Triton College Celebrates NJCAA Day by Honoring Athletic Legacies, Inspiring Future Stars

RIVER GROVE, Ill. – Triton College will join institutions nationwide in celebrating the ninth annual NJCAA Day on Thursday, Oct. 16. This year’s theme, "Empower the Future: Building Legacies," encourages prospective student-athletes to consider the two-year route of community colleges and carve their own paths, while also honoring the legacies built by former and current NJCAA student-athletes.

Athletics are an important part of student life at Triton College. Whether on the field or in the classroom, Triton provides its student-athletes with opportunities to pursue their dreams and build a path toward a promising future.

As Triton looks ahead to empowering the next generation of athletes, it also honors the impact of its former student-athletes who helped shape the legacy of Trojan athletics.

One of Triton’s most notable alumni is National Baseball Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett, celebrated for his 12-year career with the Minnesota Twins. Puckett was a 10-time All-Star, a six-time Gold Glove Award winner and a two-time World Series champion. Before reaching Major League Baseball, he starred at Triton, earning NJCAA Player of the Year and first-team NJCAA All-American honors in 1982.

That same season, Puckett played alongside Lance Johnson, another standout Triton College alum who went on to a successful major league career with both the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs.

Once teammates, the two later found themselves in opposing dugouts on baseball’s biggest stage—the 1987 World Series–when the Twins, led by Puckett, defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.

Click here for a list on other Trojans who went on to careers in professional baseball.

Triton athletes continue to make an impact on the national stage. The Division I men’s basketball team is coming off a strong season, winning the Region 4 championship and maintaining a top 10 national ranking for most of the year. The Trojans also earned a national runner-up finish in the 2024 NJCAA Division I tournament.

In track and field, Triton athlete Ava Connerty made school history this past spring when she won a national title in the 100-meter hurdles at the NJCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Connerty, an in-district product out of Riverside-Brookfield High School, became the first women’s track athlete from Triton to win an individual national title.

Triton College currently fields 11 intercollegiate sports teams:

• Men’s sports: soccer, basketball, wrestling, baseball and track
• Women’s sports: soccer, volleyball, basketball, softball, track and flag football

Looking ahead, Triton is proud to be one of the first colleges in the Chicago area to offer women’s flag football, beginning in spring 2026.

Triton College is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and competes independently within Region 4, which includes NJCAA institutions in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.

Come out and support the Triton Women’s Volleyball team as the Trojans host Morton College on NJCAA Day, Oct. 16, at 6 p.m. at the Jorndt Athletic Complex Gymnasium in River Grove.

For more information on Trojan Athletics, visit tritonathletics.com

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Media Contacts:
Melissa Ramirez Cooper | melissacooper@triton.edu | 708-456-0300, Ext. 3496
Hunter Oberst | hunteroberst@triton.edu | 708-456-0300, Ext. 3820

ABOUT TRITON COLLEGE
Triton College is an institution of higher education dedicated to student success. Triton offers more than 120 degree and certificate programs designed for students to realize their career aspirations and effectively compete in a global economy. The college campus spans 110 acres in River Grove, Illinois, holds classes at satellite locations and offers online learning opportunities. Triton’s exemplary faculty and staff work to provide high-quality, convenient and affordable educational opportunities to more than 10,000 students each year. Triton College is a member of The Community Colleges of Illinois and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Learn more at triton.edu.