Andrew Clark's Summer Job!

Soon-to-be senior cornerback, Andrew Clark '14, is working for Koch Industries in Wichita, Kansas this summer as a intern in the software development department.  This is just one example of some of the unique and life-changing opportunities presented to Grinnell football players every summer.  Stay tuned for more stories like this one!

I have the opportunity to intern with Koch Industries in Wichita, KS this summer.  For those of you wondering, Koch is a privately held business with a focus on energies.  Their big money maker lies in the oil industry, with large refineries in Minnesota and Texas.  My role is to work as a software developer for one of Koch’s subsidiaries, Flint Hills Resources (FHR).

                Throughout the summer, myself and 4 other software developer interns have been and will continue to work on improving existing applications that the customers of FHR use.  Our focus is on making the process of correcting orders much simpler.  As of right now, customers have to go through a lengthy process with multiple screens in an effort to correct an order.  The goal of our project is to condense everything down into one screen, leaving logic and processes to be done by our code.  I’ll spare you the technical details…

                This internship has been a great learning experience so far.  I have been exposed to many programs I did not know existed, and then proceeded to gain extensive skills in those programs in very little amount of time.  Work just seems more interesting when I am doing something that will eventually impact people and make a difference.  My mentors encourage innovation, and challenge us to even “break stuff” to create new solutions.  Let’s just say that we have been great at breaking stuff this summer (but we have also made a lot of progress).

                So far, I am enjoying my time here in Wichita.  I have been making new friends and connecting with old ones (shout out to Brian Taylor).  I have been improving my programming skills and gaining skills in the real world.  I can definitely see myself doing this type of work in the near future, hopefully again for Koch Industries with FHR. 

New Jerseys!

Techfit jerseys are in! Momo Quinn @MattMedrano58 @grantkoch and Drove @SamPoulos1 jersey better be this white in Nov pic.twitter.com/YbTthown2j
— Jeff Pedersen (@GCCoachP) June 26, 2013

Three Pioneers Make Dean's List!

Three Pioneer Football players made the 2013 Spring Semester Dean's List, Colton Feller '14, Seth Gustafson '14 and new Pioneer Football player, Greg Ruzich '16.  Making the Dean's List requires a GPA of 3.75 or better within the semester while taking a full 16-credit course load.

Congrats guys!

Also, the entire Pioneer Football team pulled a 3.10 GPA for the semester helping raise the cumulative team GPA to 3.08, the highest since 2008.  Further proof that smart kids do play football!

Grinnell Food in The New York Times

Those of us that know the town of Grinnell, know that despite it's relative small size, the variety and quality of local restaurants is top notch.  Now the whole country knows, thanks to a spotlight on one of Grinnell's newest and best spots, the Prairie Canary, in The New York Times!

James Kopeck for the NYT

“We needed to have something for everyone,” from meat-and-potatoes to more adventurous dishes, said Ms. Groben, 31. She grew up near Grinnell (population, about 9,200) and made a splash with her previous two restaurants, about 55 miles west in Des Moines. “Grinnell is a really unique town because it does have the college, so there are people living here from different parts of the country, even the world,” she said. “We also have our more rural or farming community, people who have lived in Grinnell for generations.”

Check out the Prairie Canary's website as well!

Coach Pedersen in Chicago

Pizza with a few Pioneers form Chicagoland (Ed, Quinn, Aamir, Barrett, Cedric, Poulos). Dang Ed, lookin good! pic.twitter.com/TWJIlIftVq
— Jeff Pedersen (@GCCoachP) June 17, 2013

Founders' Day!

Tomorrow, Monday June 10th, is Grinnell College's Founders' Day!  The College asks that Grinnell students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and supporters all across the world to "wear Grinnell".

Pioneer Football will be sporting our #GCPride tomorrow and would love to see photos of you in yours.  Upload a picture to our Facebook page and show the world how proud you are to be a Grinnellian!

Top 5 Offensive Plays of 2012!

This is the second in a series of "Top Plays" from our 2012 season, this is the Top 5 Offensive Plays of the Pioneer Football 2012 Season.

Be sure to Like Grinnell College Football on Facebook!

