PORT ANGELES — On the heels of a Northwest Athletic Conference championship by Peninsula College’s women’s basketball team, the school’s athletic department was honored as the Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce Business of the Month.
“This award is a testament to the career development and hard work of head coach Alison Crumb, a Peninsula College and Port Angeles High School graduate, and her staff that includes Ali’s former player Danika (Goodwin) Johnson and Ali’s former high school coach Mike Knowles,” Rick Ross, director of student programs and athletics, said of following the honor earlier this week.
“Those athletes are outstanding students, they have given a tremendous amount to the youth in our community, they are active outside the gym on our campus and in our community, and they are truly outstanding role models for this area’s young female athletes.
“I couldn’t be happier that this group of young ladies captured Peninsula’s first-ever women’s basketball championship.”
The NWAC women’s basketball championship was the first in Peninsula College history for that sport, which began in 1996-97.
Alison Crumb took over as head coach of the team in 2009. This year, she led the Pirates to her first North Division title as a coach — she also won it as a player in 2005.
Peninsula College athletic teams finished first, second, third and tied for fourth this year in the NWAC, which is comprised of 35 community colleges in Washington and Oregon.
The Peninsula women’s soccer team took second in the NWAC this year after a 1-0 loss to Everett in the championship match.
The Pirates had won back-to-back NWAC championships in the preceding two years.
Dating back to 2010-11, the women’s program has won four West Division championships and two NWAC titles in just five years of existence.
The team finished the year ranked No. 4 in the National College Soccer Coaches Association of America Poll, the highest national ranking in the history of Peninsula College athletics.
The men’s basketball team was the surprise of this year’s NWAC men’s tournament, winning three of four games to place third after finishing fourth in the North Division this year.
Men’s soccer bowed out in the NWAC semifinals this year after winning two straight NWAC championships and three of the last five.
They also finished No. 18 in the national junior college men’s soccer poll after holding a top-10 spot for most of the season.
“I am very proud of our student athletes and believe there is tremendous value in community college athletics,” said Peninsula College President Luke Robins said.
“It was a special year for both teams who made it to the NWAC championships. They have proven that they are champions both on and off the court.”
This is the second time the college has received this award, which it was previously granted in April of 2011.
