Your friendly neighborhood conference

 

As we embark on a new year of higher education and the wonderful chaos that ensues, I’d like to share with you all a breakdown of your MHCC Saints sports programs and the conference to which they belong.

Oh, who are the Saints? Well, you are, my fellow Mount Hood students.

Like many of you, this is my first year at the school; unlike some of you, I’m also new to the Portland area and Oregon in general. Before making the move up here, I had little knowledge of the NWAC and its members (including MHCC), with so much attention that’s paid to Division I football, basketball, and baseball, like programs at Oregon and Oregon State.

So, why not get invested locally? The student athletes here have a lot of pride in their craft and are committed to their programs. As for these programs, Fall Term features cross country, volleyball, and both men’s and women’s basketball – the latter running through Winter Term. Come springtime, Mt. Hood’s defending regional championship teams, softball and baseball, will take the field – along with men’s and women’s track-and-field.

The Northwest Athletic Conference, which encompasses Oregon and Washington two-year schools, is divided into the north, south, east, and west regions (there are even Idaho and British Columbia teams involved). Your Saints reside in the Southern region, with the likes of Southwestern Oregon (in Coos Bay) and arch-rival Clackamas and Chemeketa as regular opponents.

The number of schools participating in the conference depends on the sport. On average, there are roughly seven teams per region, and of course, there’s the opportunity to play outside of the division, too.

Wherever your interests lay, remember that this stage is a springboard to the next level of competition for many of the MHCC athletes, with hopes of continuing at four-year schools.