s what Olson had to say about JUCO football and its decision to move to a spring season:

The National Junior College Athletic Association is expected to announce Monday that it will move to a spring football season, two head coaches told The Athletic. Teams would play up to eight games with preseason practices beginning on March 1 and the regular season beginning at the end of March and extending through the end of May.

NJCAA president and CEO Dr. Christopher Parker and the NJCAA’s presidential advisory council announced their recommendation to move the majority of its sports to spring seasons on Thursday. The NJCAA board of regents will meet Monday to determine the official plan. Parker confirmed to The Athletic that an eight-game spring football schedule is “the direction it would be heading in.”

“We would like to play football this fall,” Parker said. “But I think from a national perspective, moving it is probably the right decision holistically.”

The recruiting impact of this news aside, there seems to be higher and higher chance each day that there will be no Wisconsin football this fall let alone none all year.

How this may affect the NFL draft, player eligibility and the NFL dreams of players around the country is an issue far-off in the distance. But if the NJCAA is logistically able to play a spring season it would not be surprising if FBS conferences followed suit and found a way to play the 2020-21 season.

The Athletic is reporting that Juco football will move to the spring

The Athletic is reporting that the NJCAA is close to moving football to the spring. They would be the first league to do so.

In the ever-changing COVID-19 situation there have been reports of leagues cancelling football like the Ivy League. The Big Ten and PAC 12 conferences have decided to cancel all non-conference games. We await the announcements from the ACC, Big 12 and SEC to follow suit. At least that is the current expectation.

What about the Junior College circuit? How are they handling fall sports, specifically football? According to Max Olson of the Athletic, Juco football will be played in the spring*.

*Story requires paid subscription

The National Junior College Athletic Association is expected to announce Monday that it will move to a spring football season, two head coaches told The Athletic. Teams would play up to eight games with preseason practices beginning on March 1 and the regular season beginning at the end of March and extending through the end of May.

The NJCAA is the first college league to move their football season to the spring officially.

“We would like to play football this fall,” Parker said. “But I think from a national perspective, moving it is probably the right decision holistically.”

This is unfamiliar territory on the college recruiting front. As Max Olson mentions in his article, schools will have to make decisions on players they won’t even play this upcoming year. Almost a blind decision for major universities. The Longhorns are no strangers to Juco recruiting but this will be new for all parties involved.

Tyler Junior College head coach Thomas Rocco mentioned trying to have a few scrimmages in the fall. That would put some of these players on film and help the major colleges make decisions.

Midland, South Mountain lead NJCAA Bushnell Golfweek Polls

Below are the rankings for the latest Division I and Division II Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll. Division I Midland College earned four first-place votes to earn the No. 1 spot on the latest NJCAA Division I Bushnell Golfweek Poll. Following Midland …

Below are the rankings for the latest Division I and Division II Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll.

Division I

Midland College earned four first-place votes to earn the No. 1 spot on the latest NJCAA Division I Bushnell Golfweek Poll.

Following Midland are Ranger, Hutchison, New Mexico JC and Odessa in the top five.

Eastern Florida State, ranked No. 9 joined the ranking on the latest poll.

The rest of the top-10 can be read below.

Rank University (First-place votes) Points Previous Rank
1 Midland (4) 67 2
2 Ranger (2) 64 1
T-3 Hutchinson 49 3
T-3 New Mexico JC 49 5
T-5 Central Alabama (1) 36 6
T-5 Indian Hills 36 7
7 Odessa 32 4
8 McLennan 21 8
9 Eastern Florida State 13 NR
10 Iowa Western 11 9

Dropped From Ranking: Eastern Arizona (#10)

Others Receiving Votes: Eastern Arizona, 7

Division II

South Mountain earned five first-place votes and sits atop the first NJCAA Division II Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll of the spring season.

Kirkwood, Mississippi Gulf Coast Parkland and Mesa round out the top five.

The rest of the top-10 can be read below.

Rank University (First-place votes) Points Previous Ranking
1 South Mountain (5) 67 2
2 Kirkwood (2) 65 1
3 Mississippi Gulf Coast 57 3
4 Parkland 39 4
5 Mesa 30 5
6 Walters State 29 7
7 Tyler JC 27 8
8 Meridian 26 6
9 Des Moines Area 19 9
10 Copiah Lincoln 8 T-10

Dropped From Ranking: Black Hawk CC (#T-10).

Others Receiving Votes: Black Hawk CC, 7; Georgia Military, 7; Murray State, 2; Cleveland State CC, 1; Glendale CC, 1.

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