Pioneers Summer Plans

As the Pioneers head out into another summer, we asked them what they were up to during their time away from Grinnell (though a handful of players are still in town). Here's a sampling of some of their plans:

Andrew Clark '14:   "Interning as a Software Developer at Koch Industries (in Wichita, KS) and running my first 5k early August (fundraiser for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training program."

 Ed Hardman '16 : "Eat, sleep, lift, run, repeat."


Sam Poulos '16:  "I am coaching football at my high school working with the varsity quarterbacks as well as the freshman sophomore quarterbacks. It will really teach me a lot and hopefully give me good experience to be a coach in the future."

Danny Reynolds '15:  "I'm going to Bonnaroo Music Festival. Then in July I'm heading out to Israel en route to Nepal for an engineering program."


Kevin Hwang '14:  "Working a 9-5 at the law offices of Jae Y. Kim."

Jordy Manker '15:  "This summer I'm helping kids and adults (with and without learning disabilities) improve their reading and writing."

Cedric Abdul-Hakeem '15:  "I'll be teaching entrepreneurship to people, ages 12-21 and potentially serving ice cream for an ice cream parlor."


Brogan McWilliams '16:  : I'll be working part time as a waiter in my moms restaurant, a coffee house/Bistro. And then part time as a farm hand on a cattle farm of a family friend."

Morgan Kinsinger '14:  "This summer I'm working full-time at a company called GELITA and I'm an accounting intern. I've also been working part-time as a research assistant in financial economics at the London business school for a Grinnell football alum."

Pioneer Prospect Football Camp!

Just a reminder about our upcoming Pioneer Prospect Football Camp for all high school age football players!

This year's camp will run on June 28th and 29th.  Please see the above brochure or this link for more information.

Registration is online here!

Sam Poulos Wins First-Year Athlete of the Year!

Sam Poulos (far right) along with his fellow First-Year Athlete of the Year winners, (L-R) Nate Kolacia, Hayley Levin, and Alissa Hirsh

Pioneer quarterback Sam Poulos '16 along with three of his Grinnell College student-athlete peers were honored with the 2013 G. Lester Duke '25 First-Year Athlete of the Year Award at the annual GOAL ceremony Sunday night in the Joe Rosenfield '25 Center.

Alissa Hirsh '16 and Hayley Levin '16 were named the top female athletes representing a team and individual sport, respectively. Hirsh is on the Pioneers' basketball team and Levin is on the swimming and diving squad.

Poulos and Nate Kolacia '16 were tabbed top male athletes representing a team and individual sport. Kolacia competes in cross country and track and field.

Jake O'Polka Wins College Triathlon

Sophomore transfer Jake O'Polka was the top student finisher in last weekend's Grinnell College Triathlon.  This was Jake's first triathlon competition and he did it with little training!  Read his story below:  

My times were: 
Swim Time (750 meters): 13:26 
Transition 1: 3:07 
Bike Time (12.5 miles): 22:39 
Transition 2: 1:24 
Run Time (3.2 miles): 22:20 with a total time of 1:02:56. 

This was my first triathlon and I didn't really know how to prepare for it, and honestly I didn't really prepare for it that much. The week before spring break I was in the pool for an hour a day, doing a lot of intervals switching going from pulling, then kicking, then swimming. And that's all the swimming I did beforehand. I went on a couple 20-30 miles bike rides during spring break, and that's all I biked beforehand. And I really didn't do any running outside of the football running sessions in preparation for the triathlon.

Congrats Jake and hopefully this is just the start of high-level triathlete career!

Max Keller Abroad in Australia!

This spring we'll be bringing you posts from a few Pioneers that are studying abroad this semester.  Defensive back Max Keller '14 is currently in Melbourne, Australia and this is his third installation.

Australia is known for its unique biodiversity which displays a range of ecosystems and organisms unlike any other on earth. The “Land of Oz” is inhabited by marsupials, spiders, and of course the most venomous snakes in the world. Sometimes I like to think that the first English settlers would have been better off with Dorothy’s yellow brick road and a few flying monkeys. But even then the sound of the laughing Kookaburra, native to Australia, is eerily reminiscent to that of a monkey. If there was a lesson to be learned from our adventures it was that nature will do all that it can to best you. Whether it was huge fruit bats defecating on our car, giant white tailed rats potentially gnawing through our tents, Cane toads covering the camp site, swarms of mosquitoes, or a tent held together with twigs and duct tape. Nature was more prepared than we were.

