Athletics News
Triton's Augillard, South Suburban's Jones give Region 4 two NJCAA Players of the Year
April 11, 2024
Just weeks after Region 4 laid claim to a pair of National Junior College Athletic Association men's basketball national runners-up, the region also now is home to not one, but two NJCAA Men's Basketball Players of the Year. The NJCAA announced Thursday that Triton College's Amar Augillard and South Suburban College's Jemel Jones are the national players of the year for Division I and II, respectively. Augillard keyed the nation's top-scoring team en route to breaking the Trojans single-season record for points, while Jones led all of junior college basketball with 33.6 points per game. The duo also each earned NJCAA First Team All-American, NJCAA All-Tournament Team, and Region 4 Player of the Year accolades.
23 Winter 2023-24 Region 4 Student-Athletes earn NJCAA All-American accolades
April 09, 2024
The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) has released its list of All-Americans for the 2023-24 winter sports season, and 23 student-athletes representing Region 4 were recognized. The group includes six from men's basketball and women's basketball, four in women's bowling and men's wrestling, and three in men's bowling. There are ten first team recipients, two second team honorees, five third team selections, and six honorable mention distinctions. The student-athletes represent ten Region 4 institutions.
Region 4 boasts pair of NJCAA men's basketball runners-up with Triton, South Suburban
April 02, 2024
HUTCHINSON, KANS., DANVILLE, ILL., & HERKIMER, N.Y. - The 2023-24 season will go down as a banner year for Region 4 men's basketball after not one, but two teams made their way to a national championship game and the region saw representation in all three national tournaments. Triton College lost 88-73 to Barton Community College in the NJCAA Division I Championship one week after South Suburban suffered a similar fate with an 84-79 setback to National Park College in the NJCAA Division II Championship. Defending Division II national champion Milwaukee Area Technical College reached the fifth place game in Danville, while Joliet Junior College went 1-1 at the NJCAA Division III National Tournament.
Morton, Rock Valley battle to 5th place bracket at NJCAA Div. II Championships
March 26, 2024
JOPLIN, MO - Morton College and Rock Valley College represented Region 4 at the NJCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championships from March 18-23 at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. Both teams won their opening game in the second round before falling in the quarterfinals to dop into fifth place bracket, which the Panthers eventually won.
Region 4 Announces Winter 2023-24 All-Region Teams
March 22, 2024
The NJCAA Region 4 has announced the numerous recipients of All-Region Team accolades for student-athletes competing in the Winter 2023-24 season, including those recipients of Region 4 Player of the Year honors.
Triton avenges 2023 loss to win third Region 4 title in four years
March 22, 2024
FREEPORT, ILL. - One year after a losing to Highland Community College in the title game, Triton College avenged the loss on the #2-seeded Cougars home court with a 93-75 win to claim the 2024 NJCAA Region 4 Division I Men's Basketball Tournament championship. The top-seeded Trojans have won four of the six region titles since moving to Division I for the 2018-19 season. Guard Amar Augillard was named the Region 4 Tournament Most Valuable Player, while Brian Burns took home the Region 4 Coach of the Year award.
Top seeds Morton, Rock Valley hold court to win Region 4 championships
March 21, 2024
ROCKFORD, ILL - The two top seeds entering the 2024 NJCAA Region 4 Division II Tournaments showed why as Morton College and Rock Valley College won the Midwest District A and Midwest District B championships, respectively. The Panthers secured their fourth consecutive region title with a resounding 102-59 defeat of #4-seeded Carl Sandburg College, while the Golden Eagles got past #6-seeded Oakton College with an 84-79 decision on RVC's home floor. Morton's Nariah Clay and Rock Valley's Mia Moore were named the Region 4 Tournament Most Valuable Players, while Jeff Bambule of the Panthers and Darryl Watkins of RVC earned Region 4 Coach of the Year accolades.
Past two defending national champions claim Region 4 titles
March 21, 2024
ROCKFORD, ILL. - Region 4 has been the class of NJCAA Division II Men's Basketball, with the past two national champions coming out of the region. Those two program will both represent the region on the national level after top-seeded South Suburban College and #2-seeded Milwaukee Area Technical College won the 2024 NJCAA Region 4 Division II Midwest District A & B Tournaments, respectively. The Bulldogs, who won the 2022 national title, took down defending region champion and #5-seed Waubonsee Community College with a 94-82 victory in the finals, while the Stormers, national champions from a year ago, defeated city-rival and #6 Bryant & Stratton College by a 94-78 margin to complete a three-peat. Jemel Jones of SSC and Shelton Williams-Dryden of MATC-Milwaukee were named the Region 4 Tournament Most Valuable Players, with South Suburban's John Pigatti and Milwaukee's Randy Casey receiving Region 4 Coach of the Year honors.
