Cougar Connection
July/August 2007
Richie Named Director of Athletics
The Cougar Athletics Department is pleased to announce the hiring of businessman and coach Darren Richie as Director of Athletics effective August 6, 2007.
No stranger to sports leadership, Darren served as assistant athletics director at his alma mater, 
Northeastern Bible College in New Jersey, before spending the last 12 years as head coach of the boy’s basketball program at D’ Evelyn High School in Denver. During his final six years at D’ Evelyn, Richie led the Jaguars to a class 3A state championship in 2004 and an overall record of 122-31.
Regarding the hiring, Vice President for Student Development Jim McCormick commented, “Darren has been close to our athletic operation at CCU for over a decade and has always viewed this position as his ultimate dream job. CCU is very excited to see his aspirations honored as this opportunity opens up.”
Darren currently resides in Morrison, Colorado, with his wife Claire and their five daughters: Jessica, Nicole, Cassidy, Lindsey, and Jordan.
Alumni Games and Banquet Highlight October Homecoming
Join Cougar Athletics and each of your former teammates on October 13 for what is sure to be an outstanding conclusion to homecoming week at CCU. Men’s and women’s basketball and soccer will be joining women’s volleyball in combining the annual alumni games into a one-day extravaganza!
Volleyball will tip off the action at 11:00 a.m., followed by women’s basketball at 12:00 p.m., men’s basketball at 1:00 p.m. and capped off by men’s and women’s soccer beginning at 2:00 p.m.
Concluding the action, don’t forget to stick around for the 5th annual Hall of Fame Banquet. This year’s honorees include former volleyball coach and athletic director, Dave Foster, along with former soccer standout Tammy Wishard and women’s basketball all-American Brooke Carrigan.
Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the program will begin at 6:30 p.m. Please contact Aimee Davison at 303-963-3185 or e-mail at adavison@ccu.edu for more information.
NCCAA Grants Cougar Athletics Auxiliary Membership
In July 2007 Colorado Christian University was accepted as an auxiliary member of the National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association (NCCAA). Cougar Athletics is excited about the opportunities that dual membership will provide during the 2007-2008 school year.
The NCCAA was founded in 1968 to promote and enhance intercollegiate athletic competition within a Christian perspective. Approximately 100 Christian colleges and universities involving more than 13,000 student-athletes comprise the organization. NCCAA annually sponsors a combined 20 men’s and women’s national championships as well as several invitational tournaments.
CCU will primarily remain a member of the NCAA Division II and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. However, its new NCCAA membership will provide additional options for tournaments and post-season play against like-minded institutions.
CCU Launches Men’s Basketball League
Get off the sidelines and into the action! CCU Athletics will host an adult men’s basketball league on Tuesday evenings beginning August 21, 2007.
The program will run for eight weeks and each game will be played at the Event Center on the University’s main campus. Registration is $350 per team and all levels of player are welcome to participate.
Please contact Nikki Jaycox at 303-963-3189 or email njaycox@ccu.edu for more information.
Spots are filling fast—join now!
Cougar Women Look Strong for Fall Season
With the beginning of classes at CCU just around the corner, Cougar Athletics is set to begin another season of competition. Headlining a list of improved teams for fall 2007 are women’s volleyball and soccer.
The August sun and freshly cut soccer field will house a Lady Cougar team that has its sights firmly set on the post-season. This year’s returnees include seven starters from the 2006 squad that notched four wins, two ties, and three closely-contested overtime losses. All-RMAC net-minder Alison Cox and All-RMAC defender Kim Secrest are joined by defenders Harmony Bischof and Carly Nixon and midfielders Ashley Yearout, Courtney Rush, and Samantha Dean. Most notably, the talented 2007 team is comprised of four sophomores and three juniors—a figure that bodes well for the future of the program.
“We are heading into our third season with the necessary resources to compete in this conference,” stated head coach Tammy Wishard. “This year’s lineup has a lot of talent and, if able to come together as a team, the potential is there for us to be very good.”
Inside the field house, Cougar volleyball head coach Aimee Davison is candid about her expectations for the 2007 campaign. Her strongest recruiting class to date is set to join an experienced lineup that includes junior outside hitter Tina Nance, junior libero Amanda Huskey, and all-conference senior Trisha Witkop.
