Women’s basketball continues their dominance in region 19. The women are currently on an 8-game win streak, and are 10-3, which is good for 2nd place in region 19. The cougars are receiving votes for top 20 national ranking, and should move into the rankings after an impressive win over Northampton who was previously ranked 15 in the country. The women will be back at home Saturday December 17 for a match-up vs CCBC Catonsville. Game time is 12pm.

On Sunday, men’s wrestling competed in the Nassau Open in Long Island, New York. The tournament was comprised of opponents from various levels including NCAA DI, DII, DIII and NJCAA. Joey Notte had a standout performance for the Cougars. Notte pinned his way through the 141 lb bracket to take home the title. Shane Whitney also earned a 3rd place finish in the heavyweight bracket. This performance in Long island came after beating 2 regional teams Middlesex and Sussex in a tri-match hosted by the cougars on Saturday. The Cougars look forward to competing next in the NWCA National Duals in Niagara, New York on January 7.

Go Cougars!

The men’s and women’s basketball teams captured two wins this week, beating both Bergen County College and Middlesex County College. Women’s basketball currently sits 3rd in the Region 19 standings. Men’s basketball is currently tied for 7th in the Region 19 standings. Both teams are back in action tonight on the road vs. Montgomery County College. Both teams will be on the road Saturday as well. The Men’s team will travel to Union County College and the Women’s team will travel to Lehigh Carbon County College. Men’s wrestling will be hosting Middlesex this Saturday at home for a 12pm meet. The wrestling team is coming off a dominant performance against RCSJ Gloucester last Saturday. Go Cougars!

Camden County College’s Men’s Soccer Team finished the regular season 9-1 overall, and is the second place NJCAA Division III program in the nation.

Here are highlights from the Cougar’s impressive season:

• Received a direct bid to the NJCAA Region XIX / NJCAA East District Championship
• Defeated Sussex County Community College in the Championship Match 5-2 to secure our 8^th consecutive Region and District Championship.
• Sophomores Max Norden and Niklas Kleinert named Offensive and Defensive MVP’s of the NJCAA East District Championship Game.
• Team received the #2 overall seed for the NJCAA National Championship Tournament
• Defeated #7 Rock Valley College in the Quaterfinals 4-0
• Defeated #3 Herkimer County Community College in PK’s in Semifinals after going through regulation and 2 OT’s tied at 0-0 to advance to the National Championship Game.
• Lost to #1 Dallas College- Richland 1-0 in the National Championship Game.
• 2^nd time in program history that we are National Runner Ups
• Sophomore Niklas Kleinert named Defensive MVP for the National Championship Tournament.
• Sophomore Amit Fletchman named to the National Championship All-Tournament Team.
• Coach Nuss named Region XIX Coach of the Year
• Sophomore Pablo Marques led the Nation in goals scored w/ 21 and total points w/ 48.
• Freshman Santiago Linares led the Nation in assists w/ 10.
• Sophomore Lautaro Berisso was 3^rd in the Nation in goals scored w/ 12 and 4^th in points w/ 30.
• All GSAC Team: Pablo Marques (1^st), Lautaro Berisso (1^st), Santiago Linares (1^st), Max Norden (2^nd), Niklas Kleinert (2^nd)
• All Region XIX Team: Pablo Marques(1^st), Amit Flechtman (1^st), Santiago Linares (1^st), Max Norden (1^st), Lautaro Berisso (2^nd), Niklas Kleinert (2^nd)
• Finished the year in whole 12-2

Cherry Hill Courier-Post

GLOUCESTER TWP. – Cleveland Foat III was not discouraged when a former guidance counselor told him it was unlikely he’d be accepted into Camden County College’s Transition to College Program for a second chance at receiving a high school diploma.

“I used that as motivation to keep on pushing,” the 18-year-old said. “I saw people who were in the program and said ‘if they can do it, I can do it.’”

