Featured Athletes
Softball
(Posted 5/3/13)

Freshman Courtney Clee, who plays short stop, and Stacie Denucci, who pitches and plays first base, have been key contributors all year both offensively and defensively, according to Head Coach Ryan Zegarski. The team's record is 25-16 going into the post season.

Mercer hosts the Region 19 tournament this weekend. Entering the tournament as the no. 3 seed, the Vikings face no. 2-seeded Morris County College May 4 at 10 a.m. Other teams in the tournament are no. 1 Del Tech-Owens and no. 4 Burlington, who face off at noon.

Zegarksi says the tournament is wide open. He notes that the Vikings are as good as any of the teams they will face. Mercer is focused on captuing its first Region 19 title since 2010.

Featured Athletes
Baseball
(Posted 4/25/13)

This year's baseball team blends the talents of experienced sophomores and a strong freshmen class. Two sophomores are helping to lead the way. Right-handed pitcher Matt Berbon-Owle has pitched 46.2 innings, with a 2.51 earned run average,  and only 7 base on balls this year.

In centerfield is captain Steve Spadafino, who has played in 35 of the Vikings' 40 games. Spadafino has a .312 average, 6 doubles, 2 triples, and 16 RBIs. His defense in the outfield has been stellar, according to Coach Kevin Kerins.

The Vikings are 27-13, with five regular season games remaining. The Region 19 play-in round is les than two weeks away on May 4-5; the Final Four Tournament takes place May 10-12 (away).

Ahmed al-Shawafi
Pennington, NJ
Hopewell Valley High School

Freshman co-captain Ahmed al-Shawafi plays no. 1 singles and no. 1 doubles. Ahmed’s singles record is 15-2 and his doubles record is 9-7. Ahmed won the no. 1 singles flight at the Harford (MD) Invitational tournament, held April 13-14.

According to head coach Marc Vechiolla, "Ahmed possesses an incredible competitive spirit on the court. At 5’7” and 113 pounds he utilizes every ounce of his talent, strategic intellect, impeccable footwork and inner drive to compete with more powerful players."

The men's tennis team is currently 7-7 on the season. The Region 19 Tournament will be held at Mercer County Park May 3-4. A reunion for MCCC tennis alumni will be held May 5.

Featured Athletes
Softball
(Posted 4/8/13)

Freshman Alyssa Bauer (no. 1), who covers third base, and returning sophomore Stephanie Canulli (no. 11), who pitches and plays first base, are proving to be major team assets, according to head coach Ryan Zegarski.

Canulli has a 4-0 pitching record, while Bauer is hitting .423 with 23 RBIs and 3 home runs. "Both girls are working hard and setting a high bar for others to follow," Zegarski said.

The Vikings are currently 17-10 on the season. They play two doubleheaders at home this week, facing Ocean on Tuesday and Raritan on Wednesday.

Featured Athletes
Baseball
(Posted 3/27/13)

Freshman pitcher Ben Stine and and freshman outfielder Mark Tomei are already making their presence felt on the Vikings roster. The team is off to a 13-5 start after a week at the Myrtle Beach Invitational.

Tomei has a .362 average at bat, 7 RBIs and 11 runs, along with 8 stolen bases. Stine is 2-1 on the mound with 16 innings pitched and a 3.38 earned run average. He has 8 strike-outs on the young season.

Says second-year head coach Kevin Kerins, " We are off to a strong start. Ten of our first 18 games were against ranked teams. This competitive schedule has allowed us to climb into the national rankings as well as prepare us for our regional schedule."

Featured Athlete
Women's Basketball
(Posted 3/19/13)

Morgan Cullen
Bristol High School
Bristol, PA

Freshman guard Morgan Cullen had a solid good rookie season for the Lady Vikings. Cullen was an aggressive force on offense and was a player Coach Mike Tenaglia knew he could count on to take a shot when the team needed it.  She proved to be a consistent outside threat for the Vikings, leading the team in 3-pointers. 

Her efforts on offense paid off. Cullen was the only player on the roster to average double digits in scoring, with 11.7 points per game.  She earned Second Team All Garden State Athletic Conference honors for her efforts this season, along with teammates Shelby Mellon and Chelsea Arnold.