Malcolm X secures sixth Region 4 title, first since 2020
March 21, 2024
FREEPORT, ILL. - It had been four years since Malcolm X College last finished atop the Region 4 mountain, however, after an impressive run of wins, the Hawks won the 2024 NJCAA Region 4 Division I Women's Basketball Tournament with a 79-70 decision over top-seeded Triton College. Third-seeded Malcolm X College, who had won four region titles - including three in a row - over a five year span from 2011 to 2015, was led by Region 4 Tournament Most Valuable Player Laura Rivera. Kim McQuarter was named 2024 Region 4 Coach of the Year.
Rock Valley completes simultaneous 3-peats with men's, women's NJCAA Bowling Championships
March 19, 2024
LANSING, MICH. - In an extremely impressive feat, the Rock Valley College men's and women's bowling team each completed a run to a national championship three-peat at the NJCAA Men's & Women's Bowling Championships on February 29-March 2. The Golden Eagles claimed their fourth crown overall on the men's side, racking up 13,025 points to best Iowa Western Community College by 456 points. The RVC women bested Hawkeye Community College by 308 points after finishing with 12,233. Joliet Junior College placed fifth in both the men's and women's competitions.
Triton defends Great Lakes District title, Region 4 places four All-Americans
March 06, 2024
FLINT, MICH. & COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA - Triton College successfully defended its 2023 district title when it rode four individual championships to claim the 2024 NJCAA Great Lakes District Wrestling Championship by eight points. The Trojans, ranked #9 in the latest NJCAA Wrestling Poll, racked up 183.0 points to clip second place Southwestern Michigan College at 175.0. Harper College was third with 147.5 points, followed by Morton College in fourth (90.5), and Joliet Junior College in ninth (57.0). In addition to Triton's four titles, the Wolves earned one individual championship and all of Region 4 qualified 33 wrestlers for the national tournament. Tim Duggan of Triton College was again awarded the Great Lakes District Coach of the Year and NWCA Coach of the Year.
Joliet is back on top, wins first Region 4 title in six years
March 01, 2024
JOLIET, ILL. - Amidst a changing landscape within the region, Joliet Junior College claimed the 2024 NJCAA Region 4 Division III Men's Basketball Tournament title with an 86-58 victory over Harper College on Saturday, February 24. The victory marks the Wolves first region championship since 2018, and gives head coach Danny Turner his first Region 4 Coach of the Year honor.
Triton Women's Basketball looks back at 50 years of opportunity
February 08, 2024
(Story courtesy of Triton College Athletics & tritonathletics.com) Melding past and present, an exuberant Triton College women's basketball team set itself up in two rows in one corner of their home court to honor all those who had come before them. The Trojans Feb. 3 welcomed back several former women's basketball players and coaches who were in the house to mark the 50th anniversary of the program. One by one, as they were called to a ceremony at center court, the alumni high-fived – or low-fived, the players as they semi-danced their way through the reception lines.
Region 4 Hall of Fame welcomes nine-member Class of 2024 for induction
January 16, 2024
The NJCAA Region 4 Hall of Fame is pleased to announce a nine-member induction Class of 2024. The group includes six student-athletes and three coaches that excelled during their time competing in Region 4. The inductees represent six different Region 4 schools, including two inductees each for the College of DuPage, Oakton College, and Rock Valley College.
DuPage's McGill named Offensive POY, leads 12 Chaps on NJCAA All-American Team
December 20, 2023
College of DuPage (IL) running back Jaden McGill has been named the 2023 NJCAA Division III Football Offensive Player of the Year! The National Junior College Athletic Association released the 2024 NJCAA Division III Football All-American Teams and the College of DuPage was represented by nine recipients. That list includes nine first team honorees and three second team selections after the Chaparrals claimed their third consecutive NJCAA Division III National Championship to complete an undefeated season.
THREE-PEAT COMPLETE: DuPage takes third straight NJCAA Division III title
December 05, 2023
GLEN ELLYN, ILL. - There remains only one champion in the history of NJCAA Division III football after the College of DuPage won its third consecutive NJCAA Division III Football Championship by a 33-29 margin over Rochester Community & Technical College on Saturday. Sophomore Jaden McGill was named the National Championship Game's Most Valuable Player after scoring thee touchdowns, while the tandem of Fabian Baez and Robert Brazziel connected for the game-winning touchdown in the game's final 70 seconds.