6 SPORTS

Oct. 14-27, 2013 www.lcc.edu/lookout

Opportunity knocks for LCC spikers

Richard Schenck Sports Editor The regular season is nearing its end and the playoffs are hopefully right around the corner for the LCC volleyball team. The Stars owned a 9-15 overall record and a 4-6 mark in the NJCAAs Western Conference heading into an Oct. 10 match against Kellogg Community College. The Stars were welcoming three out of the next four games at home after having four of their last five away from the Gannon Gym. The Gannon has treated the team well as it carried a 4-2 record at home into the Oct. 10 matchup. LCC Head Coach Emily Quintero said she is well aware the post season is creeping closer and the need to play well determines how far her squad will go. Right now we are in a three-way tie for fourth place with Ancilla (College) and Jackson (CC), Quintero said. To progress to regionals we need to be top five. Coming in winning three of its last five games, the schedule is in LCCs favor for reaching in the playoffs. Quintero pointed out she will be leaning heavily on her freshman setter Cheyene Houghton along with sophomores Michaela Miller, Angela Williams and Carly Darrow. Miller leads the team with 311 digs. Darrow continues to lead the team with 1.13 blocks per set. Quintero said she is optimistic returning home will have a positive effect on her squads performance with a playoff spot on the line. Im hoping they get back to their comfort zone and play confident, Quintero said. This is home court so I hope they take advantage of it. Freshman and Bath graduate Morgan Wilson acknowledges there is little room for error at home in this crucial stretch of the season. We will definitely have a home advantage, Wilson said. It helps us be a better team and work together because we are used to practicing in this gym. Quintero and her team will be looking to notch as many wins as possible to secure a spot in the MCCAA State Tournament. Wilson summed up the game plan as straightforward as possible: We just need to play to our ability.

Photo by Suzanna Powers

Cross country teams shine at home

Men sixth, women fifth at Grand Woods
Richard Schenck Sports Editor across the line for LCC in 39th place with a time of 26:41. All successful teams With those top three know that if they per- across the line, the form well in front of LCC men finished in their home crowd, it 6th place out of 25 can serve as a catalyst teams. for a strong season. I wasnt expecting Coming off con- to be third on the team tinual success away this year but it is a big from the capital city, motivational booster, the LCC mens and Merchant said. womens cross country LCC Head Coach teams returned home Chuck Block explained to Grand Woods Park that overall, this was on Oct. 4 to host their a positive step in his first meet of the sea- male harriers hopes son. to perform well in the The pressure of future. running at home for We did well as a the first time in 2013 team, Block said. didnt shake the Stars One of our strengths nerves as they went is that we are so deep. about their top-flight Block explained that business as usual. with the depth of the LCC sophomores mens team, it can still Chris Gantt and Joe finish well even when Marrah continued some runners strugtheir streak of one-two gle. team finishes for LCC. The LCC womens Gantt led the way for team outperformed the the men finishing in men for the first time 15th place out of 278 this season. runners with a time of This is what we 26:03. were looking for, Marrah finished in Block explained. The 35th place with a time first meet of the season of 26:39. the course was terriStephen Merchant ble, the next meet they was the first freshman ran a 6K, so this was the first time they were able to run a 5K. LCC freshman and Grand Ledge native Allison Dible was first across the line for the women in 28th place out of 243 runners with a time of 19:35. Sophomore Jessica DHaene was second for LCC in 35th place in 19:47. According to Dible the womens team has added a few wrinkles to practice in hopes that improvement will be made. Weve been working a lot on sprinting at the end of races, Dible said. We are building endurance and able to fight the lactic acid in our legs. Block said going into a meet Friday, Oct. 11 at Muskegon he is very confident his teams will be standing at the top of the podium. Information on the Muskegon meet and more will be included in the Oct. 28 issue of The Lookout . Schedules for the team can be found at www.lcc.edu/athletics.

Lansing Community College spiker Ashleigh Carr returns a ball during the Stars previous game against Kellogg CC Sept. 17.

Photo by Suzanna Powers

LCC runners Tim Young (right) and Norman Emineth (left) lead their team at practice on Oct. 8 to prepare for an Oct. 11 meet in Muskegon.