Record effort at nationals from Harper
In addition to having seven Harper track and field athletes who can call themselves NJCAA Division III champions, Hawks coach Renee Zellner's got to update a few all-time program records after last weekend's national meet in Utica, N.Y.
Leah Kloss was named female athlete of the year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country College Coaches Assocation; she set a school record of 25.12 in the 200-meter prelims.
The Hawks' winning 400 relay team of Samantha Soriano, Shayan Dussard, Joslyn Nicholson and Kloss also set a program record (49.58).
Jalen Griffin was the only men's team member to set a school record, with his prelim effort in the 200 meters (21.87).
Schaumburg's Jaun Barajas was named male athlete of the year by the USTFCCCA; he won the 5,000 meters in 16:11.26 and also placed second in the 10,000.
The Harper's men finished second in the team competition while the women's team took third.
The Harper coaching staff took home hardware, too.
Zellner was named USTFCCCA men's and women's coach of the year, and Jim Macnider won assistant coach of the year. Macnider led the Harper men's cross country team to another national title in the fall.
Baseball: Chuck Terron was one of three Hawks to earn all-North Central Community College Conference recognition this week. The Tyrone, Ga., native was the only Harper player to make the league's first-team grouping; Tyler Crussen and Roy Pettingill (St. Viator) were named to the second team.
The Hawks dropped out of the postseason when, after topping Rock Valley 10-2, they dropped a pair to host Joliet Junior College.
Joliet will be among the teams competing in this weekend's sectional games at Boomers Stadium in Schaumburg.
Softball: Harper finished the season 14-15 under coach Cray Allen, a marked improvement in win and losses in his third year directing the program.
Raegan Fingerman earned first-team all-N4C recognition, and both Fingerman and Sam Cummings earned first team All-Region IV honors.
Cummings and Sara Markelonis were named to the all-N4C second team.
Early in the season, Olivia Hamilton earned an NJCAA Division III pitcher of the week awared.