Two Knights Earn the First Region 20 Athlete of the Month Honors
Rosedale, Md. – CCBC Essex Knight’s men’s soccer midfielder, Toga Katsuma, and cross-country runner, Kevin Baranoski, were named NJCAA DII Region 20 Athlete of the Month for August and September.
Toga Katsuma, a second-year midfielder from Shiga, Honshu, Japan, led the team in points (38) in September, which is ranked fourth in the nation. Katsuma has scored fourteen goals and has ten assists, which is second on the team in each category. The Knight’s midfielder has three game winning goals, including two against DI Harford Community College and Montgomery College.
Katsuma is a game changer on the field with his ability to create opportunities and shots. He leads the team and is second in the nation with 30 shots on goal and has 47 total shots. He has also recorded points in 11 of 13 games played. Katsuma was named NJCAA DII Player of the Week on September 14th. During that week, Katsuma appeared in two games and had two goals, two assists, and a game winning goal in the Knights 2-1 win against Harford Community College on September 8th. Katsuma’s ability to make defenders miss and his quick speed contribute to his success on the field.
When asked about Katsuma, head coach Joe Feidler said, “he is a really good player and we are lucky to have him.” Katsuma is the centerpiece of the Knights attack and is having a standout year for the Knights so far. With four regular season matchups left, Katsuma looks to lead the Knights at a run towards a National Championship.
Kevin Baranoski is a first-year cross country runner from Fallston, Md. Baranoski finished first in the first two meets of the year. He finished first in the Dickinson 5K with a time of 15:15 and beat the CCBC Essex school record by almost 2 ½ minutes. Baranoski helped lead the Knights to a third-place team finish at the Dickinson Light Up the Night Invitational.
Baranoski finished first out of 237 runners in the Lebanon Valley 8K with a time of 25:17, beating the CCBC Essex school record by over 90 seconds. Barnoski was the only JUCO competitor in the Loch Haven Invitational 8K and finished ninth out of 290 competitors. He once again beat the school record that he previously set by over 30 seconds as the only JUCO runner competing. Baranoski finished 23rd out of 533 runners in the Paul Short Run men’s open division 8K, once again as the only JUCO runner competing, with a time of 24:36, setting a new personal record and beating his own record by another 10 seconds.
Baranoski was recognized as NJCAA Cross Country DII Men’s Runner of the Week after his dominant performance in the Loch Haven Invitational. He was also recognized and named USTFCCCA M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week for the NJCAA DII Men’s Runners after his strong outing at the Paul Short Run. Baranoski looks to continue breaking more records, ultimately earning a spot at Nationals in Tallahassee, Fla.