Riverside City College Top 10 Moments of the Year
Riverside City College Top 10 Moments of the Year
The Riverside City College athletic department voted on the top 10 moments of the year. Each moment was presented and voted on by the administration which is comprised of 10 members. The results are presented below.
10
Gleb Mityurin & Chris Lee Compete in the ITA National Tournament
Sophomore Gleb Mityurin and freshman Chris Lee began their journey together on one of the most competitive platforms collegiate tennis has to offer – the ITA National Tournament. The duo thrived in the Southern California regional in the tournament after facing off against strong competition highlighted by an outside squad in Eastern Arizona – a powerhouse of Arizona schools and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
The duo reigned supreme in the doubles bracket. They swept through the completion with a straight-set victory in the championship contest, thus qualifying for the national tournament that was held in Rome, Georgia. It is the first time in school history that the Tigers have qualified a doubles team to compete in the ITA Championships.
In the nationwide affair, the duo competed against NJCAA teams for a chance to advance to the "Super Bowl" of the ITA Championships that will hold all collegiate levels of competition including NCAA Division I, II, II and NAIA squads.
9
Vashti Elias-Romero Named 2020 OEC Female Character Champion
The Orange Empire Conference (OEC) has named Riverside City College' women's volleyball's Vashti Elias-Romero the recipient of the 2020 Nevco Character Champion Award.
Each year, the OEC names one male and one female student-athlete from each member college to the Nevco Character Champion Team, while naming two top winners of the Nevco Character Championship Award. This award is given to the student-athletes who displays the following values; sportsmanship, respect, caring, fairness, civility, honesty, integrity and responsibility shown through a specific action, ideally directed toward an opponent during competition.
The criteria also includes the action of putting the team and teammates before oneself while acting as a positive role model. The inaugural award was given out following the 2009-10 academic year.
Elias-Romero completed a two-year career for the volleyball program at Riverside City College. She was a starter and a captain for the indoor and beach volleyball teams and acted as the top weapon on both the hardwood and sand
Elias-Romero was the face of the Riverside City College women's indoor and beach volleyball program for two years. She made an immediate positive impacted on the court.
For two years, she ranked in the top three on her team in kills, kills-per-set, digs, digs-per-set and services aces. She finished her career ranked first in kills (515 career) and kills-per-set (3.22). Her efforts earned her OEC All-Conference honors in each season with her highest honor of First-Team All-Conference coming in her final season on the hardwood.
On the sand, she reached the CCCAA Round of 16 in 2019 and was slotted as the top duo in 2020. She went 2-2 with sophomore teammate Jasmine Urban.
Off the court, Elias-Romero was active in the Student-Athlete Advisory Council. She participated in special events including Halloween Town, Bunny Hop and Coaches vs. Cancer nights. She also dipped into athletic media by recording stats at baseball games prior to the cancelation of the 2020 season.
8
Tom Craft Named 2020 American Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year
Head Football Coach Tom Craft was named the 2019 American Community College Football Coaches Association (ACCFCA) Coach of the Year. The award will be presented to Craft during the 2019 ACCFCA awards ceremony on Tuesday, January 14 at the 2020 AFCA Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.
Craft's already prestigious standing in the coaching world is heavily bolstered by adding this accomplishment to his stacked resume. This is his second individual honor of the year after being named the Southern California Football Coaches (SCFA) Coach of the Year. It is his first time receiving this National recognition.
Craft earned this honor after leading the undefeated Tigers (13-0) to their first State & National Championship in 30 years. They reached the state title game with a commanding victory over the College of the Canyons Cougars, 68-21, to haul in the SCFA Southern Regional Championship. The victory punched Riverside's ticket to the big dance where they defeated the College of San Mateo Bulldogs, 31-14.
Craft capped his 10th season at RCC this past year and surpassed the century mark in victories. He currently holds a 102-15 record marking the second time he has won over 100 games at a community college. He accomplished this feat at Palomar College from 1983-93 and again from 1998-2001. He won a total of 115 games.
Over the past three years, Craft has coached one California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Offensive Player of the Year (Vic Viramontes '17), two SCFA Southern Offensive Players of the Year (Vic Viramontes '17, Stone Smartt '18) and two SCFA Southern Defensive Players of the Year (Nick Figueroa '18, Kobey Fitzgerald '19).
7
Craft, Finfrock, Bonzoumet and Dadonna Named the Riverside Sports Hall of Fame's Wall of Distinction
Head Coaches Tom Craft, Nikki Bonzoumet, Michelle Dadonna and Doug Finfrock have been selected as the latest editions to the Riverside Sports Wall of Distinction. The late Bob Shermerhorn, a former RCC basketball coach and Athletic Director, will be honored as well.
Craft, who was recently named the 2019 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Coach of the Year, continues to stock pile his accolades with his most recent honor. He helmed the Tigers to their first California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) State and National Championship in 30 years after defeating College of San Mateo, 31-14, in mid-December. Prior to hoisting the trophy, Craft earned his 100th win as RCC's Head Coach and continued on to win his first CCCAA Southern Regional Championship. His 100th win marks the second time he has accomplished this feat and acts as the only community college coach to do so at two different two-year colleges. He won a total of 115 games at Palomar College. In addition, he was named the Southern California Football Association (SCFA) National Division Coach of the Year and has coached four Players of the Year in the past three seasons.
