CCCC

Cloud County Community College’s 2025 homecoming queen and king will be crowned on Saturday, Feb. 1, between the men’s and women’s basketball games against Fort Hays Tech Northwest.

Students will be casting their votes throughout the week to select the winners.

On Saturday, the Thunderbirds will play host to Fort Hays Tech Northwest in Arley Bryant Gymnasium. The women will tip off at 2 p.m. The crowning of the king and queen will take place prior to the start of the men’s game at 4 p.m.

Queen candidates are: Maëva Cure, Black River, Mauritius; Stephanie Whitney, Almena; Ashley Suter, Strafford, Mo.; Cami Anderson, Concordia; and Paige McWhorter, Concordia.

King candidates are: Daniel Vines, Concordia; Mac Chambers, Salina; Matthew Garber, Sabetha; David Simmons, Atlanta, Ga.; and J’marie Bobo, Chicago, Ill.

During halftime of the men’s game, four members will be inducted into the Cloud County Athletics Hall of Fame – Darcie Schmitz (Riordan), track and field; Zach Ferris, wrestling; Steve Schroeder, Athletic Trainer; and Rajindra Campbell, track and field.

Darcie Schmitz

Schmitz, a native of Baileyville, Kan., competed at Cloud County from 2006-2008 and became an NJCAA All-America performer and junior college Academic All-America selection. Schmitz played volleyball and competed in long jump and triple jump for the T-Bird track and field teams, establishing school records in both the indoor and outdoor long jump. Schmitz was a four-time Region 6/Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference champion in the long jump, and was a five-time NJCAA Track and Field All-American.

In 2007, Schmitz qualified for the USA U-20 Outdoor Track and Field Championships organized by USA Track & Field, reaching the finals in long jump.

After her time at Cloud, Schmitz transferred to Fort Hays State University, becoming a seven-time All-American (four outdoor, three indoor). She was the 2010 NCAA Division II Indoor National Champion in the long jump and was national runner-up in the triple jump that same season. Schmitz still owns both the indoor and outdoor records in long jump and triple jump at Fort Hays State, and was inducted into the FHSU Tiger Sports Hall of Fame in October 2024. 

Zach Ferris
Ferris, originally from Chapman, Kan., competed at Cloud County from 2020-2022, becoming the school’s first two-time wrestling All-American. Ferris went undefeated during his freshman season on his way to winning the 2021 NJCAA national championship at 197 lbs. The following year, Ferris finished third at 197 lbs. at the NJCAA National Championships. During his two years as a T-Bird, Ferris posted an overall record of 40-6 and established school records for national tournament wins (nine) and career win percentage (.869), while finishing tied for second place in career pins.

A 4.0 student, Ferris was named the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) College Division Academic All-American Team Member of the Year in 2022, and was one of seven student-athletes to be named to the CoSIDA College Division Academic All-America Team.

Following his time at Cloud County, Ferris transferred to New Mexico Highlands University, an NCAA Division II institution in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Ferris was named First-Team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference at 197 lbs., after posting a 13-6 record during his senior season. Ferris was named RMAC Wrestler of the Week on February 13, 2024. Ferris also earned All-Academic First-Team honors this past spring.

Steve Schroeder
Schroeder has been the Head Athletic Trainer at Cloud County since 1994, overseeing the health and care of athletes in 10 varsity sports. The longest-serving athletic trainer in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference, Schroeder is a Board of Certification (BOC) certified trainer through the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA). Schroeder has provided care for thousands of athletes, including multiple national championship teams at Cloud County. A particularly meaningful highlight of his career was providing care for his daughter, Laken Schroeder, during her time as a member of the T-Birds volleyball team.

In addition to his athletic training responsibilities, Schroeder teaches courses at Cloud County on the care and prevention of athletic injuries. Over the course of his career, Schroeder has mentored and trained more than 300 student athletic trainers, many of whom have gone on to notable careers, including roles such as Senior Associate Director of Athletics at Illinois, Head Athletic Trainer for Men’s Basketball at Kansas State, as well as doctors, chiropractors, nurses, and coaches.

Schroeder has twice earned the distinction as Kansas Jayhawk Conference West Athletic Trainer of the Year. Schroeder has served as the host athletic trainer for various conference championships throughout his tenure, and has been the athletic trainer for the annual eight-man all-star football games in Beloit, Kansas for 30 years.

Rajindra Campbell
Campbell, originally from St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica, competed at Cloud County from 2015-2017. During his two years as a T-Bird, Campbell established school records in the discus, as well as in both indoor and outdoor shot put. Campbell was named the 2017 Men’s Field Athlete of the Meet at that year’s Indoor Region 6/Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference West Championships in Pittsburg, Kansas, posting a then-school-record setting performance in the shot put with a throw of 17.50-meters (57 ft. 5 in.).

Campbell later went on to compete for the Missouri Southern State University Lions. While in Joplin, Campbell earned All-American honors in the shot put at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2019. Campbell set that program’s shot put records for both indoor (20.07-meters) and outdoor seasons (19.99-meters), and holds the second best discus throw (58.73-meters) in Missouri Southern history.

This past summer, Campbell, representing his home country of Jamaica, became the first former T-Bird to receive an Olympic medal, winning bronze in the men’s shot put in the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, France. Campbell, making his Olympics debut, recorded a massive second round throw of 22.15-meters to win the bronze medal. In doing so, Campbell became the first Jamaican man to win an Olympic medal in a throwing event.

Due to a scheduling conflict, the induction ceremony for Campbell took place Saturday, January 11, 2025.