Foat, of Sicklerville, was recognized recently at the Transition to College’s Completion Ceremony along with 25 other students who had left high school early or were at risk of dropping out for earning their diplomas as the class of 2018.

The program, in its sixth year, provides a second chance for at-risk students, ages 16 to 21, from six partner high schools to pursue their education, according to Camden County College’s website.

The media advisory for the program says students “are able to get a head start on college credits in a collegiate environment that includes extra-curricular activities.”

Family and friends filtered into the college’s Civic Hall auditorium at the Blackwood campus, watching the soon-to-be graduates earn recognition for their achievements.

At the beginning of the ceremony, college President Donald Borden said, “we take hopelessness and turn it into hope; we take closed doors and kick them open.”

Terron Boone, 18, also of Sicklerville, said that before the program he was on the edge of getting kicked out of high school.

“This program was a blessing, I didn’t think I’d be here right now,” he said.

Each student’s senior bio and future goals were read to the audience before receiving their diplomas.

Kayla Bagwell, 18, of Sicklerville, plans to earn a college degree and go to cosmetology school, with hopes of owning her own hair shop.

In regards to completing her diploma, Bagwell credits the instructors of the Transition to College program.

She says that she has been shown care unlike anything experienced in her prior education.

“Being here showed me what love felt like, coming from an educator,” she said.

When Foat was asked what advice he would give to someone thinking about pursuing their diploma again, he would say to “stick with it and get back into it.”

Like his fellow graduates, Foat realizes that the completion of this program is the beginning of his future. He said no one his age should believe that they will not become something in life.

Preparations for the sport’s return begin this summer, the college announced.

Featured in the Gloucester Township Patch by Anthony Bellano

After 30 years, track and field is coming back to Camden County College, and the college’s first national champion in the sport is eager to see it happen.
“To hear that the college has committed to bringing back this sport that is available to so many and is building the facilities needed to host practices right on campus is fantastic,” said Mike Chapman, a former track star at the college who is in the Camden County College Sports Hall of Fame.


Chapman is eager to attend the meets and be involved in the debut event, likely in January. The track and field season will run from January through May. There is no limit on the number of students who can participate, and the college encourages all interested students to try out.

“I graduated in 1972, and we had a state undefeated team until they ended the sport. There were 50 team members at that time,” Chapman said. “Coach Dennis Hurley made me set three goals: graduate on time, become a national junior college champion, and get a four-year college scholarship. I achieved all three goals because I was junior college national champion in the javelin. I received offers for full track and field scholarships from nine universities and ended up attending Arizona State University. Camden County College got me ready for this.”

After graduating from Arizona State, Chapman spent 35 years in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he also coached the throwers at Scottsdale Community College. Ten years ago, he moved back to South Jersey and has been coaching at Bishop Eustace. He plans to help out with the college team as well.

Preparations for the upcoming season will begin this summer, when the college will begin upgrades to its facilities, including throwing cages, hurdles, concrete pads, and clearing space for a track upgrade.

“We want to provide our students with many opportunities for success both academically and athletically,” said Camden County College Director of Athletics Bill Banks, who said the sport is returning based solely on enrollment and student support. “Adding new sports teams brings in students who might have skipped over community college and gone right to a four-year school. This gives them a chance to excel at a sport they love, or several sports, while getting the academic supports needed to transfer and obtain scholarships that might not have been available to them otherwise.”

“I believe students are savvy and are coming to terms with the fact that it is not only a better financial decision to pursue their college careers at a local community college, but there are also opportunities to pursue activities similar to those offered at four year schools,” Camden County College President Donald Borden said. “We offer 13 different sports, and over 20 student clubs and organizations, all of which provide excellent leadership and networking opportunities. This leads to extended scholarship opportunities for the second two years of college, and, if nothing else, important job skills.”

Camden County College cross country coach Wayne Merkh is excited to have another sport in which runners will have the chance to showcase their skills.

“Many of our student athletes participate in more than one sport, and adding track and field provides a cross training that many of them find so valuable,” Merkh said.