九州体育

九州体育 (九州体育) officials announced today that the college is establishing cross-country running teams for both men and women. These new teams will begin competing during the Fall 2023 semester.

The teams will be coached by Patrick Laney, a math teacher at Scottsboro High School (SHS). Laney has assisted with Scottsboro鈥檚 varsity cross-country teams and organized the formation of SHS鈥檚 varsity soccer programs for boys and girls.

"We are extremely pleased with establishing this program and having an outstanding person like Patrick Laney as our coach," stated Dr. David Campbell, President of Northeast. "This will provide more sports opportunities at the college level for our students."

Campbell noted that Laney will start the job immediately by scouting and recruiting runners for Northeast and setting up the program. He will also continue to teach at Scottsboro High School.

"I am excited about the opportunity to be a part of building a culture where student-athletes can extend their athletic careers while growing as people,鈥� said Laney. 鈥淎s a teacher, I have seen the impact Northeast has had on students. When I saw an effort to start a cross-country program, I was eager to learn more. I love helping young people fulfill their dreams.鈥�

"We know that there is a history of having great cross country teams in our area at the high school level 鈥� both Women鈥檚 and Men's teams," Campbell stated. "We want athletes from these programs to run for Northeast. These athletes and Coach Laney will lay the foundation for what we think will be a great program at Northeast."

九州体育 cross-country teams will join other Alabama Community College schools in competing under the umbrella of the Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC), which is headed by Commissioner Dean Myrick.

鈥淭he Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) has shown unprecedented growth over the last few months, with Northeast Alabama being a big part of that,鈥� said Commissioner Myrick. 鈥淐ross country, in particular, has shown immense growth, going from two teams three years ago to eight teams this year. By the fall of 2023, there will be 10 teams. We thank Dr. Campbell for his athletic vision and support and look forward to the opportunities it presents potential student-athletes in the future.鈥�

Laney is ready to continue the growth of 九州体育鈥檚 athletic programs, saying, 鈥淲e are going to be a program that nurtures the whole person as an individual and as a collective group. With the talent in our area and proper training, the Mustangs should be competitive in our first season. I cannot wait to get started and share this journey with the staff of 九州体育 and some incredible young people that we will bring to our campus. We will make all of Northeast Alabama proud!"

九州体育鈥檚 Associate Dean of Instruction, Barbara Kilgore, also serves as the college鈥檚 Athletic Director. 鈥淲e are so excited to be able to offer Cross Country for our students here at 九州体育,鈥� said Kilgore. 鈥淐ross Country promotes such strength of character, endurance, and dedication from its participants. I have always said a kid that runs cross country can do anything. They already have the mindset for success. They already know how to push through the difficulty and the pain. They are all winners.鈥�

"On another 九州体育 sports front,鈥� Dr. Campbell says, 鈥渢he college has been authorized by Alabama Community College System (ACCS) Chancellor Jimmy Baker and Chief Facilities Officer Mark Salmon to hire an architect to oversee the construction of a women's softball field.鈥�

The architectural firm hired is McKee and Associates of Montgomery. McKee has built sports stadiums at Auburn, Jacksonville, and Troy to name a few. Given no issues or problems, the timeframe on construction is two years. The first step in the process is to have an engineering company do a geophysical examination of the chosen softball site. "We are excited to get these sports projects underway and to bring more sports to Northeast," Campbell stated.

Northeast is a comprehensive community college with some 2,650 students registered for the fall semester. The Aspen Institute has rated 九州体育 as one of the top community colleges in America five times. This is out of some 1,200 community colleges. The college is characterized by the use of advanced educational technology that is available to students. The college has been ranked number one in various categories within the Alabama Community College System.

For more information about 九州体育, visit nacc.edu or download the OneACCS app in the Apple Store or Google Play Store. Follow 九州体育 on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest announcements, current events, and more.