Witkop, a 6-0 middle blocker, proved to be the team anchor last season, leading the ladies in kills-per-game and points and ranking second in total blocks. Despite a mid-season injury, the Arvada, Colorado, native finished the season strong and garnered RMAC honorable mention.
“We have an outstanding incoming class. Newcomers Kelly Clausen (Oceanside, CA), Amy Whitlow (Colorado Springs, CO), and Cassie Schott (Indianapolis, IN) will make an immediate impact on practice and game competition,” noted Davison. “With our seniors also taking a strong leadership role, fans can look for us to do things that we have not been able to do in a while.”
The women’s soccer team kicks off with an exhibition opener versus Midland Lutheran at 1:00 p.m. on August 17 while volleyball tips off with the Mile High Classic at 3:00 p.m. on August 24. For complete schedules visit the Cougar Athletics Web site.
Don’t miss a minute of the action this fall!
Cougar Basketball Lands Top Recruits
Even with the winter sports season months away, the CCU men’s and women’s basketball teams are already bolstering their rosters.
Men’s head coach Dave Daniels recently announced the signing of 6-4 shooting guard Brendan Puckett from Eastern Wyoming Community College. Puckett, a native of Erie, Colorado, led EWCC in scoring, field goal percentage, and completed three-point attempts. He started 27 of 31 games for the Lancers and posted individual season highs in five statistical categories, including a 30-point outburst on 12-21 shooting last December.
“Brendan brings veteran experience, great work ethic, and a lethal jump shot,” stated Daniels. “His sincere love for Christ and strong desire to grow spiritually also make him a great addition to an already solid group of young men.”
With the addition of Puckett and loss of only one senior from last year’s playoff team, the men look to be possible favorite contenders for the RMAC crown.
In the women’s court, head coach Kristen Buckley announced the signing of six top prospects for this fall. With eight returners each averaging 20 minutes per game, this is the largest and most talented team the coach has yet assembled.
“I am very excited about the caliber of players God has brought us. They will provide strength and depth in helping us step to the next level,” Buckley noted. “Each one is strong in the classroom, on the court, and genuinely loves Jesus.”
The women’s recruits include:
Cortney Bray, a 5-11 post from Faith Christian High School in Colorado. During her tenure with FCHS, Bray was team captain and a member of the all-state tournament team. Averaging 13 points and eight rebounds per game, Bray earned second team all-conference honors, also competed in volleyball, and graduated with an impressive 3.95 GPA after four years on honor roll.
Audrey Finley, a 5-9 forward from Nolan Catholic High School in Texas, notched first team all-district honors, was voted to the state playoff all-tournament team, and scored over 1,200 career points. She joins CCU with a 3.3 cumulative GPA.
Jodie Krall, a 5-6 point guard from Solon High School in Iowa, averaged 13 points, four rebounds, and five assists per game, capping her senior year with first team all-conference and all-state nods. She is actively involved in her church youth group and carries a 3.8 GPA.
Meghan Verbitsky, a 5-5 guard from Union Mine High School in California, earned three consecutive Sierra Valley first team all-conference recognitions. While maintaining a 3.7 GPA, she averaged 19 points per game her senior season and finished with a career total 1,572 points.
Shannon Brown, a 5-7 guard from Valley Christian High School in Arizona, earned team captain honors as a senior and led her teammates in completed three-point attempts. She averaged seven points and four steals per game to go along with 100 career three-pointers. Brown has been a member of her school choir throughout high school and enters CCU with a 3.6 GPA.
Tina Streff, a 5-10 forward transfer from Yakima Junior College, recovered from a torn ACL to help lead her team to a 29-4 record and an Eastern Regional Championship. Streff is originally from Pine High School in Colorado Springs and joins the Cougars with a 3.6 GPA.
Volleyball Earns AVCA All-Academic Honors
For the second consecutive season, the women’s volleyball team has earned the Game Plan/American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 2006-2007 school year.
Introduced in 1992, the award honors collegiate and high school teams that display academic excellence by maintaining a minimum 3.3 cumulative team GPA on a 4.0 scale (or 4.1 on a 5.0 scale) across the school year.
The Cougars were one of only two RMAC schools to receive this year’s award, finishing with a 3.44 overall GPA.
“The AVCA is again privileged to present the Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic Award to these outstanding intuitions,” stated AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. “We congratulate the student-athletes for their hard work in the classroom and thank our coaches for instilling this dedication.”
