The National Junior College Athletic Association has ordered the 6th-ranked and unbeaten Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team to forfeit its first 13 of the season after ruling that one of its stars ineligible.

The NJCAA says 6-3 freshman Evgenia Samorodova from Russia played on a professional team or at least on a team with a professional player earlier this year. Samorodova played in 9 games for the Cougars, averaging 14.2 points and 7 rebounds a game.

WNCC Athletic Director Ryan Burgner says the NJCAA ruling “came as a surprise” because the school did extensive “due diligence” to verify the amateur status of all of its current players prior to the start of the season. WNCC has 15 days to appeal the ruling, and Burgner says they’ll use the time to investigate the allegations.

The forfeitures are for all games prior to last Saturday and leave the Cougars 1-13, but Burgner says WNCC is still eligible for the Region IX and national tournaments. In fact, since none of the forfeited victories were Region IX contests, the Cougars have a clean slate in the regional standings.

WNCC officials say while Samorodova is not on the team, she is still a student at the college.

Chadron State College’s Perry McAfee has been named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Wrestler of the Week. McAfee, a senior from Casper, Wyo., went 2-0 last week at 133 pounds for the Eagles.

He earned a 5-2 decision over Dickinson State’s Mack Chambers in CSC’s home opener, and followed with a 12-3 major decision over Northern State’s Tyler Frost. McAfee now has a 5-5 record this season and is 2-0 during duals.

The Eagles are idle until Jan. 4 when they’ll dual Embry Riddle in Arizona.

The postseason accolades continue to roll in for Chadron State senior LB Kevin Lindholm as he was named today to the 2012 Daktronics All-America First Team. Also recognized was Eagles junior safety Trelan Taylor, who earned second team honors.

The All-American teams are sponsored by Daktronics and selected by the NCAA Division II members of CoSIDA…the College Sports Information Directors of America

Lindholm, a native of Eads, Colo., and a three-time Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference First-Team selection and this year’s RMAC Defensive Player of the Year, led the Eagles with 122 tackles this season, including 20.5 tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks, and three fumble recoveries.

Lindholm, also a First-Team All-American for Beyond Sports Network, finished his career with 299 tackles, the 9th most in school history, while his 37.5 tackles for loss ranks him fifth at CSC.

Taylor, a native of San Diego, finished the season as the RMAC leader in interceptions with 8 and he was the Eagles’ third-leading tackler with 74. He also forced two fumbles and was named to the all-conference first team on defense and the all-conference third team at punt returner.

For the season, Taylor averaged 12.2 yards on 22 punt returns and he tied a school record by scoring on an 86-yard punt return. He also returned an interception for a touchdown and compiled 376 all-purpose yards.

Five other players from the RMAC were named Daktronics 1st-Team All-Americans: TE Dave Pawelek and punter Taylor Acardi of Colo Mines, CB Abduhl Kenneh and LB Jordan Campbell of New Mexico Highlands, and OT Ryan Jensen of CSU-Pueblo.

CSU-Pueblo CB C-J Roberts was the only RMAC player besides Taylor to earn 2nd-Team All-American honors. West Texas, which beat the Eagles 38-30 in the playoffs, had 3 First-Teamers while Wayne State’s Randy Weich was the 2nd-team punter.

Shippensburg junior quarterback Zach Zulli and West Texas A&M junior defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks are the 2012 Daktronics All-America Ron Lenz Players of the Year.

2012 Daktronics All-America Teams

Alex Helmbrecht, Sports Information Director

At the 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas…Dean Gorsuch of Gering…has been pushed out of 1st in steer wrestling by defending world champion Luke Branquinho of California.