Bonzoumet enters into her 20th season at the helm of the women's tennis program with an overall record of 241-103-1 which encompasses a 131-68 Orange Empire Conference (OEC) clip. She has led the Tigers to three conference championships coming in 2000, 2012 and 2015. Of those 19 seasons in the driver's seat, she has paved the way to 14 winning seasons with 12 seasons earning 10 or more victories. She is coming off one of her strongest seasons thus far after finishing with a 17-3 overall record and an 8-2 mark in conference. She has coached three players to conference titles (Anabel Sanchez, Caroline Houston and Alicia Brown). In 2019, Bonzoumet qualified all doubles teams to the Ojai Tournament and saw five singles players qualify as well.
Daddona, a staple in the RCC softball world, will enter her 21st season as the Head Coach. She holds a career record of 537-360-3 (.599) and acts as the winningest softball coach in RCC history. Daddona earned her first OEC title in 2011 and continued on to earn a second place finish at the state championships in 2012 and a third place finish at the state championships in 2013. Under the direction of Daddona, the Tigers have qualified for the CCCAA Southern California Regional playoffs 13 times and they have not finished lower than fourth place in conference in 15 of her 20 seasons.
Finfrock, who took over the program in 2013 after being an assistant coach since 2003, will enter into his eighth season at the helm of the women's water polo and swimming & diving program. Finfrock receives his second honor on the Wall of Distinction after being placed on the wall as a student-athlete in 2005. Finfrock currently holds an overall record of 183-38 which includes an overall conference mark of 36-3. He reached the ultimate height in 2016 as he led his squad to a 2016 CCCAA State Championship. He has tallied four state runner up honors and one Southern Regional semifinal berth. He was named the 2013 CCCAA Coach of the Year and the 2015 CCCAA Southern Regional Coach of the Year. In addition, he was named the 2015 & 2016 OEC Coach of the Year. In the mix of his team success, he has coached five OEC Most Valuable Players and has seen 25 of his players receive All-American honors.
6
Cheer & STUNT Defeat Division I Cal Baptist in Overtime
The Riverside City College Cheer & STUNT team defeated Cal Baptist, 12-11, in late February to push their record to 6-0. The Tigers have been a national competitor for the past decade after qualifying for the National Championships in Daytona Beach, FL - the largest and most prestigious level of competition in the sport. Additionally, the NCAA officially recognized Cheer & STUNT as an emerging sport this past Spring.
5
Trinity Vasquez Drops 43 in OT Win over Antelope Valley, Advances to SoCal Regional Round Two
With her back against the wall, Vasquez worked her way out of a 0-for-6 shooting mark in the first half to explode for 43 points in a victory over Antelope Valley in the opening round of the 2019-20 CCCAA Southern Regional Tournament.
The sophomore captain exploded for 20 points in the second quarter after carting a 9-for-12 shooting clip. She did so by hitting four-consecutive jumpers to put the Tigers up by two at halftime. Her efforts eventually lead to an overtime victory.
Vasquez landed in the history books following her performance as she recorded the second-highest single game scoring mark. She nearly tied the record set by Deja Wright ('17) in 2017. She recorded a double-double with the mark by hauling in 11 rebounds as well.
4
Jacob Barlage Posts Video Game Numbers in Commanding Win over Orange Coast
In his first start of the season, the freshman phenome went 31-for-34 with 463 yards and eight passing touchdowns. He located five different wide receivers for a score and accomplished this feat in just three quarters.
Barlage went on to lead the Tigers to their first National Championship in 30 years. They went a flawless 13-0 while finishing as the top community college football team in the nation. Barlage capped his season by being named the CCCAA State Championship Player of the Game and a SCFA Southern First-Team All-Conference. He finished the season by throwing 30 touchdown passes and throwing for 2,786 yards. Furthermore, he rushed for seven touchdowns and 111 yards.
3
Men's Basketball Wins 2020 OEC Title, Earns State Championship Berth
The Riverside City College men's basketball team began their season on Halloween and ended non-conference play two weeks before Christmas. The Tigers were glued to a record that was two games below .500 and they were on the verge of entering into Orange Empire Conference (OEC) play. In a conference that consistently breeds the top teams in the state, the Tigers had their work cut out for them.
Under the direction of Head Coach Phil Matthews, the Tigers rallied off eight conference victories and earned the 11th overall ranking in the state. With a 70-61 win over the Fullerton College Hornets on the final game of the season, they completed conference play on a 14-2 note, thus earning the Tigers a conference title.
It is the first conference championship for Matthews in his seventh season at the helm. It has been a long time coming for the 1997 Hall of Fame Inductee, who has lead the Tigers to four-consecutive winning seasons. It is Matthew's 11th time winning a conference title after accomplishing this feat 10 times at Ventura College from 1986-95.
