The Jefferson College women’s soccer team tied Lincoln Trail 0-0, but head coach Luke Schlichting said the Vikings controlled the game.
“We hit the post two or three times. We missed a couple of scoring chances. The tie felt like a loss, which is a good problem to have.”
The JC women’s team competes in Division II and last year they had a record of 5-7-3. Unlike the men’s roster, the majority of players on the Viking women’s team are from Missouri.
Sophomores Erica Evans (wing) and Ellie Fiala (center-mid) were teammates at Seckman before playing at JC.
“We have a great connection on the field,” Fiala said. “We didn’t plan ending up together. The (college) level is higher and that’s helped me become a stronger and physical player. I’m a playmaker.”
Evans wants to be one of the team’s top goal scorers. Because they’ve played together for years, Evans and Fiala have natural chemistry on the field. Both live on campus.
“Oh my. I could say so many things about her,” Evans said. “She always knows where I am on the wing.”
Neither have decided where they’re attending college next, although Evans said she’s thinking about going to Missouri State University in Springfield.
One of the top recruits joining the Vikings this year is freshman back Caroline Gremaud, who was a Class 2 first team all-state selection for Perryville this spring. Gremaud will be in the backfield with former Pirate teammate Cloey Richardet, a sophomore.
“We expect her to play right away. Her athleticism and skill on the ball will be really good.
“Cloey was really good for us last year. She can play forward, in the back. We use her in many different positions. She’s strong and fast.”
Schlichting said the offense this year has to be a team effort. Freshmen Amelia Bedford (England) and Lucy Moore (St. Clair) are expected to chip in.
“We’ll be better if we have six or seven players with four or five goals.”
Sophomores Emma Angeles (Mehlville) and Addison Collins return to give stability to the backfield. Schlichting said he’s seen good things in the midfield from Clemence Raoult (France).
Sophomore goalie Emily Hemingway (Pacific) is the starter.
“She was a big part of keeping the clean sheet in the preseason game. Anything low she gets to really well. She’s good with the ball at her feet. She played on the field for Pacific.”
The Vikings open the season with their first five games at home, including the opener Aug. 22 against Wabash College from Crawfordsville, Ind.
Vikings building cross counry teams with local talent
Jefferson College’s campus in
Hillsboro is in the state’s premier hotbed for high school cross country teams and runners.
Chris Sandefur’s job as head coach of the Viking men’s and women’s cross country teams is to try and siphon off as much of that talent as possible. About 40 miles south down Hwy. 67 in Park Hills, Mineral Area College is a prime contender for Jefferson County runners. The MAC women are the defending Division III national champions. De Soto graduate (2024) Jailey Pigg was one of the Cardinals top runners.
A Pacific graduate, this is Sandefur’s 15th year as a cross country coach, with previous stops at Webster University, Maryville University and Johnson and Wales University in Denver, Colo. He graduated from Lindenwood University with a degree in physical education and was a 10-time national qualifier in cross country and track and field.
MAC is coached by Steve Davis. His son, Kyle, is the head coach at Herculaneum High. The Blackcats (24 combined state championships) are one of the most successful cross country programs in the state. The Festus girls are the defending Class 4 state champion, while the Tiger boys will contend for their 12th under Bryant Wright since 2009.
This is the third year JC has had a cross country program. The Vikings have claimed two national trophies and six All-Americans.
“Most of our athletes come from Jefferson County and Franklin County,” Sandefur said.
For his part, Sandefur put together men’s and women’s rosters for the 2024 season with the bulk of runners from the county. Crystal City grad (2023) Lauren Hartman holds the JC record in 3.1-miles (5K) in 20:26, while Seckman grad (2022) Dylan Glastetter holds the Viking 8K record in 28:08. An All-American last year, Hartman was a two-time state medalist for the Hornets and Glastetter was a two-time state qualifier for the Jaguars. Both were sophomores at JC last year.
“Of the 12 men on the roster, nine are new runners,” Sandefur said. “We have a strong recruiting class. The goal is to build off the success the women have had the last two years.
“I’m excited to give that opportunity to local kids.”
Sophomores Kali Walker and Carter Herrin are returners. Walker (Hillsboro) was the sixth runner on the women’s team and Herrin (Northwest) was No. 2 on the men’s team last year. Walker’s father is CB Walker, the head coach for the JC men’s and women’s basketball teams.
