Athletics News
Moraine Valley, Madison end Region 4 championship draughts
March 16, 2026
ROCKFORD, ILL. - A pair of championship draughts came to an end as Moraine Valley Community College and Madison College won the 2026 Region 4 Division II Midwest District A & B Tournament titles. The Cyclones claimed their fifth region crown overall, third in the last nine years, and first since 2019. The WolfPack, meanwhile, secured their third Region 4 championships and their first since taking the Division III title in 2016. Delwyn Jones and Angel Whetstone were named Region 4 Coaches of the Year.
Double OT classic sends Joliet to NJCAA Division III National Tournament
March 05, 2026
JOHNSTOWN, PENN. & ELYRIA, OHIO - The Joliet Junior College men's basketball team completed an incredible postseason run with an all-time classic 92-88 double overtime win over Virginia Peninsula Community College to win the NJCAA Mid-Atlantic District Championship. The Wolves opened the playoffs with a 103-80 defeat of Lorain County Community College in the sub-district final, and followed it up with an 88-67 decision over Pennsylvania Highland Community College to region the district title game. Danny Turner was named Mid-Atlantic District Coach of the Year.
Harper leads Region 4 contingent at NJCAA Great Lakes District
March 04, 2026
MUSKEGON, MICH. - Harper College secured a Region 4 title with a second place finish at the 2026 NJCAA Great Lakes District Wrestling Tournament, hosted by Muskegon Community College on February 22. The host Jayhawks took the district team title with 149.5 points, narrowly getting past the Hawks at 144.0 points. Triton College was third overall with 112.0 points, followed by Bryant & Stratton College in sixth place at 53.5 points, and Joliet Junior College in seventh with 26.0 points. Harper College, coached by Dan Loprieno, was led by three individual champions and placed in the top three in nine of the ten weight classes. In all, five Region 4 wrestlers stood atop the podium and 14 finished in the top three.
UNBREAKABLY STRONG: A comeback forged in steel
February 09, 2026
Watching any basketball player slam into the padded wall just beyond the hoop would make most people wince but watching Reggie Strong do it makes one worried he might shatter. He's far from porcelain ware, however. He's more like the bionic man. Today, Reggie largely is pieced together with metal rods and bolts. He wasn't supposed to live. He was told he would never walk again, let alone play basketball. The naysayers didn't know Reggie Strong. He defied the doctors for his return to life and the game he loves at Moraine Valley.
Madison's Davenport, Kalinowski earning local honors for years of service
January 29, 2026
A pair of Madison College coaches are being recognized for their years of service and success, as well as one former coach and one former student-athlete. WolfPack baseball coach Mike Davenport has been announced as part of an upcoming Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Assocation (WBCA) Hall of Fame Class of 2026, while former baseball coach and current head softball coach Leo Kalinowski was recently presented the Gus Burwell Distinguished Service Award by the Madison Dugout Club. Additionally, former Madison College women's basketball coach Steven Bentin and former men's basketball player Eric Nelson are among a group of 30 to be inducted into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Assocation (WBCA) Hall of Fame.
Triton's McKinney recognized for 25 years of service to CSC
January 28, 2026
Triton College's Tim McKinney is one of 28 people being recognized in 2026 for 25 years of service to College Sports Communicators, a national organization supporting athletic communications professionals in collegiate athletics. McKinney is the Sports Information Specialist and has worked in an athletic communications position with the Trojans for 30 years, in addition to being a special assistant coach for women's basketball.
Region 4 Hall of Fame welcomes seven-member Class of 2026 for induction
January 13, 2026
The NJCAA Region 4 Hall of Fame is pleased to announce a seven-member induction Class of 2026. The group includes four student-athletes and three lifetime achievement recipients that all excelled during their time competing in or representing Region 4. The inductees represent six different Region 4 schools, including two inductees from Oakton College and one each from Waubonsee Community College, South Suburban College, Madison College, Harry S. Truman College, and Harper College.