What I did discover was that such events pleasantly surprised me. Things were made a little more interesting and maybe a little stressful at times. However, this was the excitement of coming to Australia; the adventure, the struggles, and the increasing absurdity of our situation. As it has always been wisely pointed out to me, things could be worse. So when a sign read, “Beware of giant white tailed rats, they gnaw through tents…” I was a little enthralled with the adventure that may present itself. But that did not stop me from waking up and spot-lighting my tent for signs of entry.

I’ll attempt to spare you from the minute details and convey some of the more interesting events from our trip. As mentioned before in a previous post we were fortunate enough to snorkel and scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef. In the following days we then hiked to Mossman Gorge and several waterfalls in the surrounding area. I must admit these hikes were much more enjoyable than the one a fellow teammate, Cody Weber, led me on just two years ago. Not once did I envision the events of 127 Hours. Instead I was able to safely appreciate the scenery and cool off underneath a few waterfalls. The next two days were spent white water rafting down the Tully River and navigating the beautiful beaches of Whitehaven Island.

After traversing a number of sea side towns and completing approximately twenty hours of driving we reached Sydney. There we were greeted with great hospitality and our first home-cooked meal in the past ten days. To say we were thankful to have completed our 2,500 mile journey and returned our Ford station wagon safely would be an understatement. After spending a few days in Sydney checking out the sites we boarded our plane back to Melbourne. Left to reminisce about the events of the past twelve days and look forward to the prospect of a bed and a roof that wasn’t held together with duct tape.

Schaid and Blumberg Named to NFF Hampshire Society

Drew Blumberg (#44) and TJ Schaid (#28)

Two Grinnell College football players have been named members of the 2013 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society.

Those earning the honor were Drew Blumberg '13 and TJ Schaid '13.

The society is comprised of college football players from all divisions of play who maintained a 3.2 GPA or better. A total of 703 players from 259 schools qualified for membership in the society's seventh year.

Blumberg, a 6-1, 191-pound defensive back, was an All-Midwest Conference second-team selection in 2012. He was among the MWC leaders in pass breakups (eight), interceptions (four) and tackles (72). His tackle total ranked second on the team. He is also a two-time Academic All-District first-teamer.

Schaid, a 5-9, 187-pound running back from Walworth, Wis., was a two-time All-MWC selection, having earned the honor in 2010 and again in 2012. He led Grinnell in rushing in 2012 with 570 yards and a touchdown, and ranked second in receiving with 36 catches for 241 yards and three scores. He was a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation's National Scholar-Athlete Award.

See the NFF Hampshire Release here.

More Than Just Words

This video is a bit old (pardon the "Season's Greetings" at the end) but the words used by the students to describe their experiences at Grinnell and what they hope for post-Grinnell will never be outdated!

Scott Koenning '10 Working At The NCAA!

Scott Koenning graduated from Grinnell in 2010, having played linebacker and kicker while playing football for the Pioneers.  After a few years working for some non-profits that assisted high school students with finding college opportunities.  He is now heading to work for the NCAA in Indianapolis and these are his words:

In the spring of senior year at Grinnell, the school's Career Development Office sponsored a trip to a Selective Liberal Arts Consortium Recruiting Day in Chicago. There, I interviewed with several companies and organizations in a variety of fields. One of these organizations, the Schuler Scholar Program, ended up being the home of my first 'real job'. At Schuler, I provided academic support and leadership development programming to a caseload of talented high school students, managed the organization's website, and assisted with annual workshops for prospective college athletes. After two years with Schuler in the Chicago area, I headed to Boston where I currently work with Bottom Line, an organization that helps disadvantaged students gain access to college, graduate from college, and prepare for life after college. I serve over 80 students at three area colleges, providing support with challenges related to academics, financial aid, life issues, and career planning.

During my time with Schuler and Bottom Line, I developed a passion for student service. I realized I wanted to find a way to combine this kind of work with my interest in collegiate athletics. I expressed this interest to Coach Pedersen and Grinnell's Director of Athletics and Recreation, Greg Wallace, who were encouraging, engaged, and more than willing to help, as Grinnell faculty tend to be. This winter, I applied for the NCAA's Postgraduate Internship Program, a program the NCAA describes as providing "on-the-job learning experiences for college graduates who express an interest in pursuing a career in intercollegiate athletics administration". In June, I will enter the program interning in the NCAA's department of Inclusion and Leadership Development, where I will work on a variety of projects centered around student-athlete affairs and inclusion.

