Calling the completion of a semester of collegiate athletics in the middle of a global pandemic 'challenging' may be the understatement of the century, but that is exactly what the administration, coaches and student-athletes at Manhattan Christian College would call it. 

"We ended up executing more than 75 schedule changes for this semester alone between last spring when the schedules were completed and the last Men's Basketball game of the semester on November 30th," stated Director of Athletics, Jordan Strom. 

Along with those 75 plus schedule changes came cancellations, delays and new opponents within hours of a scheduled game time. Several Thunder student-athletes and coaches spent time in isolation and quarantine for extended periods of time. At the end of the semester, 4 out of the 5 sponsored varsity sports saw action this fall with all fall sports completing their seasons, albeit in an uncoventional fashion. 

The women's soccer team entered the fall looking to improve on a 1-10 record from the 2019 campaign, a year in which first year Head Coach, Anya Maltseva, would accept the job without any chance to recruit. Going into the 2020 season, the women's soccer team boasted a roster of 19 - a major accomplishment in and of itself. These numbers came with talent from all over the region and a distinct optimism for what could come. The start of the season came with hiccups as the entire team entered a quarantine period before they even took the pitch. To top it off, they would play host to the 2019 national runners-up, Grace Christian University, right off the bat and only 2 days after exiting quarantine. The team would show promise as they battled tough throughout their season. The loan win of the year came on the road in Arlington, Tx as the ladies would knock off the Patriots of Arlington Baptist University 3-1. This victory would be enough to earn the team the #3 seed at the region tournament. While the results didn't play out the way the team wanted, there was a definite and visible level of improvement on the pitch this season. 

On the men's side of the field, the Thunder entered the 2020 season after qualifying for the 2019 NCCAA national tournament as an at-large selection and #6 seed and looking for more in the new campaign. MCC would have to wait to start their season until the middle of September as cancellations were the theme of the early going. In the conference, the Thunder would be one of only two teams that would finish the season and one of only 3 teams that would finish the season in the NCCAA SW Region. The team was able to be historically dominant against NCCAA DII opponents as they would opent the year 8-0 while allowing only TWO goals during that stretch. The Thunder won their only conference tournament game against Faith Baptist Bible College at home, claiming the 2020 conference tournament championship and moving into the Southwest region tournament as the #1 overall seed where they would match-up with the #2 seeded Saints of Randall University. The Thunder would drop that contest 4-1 and be selected as an at-large selection to the NCCAA national tournament where Randall was ultimately crowned champion. MCC would be unable to attend the tournament due to quarantines and isolations within the team. 

The 2020 volleyball season is one that will always be remembered for challenges accepted and challenges beaten. Through the summer, one of the bigger conversations had by coaches and administrators was how to have a home volleyball season indoors with public health restrictions within the county. The application and approval of permits for hosting the matches on campus with limited occupancy proved to be only the beginning of scheduling changes and adjustments for this team. The annual Thunder Invitational classic was cancelled at the end of August as teams waited for national association rulings on sport championships. MCC would lose 3 other early season contests that would allow the ladies to make changes and adjustments before conference and region play and opened up the year on the road at region opponent, Kansas Christian College. The Thunder would win that match 3-1 and roll through NCCAA DII play on the way to a perfect record, conference title and region tournament #1 seed. Coach Sanders would earn her 350th career victory over NAIA opponent, York College, and the ladies would earn an at-large bid to the NCCAA national tournament. While they were unable to play at nationals due to isolations and quarantines within the team, the ladies would finish the year with a 16-3 record and a 10-1 record at home. 

"We really are thankful to be able to get through the fall sport seasons, even if they were shorter or different than any of us really would have expected," commented Strom. "These student-athletes and coaches did everything in their power to keep pushing forward in a safe way and I couldn't be more proud. Our students are second to none and they deserved the opportunities they had to compete and play the sports they love. I can't wait to see what they do in, what we hope, will be a more normal 2021 season."