In Memoriam ...

In Memoriam ...

Paying respect to Cougar athletes that are no longer with us.
Help update the In Memoriam tribute page by sending updates to mrein@wncc.edu

       

Men's Basketball

 

 

 

Lanier Bradshaw

August 8, 1980 - October 3, 2024

Lanier played for the Cougars in the 2000-01 season under Trace Bevell. Lanier battled kidney failure and passed away from his courageous fight with the disease

 

Jerry Leonard

June 23, 1938 - August 8, 2023

Jerry was born in Gering and a graduate of GHS and continued his basketball career at Scottsbluff Junior College in the late 1950s.

 

Doug Chappell

June 23, 1935 - March 11, 2020

Doug played basketball at SJC in the 50s and was an assistant basketball coach.

 

Billy Stewart

Marrch 11, 1944 -- August 19, 2013

Billy played for the Cougars from 1965-67 and is the fourth-leading scorer in school history

 

Fernando Bonfin-Wilson

Aug. 9, 1983 - June 30, 2012

Played at WNCC from 2002-2005

 

Curtis Cotton

August 13, 1986 - May 7, 2010

Curtis Cotton played for WNCC in 2005-06 and was attending Community College of Denver at the time of his car accident that claimed his life.

 

Ricky Gandy

June 7, 1978 -- Aug. 3, 2003

Ricky graduated from Hephzibah High in Georgia and played for the Cougars from 1996-98 before attending Western Carolina University.

 

Lamar Laroux

April 9, 1974 -- March 15, 1997

Lamar played for WNCC from 1993-94 and was currently playing at East Texas Baptist at the time of his death. He was just 22.

 

 

 

 

 

Women's Basketball

 

 

 

Rylee (Hanks) Downs

Sept. 5, 1994 -- Jan. 14, 2022

Rylee graduated from Crawford in 2013 and was a member of the women's basketball in the fall. She was a 3-sport athlete for the Rams.

 

 

 

 

 

Volleyball

 

 

 

Cassie (Vrooman) Keen

April 19, 1988 - July 21, 2019

Played at WNCC in 2006 & 2007

 

Andrea Null

March 2, 1970 - October 3, 2016

Played at WNCC in 1988

 

 

 

 

 

Men's Soccer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Women's Soccer

 

 

 

Brittany Scadlock

March 21, 1995 - March 11, 2015

Played at WNCC in 2013

 

 

 

 

 

Baseball

 

 

 

Greg Crowe

September 29, 1987 - June 4, 2023

Greg played for the Cougars as a pitcher during the 2006-07, and 2007-08 seasons, helping WNCC to a Region IX title. Greg died in Florida from a motorcycle accident.

 

Cesar David Castro

September 12, 1989 - March 22, 2015

Cesar played for the Cougars in 2010 and was taken from us from a motorcycle accident in Miami.

 

Giovanni Gonzalez

October 21, 1985 - June 16, 2009

Played baseball here in 2004-05

 

 

 

 

 

Softball

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Track and Field

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cross Country

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Football

 

 

 

Jerry Henderson

October 22, 1929 - August 24, 2023

Jerry was born in Scottsbluff in 1929 and was a Scottsbluff graduate in 1948. He was an all-conference athlete at Scottsbluff JC and played football at Nebraska.  

Tom Crokie

-- December 9, 2021

Tom played football for Scottsbluff Junior College in the 1960s and would teach in Gering and owned TC's Mini Market and Car Wash.

 

Dick "Night Train" Lane

April 16, 1927 - January 29, 2002

Played at SJC in 1947

 

 

 

 

 

Golf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tennis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheerleading/Dance Team

 

 

 

Nicole Ashleigh
(Harnish) Rakovec

March 1, 1992 -- June 24, 2023

Nicole was the daughter of women's basketball coach Dave Harnish and was a member of one
of the first Cougar dance groups in the early
2010s.
 

 

 

 

 

Athletic Staff

 

 

 
Mary Wuerst
Athletic Secretary
June 20, 1944 - April 2, 2023 Mary was the athletic secretary for the Cougars for over 20 years and was part of the athletic department in the 1990s.  

Loretta Uhrich
WBB assistant/Table Scorekeeper

Born around 1946 - September 7, 2020

 Loretta served many hats at WNCC from being a women's basketball assistant coach, helping man the basketball score table, and being a strong Cougar supporter during her 33 years at Western Nebraska Community College.

 

Pat Lee
Track coach and AD

March 17, 1933 -- May 7, 2018

Pat Lee was not only a teacher and administrator at the college, but also served as a track coach and athletic director.

 

Larry Janecek
Cougar Bus Driver

June 7, 1948 -- March 21, 2017

Larry was like family to WNCC serving as a dorm parent to many and was also the father figure when he drove bus for the athletic teams.

 

Wayne Schumacher
Women's Basketball Coach

March 18, 1940 -- April 26, 2015

Wayne taught English at WNCC but was also the first women's basketball coach and was also an assistant men's basketball coach.

 

Ron Brillhart
Men's Basketball Coach 

Sept. 30, 1936 - June 30, 2006

 

Coached WNCC from 1973-1983
and 2003-2006 and served as
Athletic Director

 

Gordon Harrach
Tennis, Golf Coach

March 15, 1941 -- January 15, 2003

Gordon served as the tennis and golf coach for the college in the 1980s and 1990s.

 

Bill Braunbeck
Scottsbluff J.C.
Men's Basketball Coach

May 25, 1941 - August 14, 1998

Bill Braubeck was the basketball coach for the Cougars from 1970 through the 1973 for three seasons.

 

Margaret Fitzmorris
Volleyball Coach 

Jan. 29, 1935 -- May 21, 1979 

Margaret was the first Cougar volleyball coach in the 1970s and served as the college's PE instructor.

 

Shelby Edwards
Men's Basketball Coach and
later Athletic Director

 -- January 30 , 1975

 
 

Shelby Edwards was the men's basketball coach from 1959 through 1970 and then became the college's athletic director