SC4 to host wheelchair basketball demonstration days

St. Clair County Community College (SC4) and its Athletics Department will host demonstration days for students and community members with disabilities or those who are able-bodied interested in learning more about wheelchair basketball and joining its recently announced team.

The College will host demonstration days at the SC4 Fieldhouse:

  • Friday, Aug. 4 at 3 p.m.
  • Thursday, Aug. 10 at 3 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 5 p.m.
  • Thursday, Aug. 17 at 9 a.m.
  • Monday, Aug. 21 at 9 a.m.
  • Friday, Aug. 25 at 5 p.m.

“We welcome everyone to come to demo days with us and check out this exciting new offering at SC4,” said SC4 Athletic Director Dale Vos. “It’s an exciting co-ed sport for athletes and fans alike.”

This year, SC4’s Wheelchair Basketball Team plans to schedule exhibition contests and games as part of the inaugural season. The team is also working to participate as part of the Wolverine Invitational, which is scheduled to return to the SC4 Fieldhouse this fall, Sept. 29 to Oct. 1.

When SC4 alumnus Mike Millsap heard about the College’s recently announced wheelchair basketball team, he was excited to get involved.

“As a kid, I enjoyed watching my uncle, who also has a spinal cord injury, compete in the local wheelchair basketball team that existed at the time,” said Millsap, who became a C-5/C-6 quadriplegic after a diving accident in 2008 and went on to earn an associate degree in business from SC4. “I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to be involved with the new wheelchair basketball team SC4 is launching this fall.” 

Similarly, St. Clair, Mich., native Eric Wrocklage is excited about the new team and ready to get back into a sport he loved as a kid. Wrocklage has Spina Bifida, which complicates walking, and uses a wheelchair to get around.

“Basketball was my passion as a kid and I always wanted to play,” he said. “I was introduced to wheelchair basketball in the early 90s and played on a junior team in Sterling Heights until the age of 18. Then I played on an adult team in Port Huron for a couple of seasons. It will be exciting to get back to that with this new team that is forming at SC4. I look forward to what the future holds.”

Those interested in joining the wheelchair basketball team for 2023-24 should visit sc4.edu/athletics, send an email to mjwhittredge@sc4.edu or contact the Athletics Department at 810-989-5670 with questions.

Skippers athletes break longtime academic excellence record, garner team honors 

A record number of St. Clair County Community College (SC4) athletes have been named recipients of National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) academic awards.

Twenty-seven Skippers athletes—the most for the Skippers in any single year since the early 2000s—received academic honors for the 2022-23 year by completing a minimum of 24 credits with at least a 3.60 GPA.

Additionally, eight Skippers teams achieved NJCAA Academic Team status for the 2022-23 year by having a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

SC4 student-athletes honored

NJCAA All-Academic First Team (4.0 GPA)
Olivia Crawford – Cross Country
Colleen Kubisiak – Soccer
Brandon Zielke – Cross Country

NJCAA All-Academic Second Team (3.80-3.99 GPA)
Elizabeth Baldwin – Cross Country
Brandi Bassett – Softball
Zach Dingwell – Baseball
Miyana Dishroon – Volleyball
Nicholas Knust – Cross Country
Ethan McCombs – Cross Country
Kaylie Rickert – Softball
Cameron Schomburg – Men’s Bowling
Tyler Simpson – Golf
Jesse Uzansky – Baseball

NJCAA All-Academic Third Team (3.60 – 3.79 GPA)
Ashley Bales – Bowling
Jacob Barrett – Basketball
Heather Broski – Volleyball
Lukas Danko Cross Country
Sarah Fantin – Softball
Andrew Howison – Wrestling
Elizabeth Hubbard – Bowling
Ben Moore – Baseball
Kayla Rosen – Women’s Basketball
Madelyn Smith – Women’s Basketball
Olivia Storm – Soccer
Ethan Strong – Baseball
Allison Tomczak – Cross Country
Joslyn Williams – Soccer

SC4 teams honored

Women’s Bowling (3.48 GPA)
Men’s Cross Country (3.36 GPA)
Men’s Bowling (3.29 GPA)
Soccer (3.12 GPA)
Softball (3.11 GPA)
Men’s Golf (3.07 GPA)
Volleyball (3.02 GPA)
Women’s Basketball (3.01 GPA)

“We are incredibly proud of our student-athletes and what they accomplish, both academically and athletically,” said SC4 Athletic Director Dale Vos. “Their commitment to their teams and future career paths is inspiring, and we’re grateful to see their hard work recognized by the NJCAA.”

To view the full list of individual award recipients visit NJCAA All-Academic Awards. To view team rankings, visit NJCAA Academic Teams of the Year.

Women’s Bowling team pictured above.