“Kali took two minutes off her high school time as a freshman and was our Nos. 5-6 runner last year,” Sandefur said. “She’s really dedicated to her running.”
Two freshmen from the Jefferson County Activities Association now running at JC are Sophia Mullins (De Soto) and Katelyn Terrell (Grandview). Terrell won a Class 2 state medal at Gans Creek in Columbia for the Eagles last November.
The Viking women were third in the nationals last season, and in 2023, the first year of the program, they were runner-up. They finished ahead of MAC at regionals and nationals.
Sophomore Kameron Terry (Seckman) turned in his best performance last year at nationals. Sophomore Parker Whaley (Sullivan) is expected to be in the JC top seven.
Last year nationals were in Richmond, Va., this year they’re at Fort Dodge, Iowa. JC will host the men’s and women’s Regional 16 meet at Larry G. Crites Memorial Park on Oct. 24. Both Viking teams start the season Aug. 29 at Buder Park in Valley Park. The meet is being hosted by Webster University.
Men's team won regional title last year
In a classic case of it’s not how you start but how you finish, the Jefferson College men’s soccer team lost all eight games last September but rallied in November to win the Region 16 championship and advance to the NJCAA Division I District Tournament.
After beating Crowder College 3-2 in double overtime to win the regional title, the Vikings’ season came to an end in Park Hills with a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Barton (Kan.) Community College in districts. Iowa Western (Iowa) finished 22-0-2 and won its third national championship with a 2-1 PK victory over Cowley (Kan.). Jefferson College’s final record was 3-11-5.
This is Perryville native Luke Schlicting’s third season as head coach for the men and women at JC. The Vikings traveled to Robinson, Ill. on Aug. 8 and tied Lincoln Trail CC 1-1 in the first of four preseason games. JC hosts Marshalltown (Iowa) in the season opener Aug. 22, the first of four homes in a row to start the new campaign.
“We’ve got a great mix of local guys, and an international mix,” Schlichting said. “Everybody is getting along well.”
“Against (Lincoln Trail), I thought we were the better team and created more chances.”
With the heat index, temperatures climbed to over 100 degrees. With a combined seven preseason and regular season games in August, the Vikings will get acclimated to the heat.
“Lots of hydrating,” Schlichting said of a remedy to stay in the game. “Especially the international guys, it’s a big adjustment for them. My philosophy is the more you’re out in it, the better you’ll play in it.”
JUCO rosters are continuously shape-shifting as players leave after two years or one if they move on to a four-year school. This year’s JC roster includes five players from Oakville, which is annually a strong team in the Suburban Conference, a player each from Farmington, St. Francis Borgia and Schlichting’s alma mater in Perryville, and a bevy of international players from five continents and Central America.
“The starting lineup is completely wide open,” Schlichting said. “To say we have a starting lineup set, we don’t. We have a deep roster.”
Sophomore defenders Luke Schmidt (Oakville), Parker Medina (Oakville) and Logan Kiepe (Farmington) and sophomore forward Tyler Cromer (Borgia) return from last year’s team.
“They bring in a lot of understanding about how the American sports system works and how to treat your body,” Schlichting said.
From Venezuela, sophomore forward Wilfredo Briceno notched five goals and five assists last year and is expected to be one of the leading scorers again.
“This year we expect him to perform much better. We expect him to score 10-15 goals,” Schlichting said.
International soccer isn’t the same as American soccer.
“A lot of American guys are strong and their bodies are accustomed to playing several games a week and we have very good technical players. The international guys have technicality, speed, knowledge of the game. Sometimes before they get here, they’ve been playing with adults and that helps from a knowledge standpoint.”
The Vikings will deploy a middle striker and two wings, unless the opponent dictates a different formation. Schlichting said the midfielders – freshman center midfielders Daniel Penaranda (Costa Rica), Jacob Flood Norton (Ireland), Taran Garcia (Australia) and Oscar Jenkins (England) – are an amazing group.
“All are very good at different things.”
In the backfield are returners Santiago Masis (Costa Rica) and Josef Piskac (Germany).
“Brand new” Julian Sanchez (Bolivia) and Dario Kostek (Oakville) are splitting time in goal. Kostec had four combined shutouts and an 0.85 goals-against average for the Tigers in 2024.
“The minimum expectation is to win the region every year,” Schlicting said.