By Matt Browning

Excelling individually and as a member of their respective teams, Cowley College men’s soccer player Yuki Nakamura and women’s tennis player Arina Babenko were recently named the school’s athletes of the month.

Nakamura is a team captain for the Tiger men’s soccer team that is competing at the NJCAA Division I Soccer National Championships held at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, KS. He has helped the Tiger soccer team to a District title and a record of 16-5 while starting every game in the midfield.

Nakamura is a liberal arts major. The sophomore from Kanagawa, Japan, has a grade point average of 3.73.

Babenko has continued her dominance on the tennis court in year two at the school. As a freshman she captured the No. 2 singles title and teamed with Ntokzo Zungu to finish as the national runner-up at No. 2 doubles.

Her stellar play helped the Lady Tiger tennis team finish as the national runner-up at the NJCAA Division I Women’s Tennis National Championships held in Tyler, TX.

Now, as a sophomore at Cowley College, Babenko recently won another national title in singles and doubles at the ITA CUP played in Rome, GA.

The sports management/sports administration major has a grade point average of 3.34.