Each of the 10 NFR rounds pays the winner $18,257…which goes toward the World Championship standings. The average scores or times from the 10 rounds determine the WNFR winner, who earns another $46,820. World Champions are determined by adding together a contestant’s WNFR and regular season earning

Only the top 6 finishers in each round win any money and Branquino was 2nd in last night’s 5th round, while Gorsuch finished out of the money for the third straight round. The 2-time world champion is $12,000 behind Branquino at $116,000

Another steer wrestler from the region, Todd Suhn of Hermosa, SD, also finished out of the money last night and is 12th at $72,319…just over $600 out of 11th

Bareback rider Steven Dent of Mullen saw his Las Vegas nightmare continue last night as he was bucked off, keeping him without any earnings at the halfway point. Dent started the WNFR 2nd bareback riding…just $900 out of 1st…but now finds himself 4th…$51,000 out of 1st and about $7,100 behind 3rd place J.R. Vezain of Cowley, Wy.

Three Nebraska and South Dakota cowboys whose first names all start with the letter “C” sit 7-10-11 in saddle broncs. Cole Elsher of Faith, SD, has nearly $95,000 after winning last night’s 5th round while Cort Scheer of Elsmere, NE, and 2006 world champ Chad Ferley of Oelrichs were among the 12 riders bucked off. Scheer has $82,000 and Ferley $74,000.

In barrel racing, Lisa Lockhart of Oelrich placed for the 3rd straight round…finishing 6th…while Trula Churchill of Valentine made money for the first time, finishing 2nd and missing 1st by 1-100th of a second. Churchill jumped to $75,000 while Lockhart has $91,000.

Perennial champion Trevor Brazile set three more records last with a 3rd-place finish in Team Roping as he clinched the All-Around World Championship.

It’s Brazile’s 10th All-Around buckle and 7th straight, both records, and gives him 17 buckles overall…including 3 in Steer Roping, 3 in Tie-Down Roping, and 1 in Team Roping.

That’s a record for a multi-event cowboy and 1 behind the overall record 18 by legendary Steer Roping specialist Guy Allen for the most championship buckles overall with 18. If Brazile and his roping partner can claim that title, he’ll be the first cowboy with multiple world championships in 4 different categories.

CHADRON – Chadron State College interim volleyball coach Janel Baily has signed two high school seniors, including a Chadron High standout, to National Letters of Intent, and says a junior college transfer will also be joining the Eagles.

The two high school seniors are Alia Brennan, a 5-foot-11 middle hitter from Chadron, and Shelby Gardner, a setter from Colby, Kan. Both recruits have a CSC heritage. Brennan will be the third generation from her family to attend the college and Gardner’s father, Chris, played football for the Eagles.

The junior college transfer, who will be joining the Eagles at the start of the spring semester is Hanna Flaming, a 5-foot-11 National Junior College Athletic Association Division II All-American outside hitter from Butler Community College.

“We are excited,” Baily said. “Alia and Shelby are both great students and extremely athletic and ready for the challenge of competing collegiately. Both of these girls were raised cheering for CSC and I’m pleased they have decided to become part of the Eagle family.”

In the fall, Brennan, who earned three letters in volleyball, helped guide the Cardinals to a 27-4 record and an appearance at the Nebraska State Volleyball Tournament in November. She was a two-time honorable mention all-state selection and all-conference as a junior and senior.

“Alia is a great grab for us because I know she will love Chadron but also because she is extremely athletic, competitive and loves to be coached,” Baily said.

Gardner, a four-year starter and three-time captain at Colby High, played on teams that compiled a record of 90-57 during her career. She was a three-time all-league selection and the Liberal Tournament MVP in 2011. “Shelby is a well-trained setter capable of running a quick 5-1 offense and will be fighting for playing time right away,” Baily said.

Gardner is also a talented thrower for the Colby track and field team and has been her high school’s Female Thrower of the Year twice.

Flaming, a native of Benton, Kan., led Butler to a 31-7 record and finished the season with 292 kills and hit .274, while adding 223 digs and 55 blocks.  She was also an all-conference and academic all-conference choice at Butler. “I’m excited to have a player of Hanna’s caliber come in and she’s going to help us out a lot,” Baily said.

In high school, Flaming was a three-time all-state selection and also earned all-conference honors in basketball and softball.

Baily expects to sign more student-athletes on April 17, the national signing date.

Alex Helmbrecht, Sports Information Director