Lewis and Clark Community College Soccer Coach Tim Rooney watches the Trailblazers defeat Lincoln Land College 6-0. (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Land Community College)

Lewis and Clark Community College Soccer Coach Tim Rooney led the Trailblazers to a 6-0 victory Thursday, Aug. 31, over Lincoln Land Community College, marking his 400th win with the men’s team.

“We really played well, moved the ball well and scored some very nice goals,” Rooney said. “This whole thing is due to the strength of the players who have helped get me to this point. Without the players, there is no win No. 400.”

Rooney reached this milestone with the women’s team last season, when they defeated Lincoln 9-0 in the first round of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 24 playoffs.

To date, his record with the men’s team stands at 400-222-31, and his record with the women’s team is 404-98-22.

“To get 400 wins means that Tim Rooney has been at the top of his field for a long, long time,” L&C Athletic Director Doug Stotler said. “His success has been sustained since the 1980s and he is undoubtedly one of the very best NJCAA soccer coaches of all time.”

With this milestone also comes the announcement of his retirement at the end of this season. Rooney has been with the college since 1986, when he began coaching the men’s team. He started the women’s soccer program in 1993.

Rooney and the Trailblazers women’s soccer team have earned two NJCAA Division I Championships – in 1999 and 2008 – and both the men’s and women’s teams competed at Nationals as recently as 2015. Rooney was named NJCAA Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2008, and in 2015 earned Coach of the Year accolades again, at the district level for the men and at the regional level for the women. Rooney set the NJCAA all-time women’s soccer winning record back in 2012, when he hit No. 331.

Known as a players’ coach, Rooney was inducted into the St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame in 2009. He worked as an assistant coach for the St. Louis Steamers in the 1980s, under Coach Pat McBride and Coach Al Trost, who are also in the Hall of Fame.

Rooney’s coaching career includes stints with a number of club teams, including Scott Gallagher, J.B. Marine, Busch S.C. and Norco. He was also an assistant coach at the University of Missouri – St. Louis and at Florissant Valley Community College, where he played collegiate soccer.

Werts Welding helps driver training program

Werts Welding and Tank Service, Inc., of Wood River, is enhancing Lewis and Clark Community College’s Truck Driver Training program through the recent donation of a tank trailer.

“The trailer extends the capabilities of our current program to provide unique training and experience in a trucking segment that requires specialized skills in hauling liquid materials,” said Harry Nelson, L&C Truck Driver Training program coordinator.

The 1989 Heil 9,200-gallon tank trailer was once a Casey’s General Store tank truck with four compartments to transport gasoline and diesel, said Dwight Werts, president and CEO of Werts Welding and a member of the L&C Board of Trustees. It is valued at $18,000.

“Werts Welding and Tank Service is in constant communication with the trucking industry, which is facing a critical shortage of qualified professional drivers,” Werts said. “Werts Welding and Tank Services has always been a big supporter of this program. This donation is our way of assuring Lewis and Clark has the equipment needed to help the entire industry in our region.”

L&C’s Truck Driver Training program prepares individuals with little or no commercial driving experience for a career in tractor-trailer driving.

Students receive classroom instruction about Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations and Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) requirements to enable them to obtain their CDL learner’s permit. Additional classroom instruction, in conjunction with behind-the-wheel driving experience, provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to take the Illinois Secretary of State-administered CDL Class A road test.

“The donation of the tank trailer will better prepare our students for careers in this competitive field,” said L&C Dean of Career Programs Sue Czerwinski. “We appreciate Werts Welding and their contribution tremendously.”

—- Lewis and Clark College soccer coach Rooney gets 400th career win  —-