A TEAM OF THEIR OWN:
SOFTBALL IS THE NEXT STEP
IN PENGUIN ATHLETICS
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The Clark College women’s softball team made history when it
competed on its home field for the first time on Saturday, March
11 in a double-header against Everett Community College.
The Penguins’ new softball complex is located on the Hudson’s Bay High School campus at 1206 E. Reserve Street in Vancouver. |
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| Clark College President Dr. R. Wayne Branch (above left) , Associated Students of Clark College (ASCC) President Jesse Ferrell, former Clark College Athletic Director and baseball coach Claude “Skeet” O’Connell (above right), and representatives from team scholarship sponsor Les Schwab Tire Centers had the honor of throwing out the first pitches. | |
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The Clark College Penguin Athletic Club (PAC) added to the family-friendly occasion by providing free hot dogs, soda, and peanuts at the start of the opening game.
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The home opener came after nearly two years
of collaborative efforts to bring collegiate softball to Southwest
Washington. Clark College Athletic Director and head softball coach Lisa
Quednow-Bickler worked with the Associated Students of Clark College (ASCC)
to fund the team’s travel and equipment costs.
The program was approved by the Clark College Board of Trustees, making way for a ground-breaking partnership with the Vancouver School District to develop the team’s home field on the south side of the Hudson’s Bay High School campus. |
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The Clark College Penguin Athletic Club (PAC), a major supporter for adding softball to the athletics line-up, secured sponsorship from Les Schwab Tire Centers to fund $5,400 in scholarships this season. Southwest Washington is regionally recognized for its high school softball dominance. The new team gives championship-caliber players from area high schools such as Columbia River, Ridgefield and Skyview the ability to stay local to pursue their passion for the game, and their college degrees, when they graduate. |
The Clark College team competes in the South Division of the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC). Twenty-eight teams comprise NWAACC, including local rivals Mt. Hood Community College, Clackamas Community College, and perennial NWAACC softball champion Lower Columbia College.
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The 2006 NWAACC championship tournament will be held May 19 – 21 at Delta Park in Portland, OR. |
