Volleyball hopes competition is a plus
The NJCAA Region IV will have two new members this season with Milwaukee Area Technical College and Madison Area Technical College. This will increase the exposure of the region into Wisconsin and add more quality teams to sports like the Harper College women's volleyball team, which is ranked fourth in the NJCAA Division III poll.
Harper's young team was tested early this week when it played two top 25 teams and last weekend played Madison Area Technical College at the DuPage Classic in Glen Ellyn.
The Hawks, who played N4C rival Rock Valley on Tuesday, will be led by returning sophmores Katie Spychaulu (Elk Grove), Alyssa Collins (Prospect) and Megan Maize (Elk Grove).
Also joining the team is Chicago State transfer and Oregon native Alexandra Mason. But 10 of the 13 players on this year's roster are freshmen, lead by Katie Loos (Elk Grove), Emily Nowwicki (Buffalo Grove), Joanna Strzeiec (Rolling Meadows) and Libby Bedwell.
The goals remain the same for the Hawks after a fifth-place finish at the national tournament a year ago. Win the conference and go to national tournament. And coach Bob Vilsoet likes his team's chances of accomplishing those goals.
"We are more consistent without the star power of the past," he said.
If there is one thing that stands in Harper's way of going back to the national tournament, it is what Vilsoet called "the strongest conference in the country," which also has ranked teams in Rock Valley and Madison Area Tech.
Cross country: The Hawk Invitational kicked off the men's and women's cross country season on Aug. 28.
The men's team looks to improve on a seventh-place finish at the national meet last year despite losing Sagar Patel and Josh Perez.
But that doesn't mean Harper will be at a loss for leadership this season with Chris Hoffman (Hoffman Estates) Tom Busse (Conant) and Jesus Escareno (Rolling Meadows), who placed second at the national meet last season.
But Harper will not count on Escareno by himself as a talented group of five freshmen will join him. Tony Thomas (Rolling Meadows), Ben Flavin (Crystal Lake Central) Graham Galdwall (Jacobs), Juan Perez (Palatine) and Josh Coonich (Schaumburg) all look to help the Hawks to a better finish in nationals for coach Paul Paynter.
The women should have enough talent to qualify for nationals after not making it last year because of a lack of qualifying runners. They will be led by sophomore All-American Irene Villadares (Buffalo Grove), who finished third at last year's national meet.
Maggie Banasic (Elk Grove), Elisse Lorenc (Barrington) and first-year sophomore Chelsea McPherson (Palatine) look lead the Hawks.
The sophmores will not do all the heavy lifting by themselves. Freshman Janet Franco (Schaumburg), Ashley Martin (Leyden) and Karoline Dansic (Elk Grove) will be looked upon to help the Hawks qualify for the national meet.
Men's soccer: After suffering a first-round loss in the regional tournament last season the Harper men's soccer team looks to bounce back. Head coach Jason Diebold said "last season wasn't up to my expectations." But that dosen't mean Diebold still dosen't have expectations of his team winning the regional title.
After having their first game against Kishwaukee canceled last Friday, the Hawks kicked off their season last weekend on the road with a 1-0 win over Waubonsee.
"The attitude is right for this team. I'm really looking forward to see what this team is capable of," Diebold said of the 2009 team, which will be the program's largest in nine seasons.
The Hawks will be looking at tough competition from the two new Wisconsin schools and defending regional champion Triton, which went to the champtionship game of the national tournament. And is currentley ranked number 2 in the NJCAA DIII poll. Madison Area Technical also received votes.
Harper's first look at the Trojans will come Sept. 11 at Trition.
Key returners for Harper will be midfielder Mike Marks (Conant), defender Dany Weiss and Louis Vargas. A change in attitude should be aided by a new crop of freshmen witch include goalie Andy Waterson (Elk Grove), Abraham Soto (Wheeling) and defender Bat Denczuk (Palatine).
Women's soccer: The Harper women's soccer team looks to have a bounce back season as well. But in his 10th year head coach Dwayne Cruz likes his team and expects a lot out of this group.
"This is the first year we've been solid at every position," Cruz said. "Out of 21 girls almost every kid is even (in terms of talent).
"Our preseason has been better then any before."
Cruz thinks his group can make a deep run in the tournament.
"We have a shot to win the regional final," Cruz said. "We have the talent to get there."
It's place that Harper has not been in three seasons. But in order to get there the Hawks must get past some stiff competition in conference games against rival College of DuPage.
The two teams could also meet up for a third time at the regionals if the dice roll the right way.
And Harper has to play Triton, which was ranked fourth in the nation last season. The Hawks will be tested when they play a Rochtester Community Tech (Minn.) team that placed fourth in the country last season on Sept. 18 at Harper and at the Yellow Jacket Invite on Sept. 12-13.