Schaid Named Semi-Finalist for NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award!

Senior running back TJ Schaid '13 is one of 41 Division III nominees for the National Football Foundation's National Scholar-Athlete Award.

Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.

The NFF Awards Committee will select up to 16 recipients, and the results will be announced via a national press release on Thursday, Oct. 25. Each recipient will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship, and they will vie as finalists for the 2012 William V. Campbell Trophy.

Each member of the 2012 National Scholar-Athlete Class will also travel to New York City be honored Dec. 4 during the 55th NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf=Astoria where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. One member of the class will also be announced live at the event as the winner of the Campbell Trophy.

Schaid, an All-Midwest Conference performer as a sophomore, was limited the following season due to injury. He is back at full strength in 2012 and is the Pioneers' leading rusher with 248 yards while ranking second in receptions with 15. 

Fisher Interview

Grinnell College Sports Information Director Ted Schultz interviewed MWC Special Teams Player of the Week Graham Fisher '16:

Photos From Beloit Game

Official Pioneer Football Photographer Alysia Horcher '15 was on hand Saturday to take some more quality action photos.  Here are some of the best.  Visit her Flickr page for all photos from all games!

Jayson Campos outraces two Beloit defenders on his way to the endzone

Graham Fisher drills a 50-yard FG attempt with aid from Cody Weber (holder) and Dalton Davies

Kevin Hwang recovers one of the 4 fumbles by the Pioneer defense

TJ Schaid gets a crease from Pierce Gustafson and Morgan Kinsinger

David Ternes wraps up a Beloit ballcarrier

Nate George celebrates the Pioneer victory!

Graham Fisher Named MWC Player of the Week!

Pioneer kicker/punter Graham Fisher was named MWC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in the Grinnell victory at Beloit on Saturday.

Fisher booted a 50-yard field goal, just 5 yards shy of the school record, as the Pioneers collected their first victory of the season with a 13-7 decision at Beloit College.  His field goal came in the first quarter and staked the guests to an early 3-0 lead.  He also punted four times for a 39.0 yard average and averaged 59.2 yards per kickoff.  For the season, he leads the MWC in kickoff average at 61.5 yards per kick

and in touchbacks with four.

Here's the Midwest Conference Release.

Pioneers Top Beloit!

Kevin Hwang, Andrew Clark and Seth Gustafson celebrate one of the Pioneers' 4 fumble recoveries

Stellar defense, a big play and a big kick helped guide the Pioneers to a 13-7 win on the road Saturday against Beloit College!

Safety Drew Blumberg led the Grinnell defense with 10 tackles and one interception, while the rest of the unit forced 5 Buccaneer fumbles recovering 4 of them.  Quarterback Sam Poulos and receiver Jayson Campos hooked up for a 67 yard touchdown in the 2nd quarter, taking back the lead for good.  Kicker Graham Fisher opened the scoring by drilling a 50-yard field goal on the opening drive of the game.

Full box score here.  More photos and video to follow later in the week!


Players of the Week:
Defense:              Drew Blumberg - 10 tackles, 1 INT and Tom Brinkman - 3 tackles, 1 fumble recovered
Offense:              TJ Schaid - 82 yards rushing on 24 carries
Practice:              Ki Harris - developing into a great leader, added 3 tackles on Saturday
Rookie:               Sam Poulos - 14-24 for 164 yards and 1 TD

Grinnell Named One of North America's Best College Towns!

MSN.com recently published their list of the 10 Best College Towns In North America and, you guessed it, Grinnell, Iowa made the list:

Here’s a list of college towns so quintessential that some of the students walking across the quad for the first time will one day call them home.

Grinnell, Iowa

Though we often tout a large university’s impact on its home city, a small college’s influence on its rural community can prove even greater. An agricultural town with just over 9,000 people, Grinnell offers its residents a historical museum, art gallery and community theater in tandem with opportunities to attend symposiums, tour rotating cultural exhibits and take in live theater and musical performances at Bucksbaum Center for the Arts at Grinnell College, long considered one of the finest small colleges in the country. The college is situated on the prairie, equidistant from Cedar Rapids and Des Moines, but conversations here often reference faraway places, a benefit of this progressive college’s study-abroad program and top national rank among small colleges for future Peace Corps volunteers.

