As night falls and the moon illuminates the sky, most settle in for a good night’s sleep, but the souls of the RMAC lay awake in a cold sweat. At night, the Mountain Lions come out to play.
UCCS is fortunate to host some of the most talented sports programs in the conference. With this much prowess on campus, there are athletes who excel at giving opposing players nightmares. Take a step into the den of the Mountain Lions and meet the UCCS most feared.
The Phantom: Kate Henderson
Our first stop takes us to trails where the runners roam free. The women’s cross-country team is so fast that you will be wondering if it’s them or a ghost you just saw run by in the distance.
For competitors, freshman Kate Henderson might as well be a phantom—out of their eyesight before they know it. Henderson placed seventh at the Lucian Rosa Invitational finishing the 6K in 21:35:8.
The Blur: Brett Davis
There have been reports of a mysterious figure roaming the roads and trails around UCCS. No one can capture any footage of their encounters, as whatever they see moves so fast that it’s gone before they can get their cameras out.
This can only be the work of The Blur. Junior Brett Davis is a consistently high finisher on the men’s cross-country team and a cornerstone of their success as one of the team’s captains.
Brett the Blur finished the Lucian Rosa Invitational with a time of 25:10.8 in the men’s 8K, placing him 23rd overall.
The cross-country conference will take place at North Monument Valley Park on Oct. 25. The women’s 6K starts at 9:30 a.m., followed by the men’s 8K at 10:15 a.m. If you’re lucky, you might be able to spot the Phantom and the Blur among the runners. They’re scary fast, so keep your eyes peeled.
The Graveyard Groundskeepers: Abby Stassi and Elise Broberg
The Graveyard Groundskeepers work as a duo, but instead of burying caskets in the ground, they bury goals in the back of the net.
The pair begins with sophomore defender Elise Broberg, who leads the RMAC in assists with six, meticulously dissecting the opposing defense and getting the ball to redshirt sophomore Abby Stassi.
It is up to Broberg to start digging the grave for the other team, but it is Stassi’s job to finish them off, something she is accustomed to as she currently leads the RMAC in goals with 10 to her name.
Together, The Graveyard Groundkeepers entomb the hope of success for opposing teams. UCCS currently has the most goals scored in the RMAC with 34.
The Vanguard: Hugo Sjoberg
The Vanguard lets nothing get past him. In charge of protecting the goal for men’s soccer, redshirt junior Hugo Sjoberg has been stellar at doing just that for UCCS.
Sjoberg leads the RMAC in shutouts with four, helping the Mountain Lions rank third in the conference for goals allowed.
The elite defense already causes opposing forwards to lose themselves when trying to enter UCCS’s half of the field. With The Vanguard in goal, forwards who can miraculously make it through the defense have their efforts suppressed by Sjoberg.
The Heartless: Nick Walker
As the minutes tick down during a game, there are few who are feared as much as The Heartless, senior forward Nick Walker, who leads the RMAC in game-winning goals with five.
The other teams in the RMAC can only watch in horror as Walker picks apart the heart of opposing defenses for last second goals. For opposing fans his methods seem brutal, but it’s Walker’s heroics that have helped men’s soccer sit atop the conference.
With The Heartless delivering heartbreak on a weekly basis, opposing fans can only hope that they’re not next. His goals surely replay in their nightmares.
The House: Nicole Martin
Opposing teams walk into Gallogly Events Center thinking they can win. Unfortunately for them, junior middle blocker Nicole Martin holds all the aces.
Martin leads the RMAC in service aces with 32, racking up points for the Mountain Lions before the opponent has a chance to respond. She’s stacking the deck against her opponents, ensuring that the house always wins.
By royally flushing the competition all night, Martin has helped the Mountain Lions defy expectations all season as they currently sit in first place in the RMAC despite the coaches’ poll predicting they wouldn’t make the RMAC Championship tournament.
If the House has taught us anything, it’s that no matter the odds, always bet on black and gold.
Fear the Mountain Lions
While the UCCS’ most feared have mastered the art of giving goosebumps to other players and coaches in the RMAC, they are talented individuals who are part of equally talented teams.
All fall sports at UCCS are among the best in the conference. Women’s cross-country is ranked eighth in the nation while men’s cross-country is ranked 13th. Women’s soccer is ranked 10th in the nation, men’s soccer is ranked 22nd in the nation and women’s volleyball leads the RMAC conference and has been receiving votes to be nationally ranked.
This means that no matter the sport, opposing teams dread seeing UCCS on their schedule.
Editor’s Note: The Scribe’s editor-in-chief Joseph Impellitteri is a member of the men’s cross-country team.
The Graveyard Groundskeeper, Elise Broberg. Photo courtesy of Gomountainlions.