PORT HURON, Mich. — The 2026 season is fast-approaching for the St. Clair County Community College (SC4) women’s cross country team. The campaign for the Skippers, under Head Coach Andrea Rheaume in her fifth year at the position, begins on Thursday, August 20.

The Skippers will have seven meets spread out across three months this fall. They will also travel to a pair of different states outside of Michigan to bolster their body of work.

Last season, the women’s cross country squad raced to a third-place finish at the NJCAA Region XII and MCCAA Conference Championships (hosted by SC4) to qualify for the NJCAA Cross Country National Championship. The Skippers placed 11th out of 44 programs at the national meet in Fort Dodge, Iowa. That result matched the mark also set by the team under Rheaume in 2023.

“I am excited for our season to begin, as we have a whole new team with great talent,” said Head Coach Rheaume. “We have another small team numbers-wise, but that has not hindered us in the past — so I do not expect it to this season. I expect us to be competitive within our conference and the region, with our team’s goal of qualifying for the national stage again. Our schedule is centered around meets to help the team progress and hit some fast times. We have an early home-opener to kick off the dust and shake our nerves. The big positive is our home course [Goodells County Park] is our conference and regional course, so we will have a home-course advantage. In addition to our competitive goals, I am also focused on keeping everyone healthy and having a fun time.”

SCHEDULE OUTLOOK

The 2026 season will begin, as mentioned above, on August 20 as the Skippers will host their annual Skippers Cross Country Showcase at Goodells County Park in Goodells, Mich. Following that meet, SC4 will have just over two weeks off until traveling to Indiana Wesleyan University XC Course in Marion, Ind., for the IWU Twilight Invitational on September 4.

Two more weeks will pass until the Skippers’ third meet on the docket, which will be the Lansing Community College Invitational on September 18 at Grand Woods Park in Lansing, Mich. The following weekend (September 26), the team will make their second out-of-state trip with a stop in Rochester, Ny., for the Harry F. Anderson Invitational at the Matt St. James Cross Country Trails.

October begins for the squad on the second day of the month for the MCCAA Eastern Conference Championship, which will be hosted by Oakland Community College. SC4 will then travel to Muskegon, Mich., for the MCC Jayhawk Invitational at the University Park Golf Course on October 17.

The Jayhawk Invitational will be the final regular-season meet for the Skippers. The postseason will commence on October 30, when the team will once again host the NJCAA Region 12 Championship and the MCCAA Championship at Goodells County Park.

Should the Skippers qualify for the national meet again this season, the NJCAA Division II National Championship will be on November 14, from John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Ala.

ROSTER OUTLOOK

SC4 will carry a roster of eight into the new campaign. Of those eight, seven are incoming freshmen. The team’s veteran will be sophomore Lillian Rutallie — however, she competed solely on the women’s track side last season and did not race in an official cross country meet. That means all seven will make their collegiate debuts this fall.

The full squad, along with their high school, includes Makenna Gwisdalla (Bad Axe) Juliana Keeler (Port Huron), Brianne King (Bloomfield Hills), Samantha Langolf (Port Huron Northern), Lydia McBride (Marysville), Madison Prowse (Brown City), Lillian Rutallie (Marysville), and Gracie Sparrer (Brown City). All eight will look to make an immediate impact and send the team to the national championship for a second-straight season.

For the full list of meets in order and more information on the women’s cross country program as the season progresses, visit SC4Skippers.com.

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For media inquiries, please contact Sarah Rutallie, Chief of Staff, SC4, at srutallie@sc4.edu

St Clair County Community College (SC4) was founded in 1923 and is the only public higher education institution in the thumb of Michigan. SC4 is a comprehensive community college that provides certificates and degrees for employable skills and college credits that can be transferred to a four-year college or university. The college provides collegiate arts and athletics for the area and has been an asset for students and the Port Huron community for over one hundred years.  

PORT HURON, Mich.- The St. Clair County Community College (SC4) women’s soccer squad is inching closer to its 2026-27 campaign. The Skippers will start their regular season with a pair of home matches on back-to-back days — Saturday, August 22, and Sunday, August 23.

SC4 will have 20 regular-season matches on its docket this fall, of which nine will be held at SC4 Soccer Field at Morton Park in Marysville, Mich.

