Two MCC Graduates Named Athletes of Year

The McHenry County College Athletics Department announces that two former student athletes were recognized as NJCAA Academic Athletes of the Year for having achieved over a 3.60 grade point average for the 2010-2011 academic year.

Award winners include: women’s tennis player Katie Anklam of Crystal Lake and men’s soccer player Miguel Aaron Solis of Harvard.

Anklam graduated from MCC in May with an associate in science degree. In addition to playing two seasons for the women’s tennis team at MCC, she was a member of the Honors Program and Phi Theta Kappa honor society, where she served on the executive board. She transferred to Colorado State University this fall to pursue a bachelor’s degree in biology. She plans to become a veterinarian.

Anklam won the Illinois Skyway Conference Title for two years in a row and in 2010, she went into the Regional Tournament finals undefeated for the year. She was defeated at regionals, but finished the year at 12-1. In two years, she earned a 26-3 record at singles. At doubles, with her partner, she was 4-8 in 2009 and 8-2 in 2010 for a 12-10 overall doubles mark.

She is a graduate of Crystal Lake South High School. This past summer, she participated in planning an anti-bullying conference with Principled Minds, a non-profit organization based in Woodstock.

Solis graduated in May with an Associate in Science degree in chemistry. He is the first person in his family to graduate from college and he transferred to Western Illinois University in Macomb in the fall. He plans to major in forensic chemistry and minor in theatre. His career goal is to work with the Drug Enforcement Administration as a chemist, specializing in toxicology.

While at MCC, he played on the MCC Men’s Soccer team for two years and served as Student Orientation leader for 2010 summer semester. He was selected as student speaker for the May 2011 commencement ceremony. He participated in many student organizations and activities, including a member of Student Senate and a representative of the Future Engineers and Scientists Society (FESS). He was a member of Phi Theta Kappa honor society.

He is a graduate of Harvard High School. This past summer, he worked as a student receptionist in the MCC Advising & Transfer Center.