In the coming years, I hope to pursue a graduate degree and ultimately work in athletics administration at a selective college or university. My enjoyment of my time at Grinnell fostered my passion for athletics administration. I hope that in my work at the NCAA and beyond, I'm able to help student-athletes enjoy similarly challenging, nurturing, and diverse experiences.

Top 5 Special Teams Plays of 2012!

The first in a series of "Top Ten" plays from our 2012 season, this is the Top 5 Special Teams Plays of the Pioneer Football 2012 Season.

Be sure to Like Grinnell College Football on Facebook!

Pioneer Prospect Football Camp!

Pioneer Football is excited to officially announce the dates of our annual Pioneer Prospect Football Camp!

This year's camp will run on June 28th and 29th.  Please see the above brochure or this link for more information.

Registration is online here!

2013 Pioneer Passing League!

The 2013 Pioneer Passing League has been officially announced by Coach Jeff Pedersen!  Three consecutive Sundays in June (9th, 16th, 23rd) will be the dates for our annual 7-on-7 high school passing competitions.  Last year was an immense success with 3 of the programs involved having gone on to quarterfinal or better finishes in their fall season.  

Check out our flyer for all information!  

Contact Coach Pedersen for registration and any questions!

Max Keller Abroad in Australia!

This spring we'll be bringing you posts from a few Pioneers that are studying abroad this semester.  Defensive back Max Keller '14 is currently in Melbourne, Australia and this is his second installation.

In an Art History paper I completed recently I wrote, “This would beget the question, why would a representation of the sacrament in a Last Supper not function as a representation of the sacrament in a monastic dining room?” Then I thought to myself, “This would beget the question as to whether or not I knew what the hell I was talking about?” This final line of questioning seemed the more logical to me for a couple of reasons. One being, that I am pursing a Biological-Chemistry major with a concentration in Environmental Studies. Lastly, and most importantly, I was only a four hour flight from Cairns, Australia. This would be the start of a twelve day, ~ 4,000 kilometer (2,500 miles) excursion from the northern end of Australia to Sydney’s port.  

Seeing the Great Barrier Reef is a dream shared by many. It is the equivalent of a six year old boy dreaming to be a fireman, a four year old girl a princess, or vice versa. But even my six year old self who can fondly remember the excitement of climbing into a Fire Truck, couldn’t prepare me for this. After a sleepless night full of anticipation and excitement I was snorkeling and scuba diving along the interior edge of the reef. Within twenty minutes I had exhausted myself chasing countless fish and inhaling more ocean water than air. Being both stubborn and enthusiastic I forced myself to stay out, drifting more than swimming, yet enjoying the wonders and intricacies of life below the surface.

            

People often use the metaphor “it left me speechless”. Until this trip I do not believe I’ve ever had the privilege of being ‘left speechless’. Whether it was hiking through Mossman Gorge, plunging into the icy water beneath a waterfall, or watching a friend struggle with traveling along the left hand side of the road; I was often ‘speechless’. Things I will save for another time however. For now I would like to share one of my more memorable experiences from the trip. 

One night we came upon a camp site along the beach just before dusk. I asked the campers where the head office was and they pointed me in the direction of a small camper. Soon enough I found myself looking into the camper observing a small card table; holding a pack of cigarettes, an ash tray, a box of wine (called ‘goon’ here), and an older lady sitting behind it. Poking my head inside, afraid I would soon be checking for a pulse, I asked how much for a site? She replied, “For you, six dollars per person”. Luckily being speechless wasn’t a trend throughout the entire trip. Quickly walking a fine line between flirtatious and friendly, I coaxed camp fire privileges from her in addition to her spare lighter. That night we enjoyed a fire on the beech beneath a palm tree; fed by driftwood and coconut husk. I was left speechless. As I crawled into my sleeping bag that night, the campers next to us began playing the song Springsteen. And for a moment I was back home in Minnesota, but perfectly happy to be where I was currently at. 

I Chose Grinnell