The Skippers will be led for a third-straight season by Head Coach Karic Jones. Jones and this season’s squad will look to advance to the playoffs once again, just as the Skippers did in Jones’ first season. In 2024, SC4 made the semifinals of NJCAA Region 12 Tournament with a 6-8 record and regular-season triumphs over the likes of Lakeland Community College (8-0), Grand Rapids Community College (5-2), Lake Michigan College (4-2), and Muskegon Community College (2-0). SC4 was 4-10-1 last season.

SC4 has already started practicing for the new campaign. “I have been really happy with how the first week of practice has gone,” said Head Coach Jones. “The girls are working hard and competing every day; they really get after it in practice. It is really a whole new team, so having them work well together as a group is great.”

SCHEDULE OUTLOOK

As mentioned above, the first two matches will be at home for SC4, as the Skippers will welcome Parkland College on August 22 and Morton College on August 23. The team will then finish August with a trip to New York to face-off with Genesee Community College (August 27) and Erie Community College (August 28).

September begins with a home date vs. Delta College on the first of the month, before another road trip, this time to Illinois, is set for September 4 and 5. The Skippers will square off with College of DuPage and College of Lake County on those back-to-back dates. After that, SC4 will be home just once over the next five matches, which is on September 13 vs. Alpena Community College. The next four matches against Schoolcraft College, Marian University Ancilla, Jackson College, Kellogg Community College, and Delta (September 16, 19, 23, 26, and 30) are all on the road.

After the lengthy road swing, the Skippers return to Marysville for a three-match home stand vs. Grand Rapids Community College (October 2), Lakeland Community College (October 6), and Muskegon Community College (October 10). The final four regular-season will feature two home and two road dates — the road contests being at Alpena (October 14) and Lake Michigan College (October 17), while the two home games being vs. Schoolcraft (October 21) and vs. Jackson (October 24).

Should the Skippers advance to the regional tournament this season, it will once again be held at SC4 Soccer Field at Morton Park. Those three dates are October 27 (First Round), October 31 (Semifinals), and November 1 (Final).

ROSTER OUTLOOK

Only eight of the 26 student-athletes on this year’s roster are sophomores. However, of those eight, only five (Aireonna Keller, Grace Kennedy, Libby Noble, Grace Twiby, and Sarah Valdivia) were on the roster last year.

Noble returns to the team after suffering an injury and thus only playing in nine contests. Those nine contests were memorable, however, as she tallied four goals to place third on the squad. Twiby played in 13 matches in 2025-26 and will look to have an even bigger season in 2026-27. “Twiby was our most impressive player last season,” said Jones. She was a defender for the majority of the time, so she went under the radar statistically. She will not have to play as much of a defensive role this season, and we are expecting her to have a breakout year.”

Kennedy has also stood out in practice to Coach Jones thus far. “She is doing an excellent job leading the group and her play is substantially faster than last season,” he said.

There are also some notable newcomers entering the season. Tessa Freeland was an All-State Second Team member at St. Clair High School this past spring, while Lucy Yuen played for Hong Kong’s under-19 team and has traveled to Mongolia, Russia, and Jordan to play soccer.

Incoming freshmen Claira Taylor, Phoebe Tacker, and Lilah Cron are also expected to play a major role for the team. “They are kids that will be 75+ minute players for us this year and will also be a really solid base for our defense,” said Coach Jones.

In goal, SC4 will turn to Kaylee Backers, a graduate of Richmond High School. “Kaylee will start in goal for us,” said Jones. “I am really happy that we were able to bring her home. She is as impressive as advertised.”

For a full list of matches in order and more information on the women’s soccer program as the season progresses, visit SC4Skippers.com.

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For media inquiries, please contact Sarah Rutallie, Chief of Staff, SC4, at srutallie@sc4.edu

St Clair County Community College (SC4) was founded in 1923 and is the only public higher education institution in the thumb of Michigan. SC4 is a comprehensive community college that provides certificates and degrees for employable skills and college credits that can be transferred to a four-year college or university. The college provides collegiate arts and athletics for the area and has been an asset for students and the Port Huron community for over one hundred years.  

