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CCBC student athletes score big beyond the classroom

By CCBC Stories

August 25^th, 2023

When you think of community college, competitive sports teams may not come to mind, but that’s where CCBC is ahead of the game.

CCBC has a robust athletics program featuring 21 teams across its three campuses: CCBC Catonsville, CCBC Dundalk and CCBC Essex.

“Oftentimes, junior or community colleges are overlooked by our local high school students and students in general,” said Melissa Miller, director of College Athletics at CCBC. “We are a Division II program, and we offer athletic scholarships. We provide opportunities for student athletes to continue their careers one or two years after high school. Some people don’t even know that’s an option.”

In the past year, both the Essex Knights Men’s and Women’s Soccer teams made it to the national championships, and Essex men’s player Toga Katsuma was the first CCBC student athlete to be named the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II National Player of the Year.

Also making it to the nationals was the CCBC Essex Men’s Cross Country team and the CCBC Essex Women’s Basketball team, which had a record-setting 53-game winning streak from 2019 to 2022.

Freshman Keynaud Randolph of the CCBC Catonsville Cardinals Men’s Cross Country team also participated in the national championship. And last spring, CCBC Catonsville Baseball’s Angelo Ramirez was a Rawling’s Gold Glove winner and set a new school record for stolen bases.

According to Miller, the programs are so successful in part because of CCBC’s coaching staff, who are all part-time coaches who put in full-time effort.

“We have a phenomenal coaching staff, and I would put them up against the best in the country,” said Miller. “They can’t get enough credit for the service they provide in regard to student recruitment and investing in our student athletes’ overall growth. It’s invaluable.”

CCBC student athletes score big beyond the classroom

Spotlight on Toga Katsuma

Toga Katsuma, a soccer player from Shiga, Honshu, Japan, came to the United States with an offer to join the CCBC Essex Men’s Soccer team starting in the 2021 spring season.

“I think it was a great experience for me to be able to go from my first season to the national finals,” said Katsuma, who recently finished his third and final season with the team – each time making it to nationals.

Winning the NJCAA Division II National Player of the Year had always been one of his goals.

“This is a very prestigious award, and I think it will help me grow both as a person and as a soccer player,” he said.

Joe Fiedler, head coach for CCBC Essex Men's Soccer, could not think of a player more deserving.

“Toga puts his heart and soul into soccer,” said Fiedler, who has coached at CCBC since 2012. “He is extremely technical, and his work ethic is unbelievable. But the best part of Toga is that he is a really good, respectful young man off the field.”

Katsuma, a General Studies major at CCBC, is now weighing his future. He is considering four-year universities and wants to eventually play professional soccer in the U.S.

“CCBC has been very helpful in my career as an athlete,” said Katsuma. “Coach Fiedler told us the most important thing is to always respect our opponent, both off the pitch and on the pitch. I was very grateful to learn these things from my coach on a daily basis. I had the best experience with CCBC. These memories will last a lifetime.”