GRINNELL COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Big Weekend for Pioneer Athletics

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Big Weekend for Pioneer Athletics

Tomorrow marks the last day of classes for the semester, but it is also the start of a big weekend for Pioneer Athletcs.

The men's tennis team will be traveling to LaCrosse, WI to face Coe College in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. The men's team is in the middle of one of the more dominating streaks of any team in any sport in the Midwest Conference, having won the team title for twelve consecutive years! Good luck to coach Andy Hamilton and the Pioneers as they take on Coe.

Ed Hardman is too fast for the focus!

The men's and women's track teams will travel to Ripon, WI for the Midwest Conference Outdoor meet. The men finished in fifth place at the Indoor Championship meet in late February, while the women finished sixth. Nate Kolacia and Eloise Miller were both named Outstanding Performers of the Meet, Kolacia due in part to victories in the mile and the 3K and Miller for victories in the long jump and triple jump. Kolacia will attempt the difficult triple of the 800, 1500, and 5K this weekend, while Miller looks to defend her crowns in both jumps. She will also be running the 400 and the 4x400. Pioneer footballers Ed Hardman, JB Braun, and John Mertes will join with Dixon Romeo in both the 4x100 and the 4x400 relays this weekend.

JB always looking smooth

Finally, the baseball team will stay in Grinnell, hosting the Midwest Conference tournament. It was announced this morning that Ian Sales was the Southern Division Pitcher of the Year while Matt Hammond was the Hitter of the Year. Tim Hollibaugh, who moonlights as the defensive line coach for us, was named Southern Division Coach of the Year for the fifth time in the past six seasons. Graham Fisher, who was the first-team all-conference punter this past fall has matched that with a nod as the first-team all-conference designated hitter. The Pioneers will face St. Norbert in the opening round Friday.

Fisher shows the concentration that led to a .377 average, with 7 homers and 31 rbi

Good luck to all the Pioneers this weekend! #GCPride

The Honor G

The Honor G, the official emblem of Grinnell College athletics, was first used at the Iowa state track championship in 1892. Designed by Earnest "Skip" Atherton, class of 1895, the original Honor G consisted of a scarlet maltese cross with a black "I and "C" (for Iowa College) superimposed on the cross. Two years later in 1894, the "I" and "C" were replaced by a black gothic "G", and the modern day Honor G was born. The gothic "G", which was also used on letter sweaters and is now used on letter jackets, was replaced by an Old English "G" in the mid-1930's. After some protest, it was quickly changed back to the gothic "G", and it has remained unchanged since that time.