With the victory, the Tigers earned the fifth seed in the CCCAA Southern Regioanl Tournament. They went on to defeat No. 12 Citrus (86-71) and No. 4 Santa Monica (77-68) leading to their first CCCAA State Championship Tournament berth since 2009. They were set to lay top-seeded CC San Francisco prior to the tournament being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2
Women's Water Polo Places Second at State Championships
For the first time since 2017, the Riverside City College women's water polo team returned to the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) State Championship contest. After reigning supreme in 2017, the Tigers looked to hoist the trophy once again in a ballad against Orange Empire Conference (OEC) foe Fullerton College. In their sixth meeting of the season, Fullerton earned the last laugh as the Tigers fell just short of a championship by the final score of 7-6.
Riverside got off to a slow start in the game as they trailed the Hornets 6-1 entering into the final eight minutes. However, there was plenty of fight left in the Tigers as they tied the game at six all with just under five minutes to play.
It started with a quick six on five goal from freshman and OEC Co-MVP Maria Roldan. Freshman Isabelle Ritter followed with three-straight goals, marking the first-time in her career she scored three-consecutive netters, on consecutive possessions to bring Riverside within one score.
Freshman center Jesenia Wilson tied the game up at six all just under five minutes. However, the game remained stagnant from the on. Eventually, Fullerton's Brianna Santis fired home the game-winning score with 52 seconds left on the clock handing the Tigers a -6 defeat.
Ritter's three goals acted as a career-high off four shots. She added two steals and an assist as well. Freshman Nicole Tormey scored a goal and pocketed three steals, while Roldan matched her in each category.
Freshman Madison Button was charged with the loss after hauling in seven saves, but allowing just as many goals. She finished the season with an overall record of 25-7.
The Tiger wrap up the season on a 28-7 note which included a second place finish in conference, Southern Regionals and state.
1
Football Claims 2019 National & State Championship
It was a showdown of two undefeated goliaths in the 2019 California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) State Championship game featuring the Riverside City College Tigers (12-0) and the College of San Mateo Bulldogs (12-0). Both teams featured a stout defense complimented by a potent offense. At times, both teams bent, but the Tigers did not break leading to their first state title in 30 years with a 31-14 victory over the Bulldogs.
Head Coach Tom Craft earned his first state championship with the Tigers following a year in which he surpassed the century mark in wins, reeled in a Southern Regional Championship and was named the SCFA Southern Division Coach of the Year. He accomplished this unscathed after piecing together a squad that was unbeatable in all aspects of the game – something that has not been accomplished since 2013.
Riverside forced San Mateo to cough up the rock four times (two interceptions and two fumbles) marking the 13th consecutive game the Tiger's defensive unit recorded at least one turnover. Of the four turnovers, Riverside capitalized and scored on three, thus aiding a 31-point outburst against a Bulldog team that allowed just 9.7 points-per-game entering into the championship game.
Offensively, the Tigers racked up 431 yards of total offense leading to a 5.5 yards-per-play mark. Despite a slow start, Riverside utilized a 21-point second quarter to highlight the efforts.
Freshman quarterback Jacob Barlage was named the game's Most Valuable Player after earning a 22-for-31 clip through the air leading to 286 yards and a touchdown. His lone touchdown pass landed in the hands of freshman wide receiver Reggie Retzlaff for a 29-yard connection. The score put the Tigers up by 10 points at the time.
Barlage's go-to weapon was sophomore slot receiver Dylan Laurent. Laurent was named the Offensive Player of the Game after reeling in seven catches for 124 yards. His most crucial grab came on a critical third down play with five yards to go. Barlage hit him on a streak down the near sideline for 44 yards eventually setting up the Tiger's first score.
The running game was bruising. Freshman Thomas Kinslow toted the ball 26 times for 103 yards and a touchdown. He was the first Riverside rusher to cross the goal line. He was followed by a down-right dominant run from freshman Cameron Bausley which landed him in the end zone on a physical one-yard scurry to close the first half. He broke numerous tackles to put the Tigers up 17 entering into the locker room.
While the offense did plenty to get the job done, it was the defense that acted as a conduit. Sophomore safety Isaiah Pao Poa forced the first turnover by stripping the Bulldog's running back and freshman linebacker Zach Burrola recovered the fumble. That set up the Tiger's first touchdown. Later in the second quarter, sophomore safety Shawn Dourseau rose up for his seventh interception of the game, setting up the score right before halftime.
The most impressive take away hammered the final nail in the San Mateo coffin. Riverside had the Bulldogs pinned inside their own 10-yard line and brought the house on a second down and 17 yards to go. San Mateo's quarterback, who was illusive all afternoon, escaped a potential sack in the end zone and located an open receiver. However, freshman corner back Rey Estes read him like a book, step in front, intercepted the pass and waltzed into the end zone for the score.
Sophomore linebacker and defensive captain Kobey Fitzgerald was named the game's Defensive Player of the Game. He finished with five tackles and a quarterback hurry. The most impressive feature to his game is him being an utter ball magnet, thus changing the course of numerous plays.