Four coaches eclipse career milestones
Alex Louis, Sonny Lewis, Cliff Hastings, and Michael Pantalione all notch monumental wins
Colorado Springs, CO – A busy weekend in NJCAA athletics was highlighted by four major coaching milestones. Men’s soccer coaches Michael Pantalione of Yavapai College (AZ) and Alex Louis of Union County (NJ) joined volleyball coaches Sonny Lewis of Owens (OH) and Parkland's (IL) Cliff Hastings with monumental victories.
Pantalione, the only coach the Roughrider program has known, guided Yavapai to an 8-0 victory over Mesa (AZ) on Saturday for his 600th career victory at the DI school. The Roughriders, currently ranked No. 3 in the latest NJCAA DI rankings with an 8-0-2 record, began their program in 1989 with Pantalione as the head coach. Under Pantalione’s tutelage, Yavapai has won seven NJCAA championships in 20 national tournament appearances.
In his 21st season at the helm of Union County, Louis notched his 300th career win with a 7-1 victory over Cumberland County (NJ) on Saturday. The DIII program is currently on a five-match win streak and boasts a 5-1-1 record. During his tenure, Louis has reached two NJCAA national championship games that includes the 2009 national title and a NJCAA Coach of the Year honor. Louis has guided 22 NJCAA All-Americans during his time at Union.
On the hardwoods, Lewis earned his 600th career victory for the Express with a 3-0 sweep at Hocking (OH) on Saturday. One of the premier DII programs in the nation each year, Lewis and the No. 2 ranked Express have not dropped a set in 2017 for a 15-0 record. During his 17 years at Owens, Lewis has posted a .760 winning percentage (600-189).
Hastings recorded his 400th career victory at Parkland in just nine seasons as head coach after the Cobras defeated Greenville JV on Friday. With Hastings at the wheel, Parkland is the two-time defending NJCAA DII volleyball champions. The Cobras finished second at the national tournament in both 2013 and 2014 before winning the last two titles. Hastings has helped extend the Cobras current winning streak to 39 matches as the No. 1 ranked team is 20-0 on the year.