South Suburban College’s Steve Ruzich Inducted into ABCA Hall of Fame
January 06, 2026
South Holland, IL – South Suburban College (SSC) is proud to announce that longtime Head Baseball Coach Steve Ruzich will be inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Hall of Fame on Friday, January 9, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio. This is the highest honor bestowed by the ABCA. This distinguished recognition places Ruzich among the most elite coaches in collegiate baseball history.
Matthew Rahn named 2025 NJCAA DIII Football Coach of the Year
December 19, 2025
Charlotte, NC – At the front of a college football empire is a head coach who has led an unstoppable team that has yet to succumb to failure. After another incredible season, Matthew Rahn of the College of DuPage has been named the 2025 NJCAA DIII Football Coach of the Year.
41 Fall 2025 Region 4 Student-Athletes earn NJCAA All-American accolades
December 09, 2025
The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) has released its list of All-Americans for the 2025 fall sports season, and 41 student-athletes representing Region 4 were recognized. The group includes eight from men's cross country, seven in women's cross country, four in men's soccer and women's volleyball, and three from women's soccer, as well as 15 College of DuPage football players. There are 11 first team recipients, 16 second team honorees, four third team selections, and ten honorable mention distinctions. The student-athletes represent nine Region 4 institutions.
South Suburban's Gonzalez Honored with Statewide Sportsmanship Award
December 16, 2025
SOUTH HOLLAND, IL — South Suburban College proudly announces that longtime Head Soccer Coach José “Tony” González has been recognized with the Outstanding Achievement in Sportsmanship Award during Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs’ Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration on September 25, 2025.
HIGH FIVE: Chaps roll to fifth straight NJCAA Championship
December 12, 2025
GLEN ELLYN, ILL. - The College of DuPage's run of dominance since the NJCAA created a Division III in football in 2021 continues after the Chaparrals defeated North Dakota College of Science by a 36-13 final in the national title game to secure the program's fifth straight championship. Playing on their home turf, the Chaps used a 22-point second quarter to take control of the game. Sophomore linebacker Cole Hamilton was named the game's Most Valuable Player, while Matthew Rahn earned Coach of the Championship honors.
Harper holds off rivals DuPage, Joliet for tenth NJCAA Championship
December 12, 2025
FORT DODGE, IOWA - If you looked hard enough through the collected and falling snow, you would have noticed the 2025 NJCAA Division III Men's Cross Country Championship was a three-horse race made up solely of teams from Region 4. In the end, Harper College outran defending national champion College of DuPage and third place Joliet Junior College to claim the program's tenth championship since 2011. The Hawks finished with 55 points, while the Chaparrals had 68 points and the Wolves posted 87 points. The three teams also combined to place eight runners on the NJCAA All-American Team.
DuPage sprints to first NJCAA women's cross country national championship
December 12, 2025
FORT DODGE, IOWA - Amidst a winter wonderland in northwestern Iowa, the College of DuPage women's cross country team found their grove and blew through the competition to win the program's first NJCAA Division III Women's Cross Country National Championship. The Chaparrals saw five runners place in the top 25. Fellow Region 4 representative Joliet Junior College placed third for their fifth top-five finish in the last six years.
Madison, Sauk Valley return to top of Region 4
December 12, 2025
MADISON, WISC. - Two championship droughts of differing lengths were ended in 2025 with Madison College and Sauk Valley Community College winning their respective districts in the Region 4 Division II Women's Volleyball Tournament. The top-seeded WolfPack swept #4-seeded Harper College 3-0 to win their first region title in a decade - and first in Division II - while the #3-seeded Skyhawks ran through #2-seeded Morton College 3-0 to claim their second banner in three years. Mallory Stone of Madison College and Jay Howell of SVCC were awarded Region 4 Coach of the Year honors.
Repeat Region 4 title leads DuPage back to national tournament
December 10, 2025
GLEN ELLYN, ILL. - The College of DuPage held off a stiff challenge from Joliet Junior College to repeat Region 4 Division III Women's Volleyball Tournament champions in 2025, winning their third in four years with a 3-0 sweep. The Chaparrals earned set wins of 25-22, 25-23, 25-13 and head coach Tolis Koskinaris was named Region 4 Coach of the Year.