PORT HURON, Mich. — The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) released its initial pre-season rankings for Division II men’s soccer yesterday afternoon (Monday, August 10), and St. Clair County Community College (SC4) was represented in the top 20. The Skippers were 20th in the poll with two points gained.

SC4 was one of two NJCAA Region 12 squads included on the list, with the other program being Schoolcraft College in 15th (36 points).

The top five as announced by the NJCAA were Phoenix College (120, eight first-place votes), CCBC Essex (114), Pima Community College (108), Mercer County Community College (102), and Northeast Community College (96).

The Skippers are coming off a 15-5-1 season in which they claimed their first NJCAA Region 12 Soccer Championship in just their second year as a program. The team defeated Schoolcraft 1-0 to win the regional title in a high-intensity game that saw 11 yellow cards and three red cards.

SC4 then defeated Mercer County on penalty kicks (3-1) to win the Northeast District Championship and advanced to the NJCAA DII Men’s Soccer Championship for the first time. The Skippers faced both Iowa Lakes Community College and Pima Community College at the national championship.

The 2026 men’s soccer season is slated to begin on Friday, September 4, at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Ill.

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For media inquiries, please contact Sarah Rutallie, Chief of Staff, SC4, at srutallie@sc4.edu

St Clair County Community College (SC4) was founded in 1923 and is the only public higher education institution in the thumb of Michigan. SC4 is a comprehensive community college that provides certificates and degrees for employable kills and college credits that can be transferred to a four-year college or university. The college provides collegiate arts
and athletics for the area and has been an asset for students and the Port Huron community for over one hundred
years.  

PORT HURON, Mich. — July 2026 — St. Clair County Community College (SC4) is proud to announce that graduates of its Associate Degree Nursing program achieved a 98.6% first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN), based on results received in July 2026. This exceptional outcome reflects the program’s unwavering commitment to preparing highly skilled, compassionate nurses who are ready to meet the growing healthcare needs of Michigan and beyond.

The NCLEX-RN is the national licensing examination required for graduates to become registered nurses. A high first-time pass rate is a key indicator of a nursing program’s quality, demonstrating graduates’ readiness to provide safe and effective patient care.

“This remarkable achievement is a testament to the dedication of our nursing faculty, the determination of our students and the strong partnerships we have with our clinical education providers,” said Dr. Michael Belleman, Chief Academic Officer at SC4. “A 98.6% first-time NCLEX pass rate reflects the exceptional quality of our nursing program and the commitment of our faculty to student success. Our graduates are entering the workforce prepared to deliver outstanding patient care while helping meet the growing demand for skilled nurses throughout our region and beyond. We are incredibly proud of their accomplishment.”

SC4’s nursing program combines rigorous classroom instruction with hands-on clinical experiences, advanced simulation training and personalized faculty support to prepare students for successful careers in nursing. Graduates are highly sought after by healthcare employers throughout the Blue Water Area and across Michigan.

Students looking to continue their education beyond an associate degree can also benefit from SC4’s partnership with Saginaw Valley State University, which provides a seamless

pathway for graduates to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Through this collaboration, students can complete their BSN while remaining connected to their community, making it easier than ever to advance their education and expand their career opportunities.

The July 2026 results continue SC4’s tradition of excellence in nursing education and reinforce the college’s mission of providing accessible, high-quality education that meets workforce demands and strengthens the communities it serves.

Fall semester classes begin August 24, and SC4’s next nursing cohorts begin in August 2026 and January 2027. Whether students are ready to start this fall or are planning ahead for the January cohort, now is the ideal time to begin the admissions process.

Prospective students interested in joining SC4’s highly successful nursing program are encouraged to contact nursing@sc4.edu to learn more about admissions requirements, prerequisite courses and upcoming application opportunities.

Students interested in earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing through SC4’s partnership with Saginaw Valley State University can contact svsu@sc4.edu for information about transfer pathways, academic advising and enrollment opportunities.

### For media inquiries, please contact Sarah Rutallie, Chief of Staff, at srutallie@sc4.edu

St Clair County Community College (SC4) was founded in 1923 and is the only public higher education institution in the thumb of Michigan. SC4 is a comprehensive community college that provides certificates and degrees for employable skills and college credits that can be transferred to a four-year college or university. The college provides collegiate arts and athletics for the area and has been an asset for students and the Port Huron community for over one hundred years.