Featured Athletes
Men's Basketball
(Posted 3/4/13)

Coach Howard Levy points to sophomores Barry Brockington and Andre Wilburn as team leaders whose contributions were a major factor in the Vikings' solid 21-10 season. The versatile 6'3" Brockington averaged 9.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, while 6'4" Wilburn averaged 7.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. 

According to Levy, both players could be counted on throughout the season for the little things that make the difference in a win, like grabbing rebounds and outhustling their opponent for loose balls that helped the Vikings with many possessions.

They were also a key part of the team effort that enabled the Vikings to play some of their best basketball late in the season and advance to the Region 19 final. (In the final, the Vikings pulled ahead of rival Essex County College 50-45 with nine minutes left, but saw their lead vanish in the final minutes as they fell 65-59.)

Levy says he considers this season to have been a successful one. "The final could have gone either way. I am very proud of this team," he said.

Featured Athlete
Men's Basketball
(Posted 2/11/13)

Armando Davis
Allentown, NJ
Allentown High School

Sophomore Armando Davis has proven to be a standout on the Vikings squad for his commitment and hard work. Often working on his game in the gym after practice hours, Davis' outside shot is a threat for the Vikings off the bench as is his tough defense. 

Says Coach Howard Levy, "He just does things right...like being on time, being responsible, putting forth a hard effort. As a coach, these are the things you really appreciate in a player." Levy adds that Davis has remained consistent even in the face of several injuries and a part-time job.

The 6'2" guard/forward has also achieved academically, earning Dean's List honors all three semesters he has been at MCCC.

Featured Athlete
Women's Basketball
(Posted 1/28/13)

Chelsea Arnold
Ewing, NJ
Ewing High School

According to Head Coach Mike Tenaglia, sophomore forward Chelsea Arnold has been a leader for the Lady Vikes in every sense. A team captain, at 5'11" Arnold is the tallest player on the roster and an imposiing presence on the court.

She is averaging 9.8 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks per game. Her performance ranks her among the top 50 rebound leaders and block leaders for NJCAA Division II women’s basketball.

Arnold is a three-sport athlete, who played soccer in the fall and will play softball this spring. "She plays all of them well," Tenaglia said. The Vikings are struggling this season, but Tenaglia notes there are still some good skills on display and exciting action on the court.

Featured Athlete
Men's Basketball
(Posted 1/7/13)

Mustafa El Amin
Mount Holly, NJ
Rancocas Valley High School

According to Head Coach Howard Levy, freshman Mustafa El Amin has been a leader for the much-improved Vikings squad this season. Through 14 games, El Amin is averaging 19.5 points per game and hitting 51% of his shots from the floor. The Vikings are currently 11-4.

In addition to his critical contributions to the scoring total, El Amin has demonstrated great all-around play, as evidenced by his other stats.  He is averaging 5.6 rebounds per game, 2.5 assists and 2.1 steals.  The Vikings look forward to continued strong play from the talented guard as they enter the second half of the regular season.

El Amin is no stranger to championship play. He was a member of the Rancocas Valley High School basketball team when it won a state championship in 2008.

Featured Athlete
Women's Basketball
(Posted 12/17/12)

Shelby Mellon
Hamilton, NJ
Notthingham High School

Versatile sophomore Shelby Mellon has been a team leader in what has turned out to be a rough start to the season, with the Vikings still hungry to get into the win column.

According to head coach Mike Tenaglia, Mellon is the Lady Vikes' starting point guard and the team's captain. Originally a forward, she is adjusting to a position she has never played before. "She is showing improvement with every game," Tenaglia said.

Tegnalia will count on Mellon and her teammates to keep working hard in practice and stay focused as they grow together into a winning unit.

Featured Athlete
Men's Basketball
(Posted 11/30/12)

Filip Sekulic
Danilovgrad, Montenegro
Gimnazija Petar Petrovic Njegos

Filip Sekulic has been a big presence for the men’s basketball team thus far in the season.  The 6’10” sophomore center has helped the Vikings to a 3-1 start, averaging nearly a double double each game, with 11.8 points per game and 9.5 rebounds. 

Sekulic’s size and skills have gotten noticed. He has accepted a scholarship to play for Division II Chestnut Hill College next year.

According to head coach Howard Levy, Sekulic was an obvious choice for the spotlight. If Sekulic and the rest of the squad continues its strong play, fans can expect the Vikings to have a solid season and easily improve upon last year's losing record.