Septembeard!

This month the Pioneer Football team is raising money and facial hair in support of Prostate Cancer Research through the national foundation called Septembeard.

Traditionally, the Pioneers have held an unofficial team competition every October called "Beardtober" where there was no shaving allowed above the jaw line.  Some memorable beards from years past included John "Whiskers" Hereford and Ryan "I Wish It Grew Like This On Top Of My Head" Fletcher.  In 2012, we've altered the tradition slightly, while attempting to raise $1,000 for a good cause, one that affects a large percentage of males in our generation.

To help support the Scarlet & Beard, please donate on our Official Team Page.  As of this morning we are $263 short of $1,000 and every little bit helps.  We are also donating all of our profits from merchandise sales at home games towards Septembeard.

As we are just over the halfway point, here are some of the best, and worst, beards from September 1st to late last week...

Safety Drew "Don't I look good?" Blumberg '13

Special Teams Coordinator Ben "You Aged Quickly" Cooprider

Defensive End Clayton "Here's a Magnifying Glass" Desjardin '15

Cornerback Seth "Patches" Gustafson '14

Defensive Coordinator Jason "It's Itchy" Martinez 

Head Coach Jeff "Red Beard" Pedersen

Linebacker Rich "The 'Stache" Renteria '15

Receiver Jacob "Stubbles" Washington

Linebacker Colton "Don't Call Me He-Man" Feller '14

Vice President Joe Biden at Grinnell!

Today, Vice President Joe Biden comes to Grinnell as part of the Obama-Biden re-election campaign.  Biden plans to speak at 2pm in the Harris Center, right across 10th Avenue from the Athletic Facilities!

Regardless, of your political beliefs and values, it's pretty cool to have the Vice President of the United States coming to campus!

Pioneers Fall to Lake Forest

Despite a balanced game in terms of yardage, Grinnell fell to the Foresters from Lake Forest on Saturday 33-7.  Seven turnovers, including two interceptions returned for touchdowns, were the demise of the home squad.  Grinnell heads to the road for the first time in 2012, visting the Beloit Buccaneers Saturday at 1pm.

Here are some of the game photos from Official Pioneer Football photographer Alysia Horcher '15.

Rich Renteria '15, Drew Blumberg '13, Colton Feller '14, and Andrew Clark '14 combine for  a tackle

Andrew Clark had over 100 kick return yards

Colton Feller '14 sacks the Forester QB

Kevin Hwang '14 returns the opening kick of the 2nd half

Harnak Mann '14 with his first career reception

John Mertes '15 corrals a Forester

Quinn Rosenthal '14

TJ Schaid '13 turns the corner with help from Max Keller '14

Cody Weber '13 hauls in one of his 9 catches

Happy Birthday Coach Pedersen!

Happy Birthday to Pioneer Head Football Coach Jeff Pedersen!  Let's get a win tomorrow and put that icing on your proverbial birthday cake!

Grinnell College in the USA Today

Grinnell made some national press last week when the USA Today wrote a feature about how certain colleges pair-up First-Year roommates.  Just like at many schools, Grinnell's First-Years are randomly paired up, and the last three years the students are allowed to choose their own roommates.  But it's that first year roommate that can have such an impact on your college experience, and Grinnell goes the extra mile in making sure your match is a good one!

No less invested in their relationship is Andrea Conner, who led the process by which the two freshmen at Iowa's Grinnell College have become roommates. As director of residence life there, she oversees a staff of six who spent more than a week sifting through 450 housing applications to hand-match first-year roommates.

As ever-more sophisticated software takes on a growing role in college roommate selection, Grinnell remains one of the holdouts, arguing that humans can do a better job playing matchmaker than computers.

Pictures From Illinois College Game

Enjoy the following photos from local photographer Corey Hall from Saturday's game against Illinois College.

Pioneers during the National Anthem

Captains Tom Brinkman '13, Morgan Kinsinger '14, Brian Taylor '13, and Cody Weber '13

Dalton Davies '16, Issac Chadri '15, and Cedric Abdul-Hakeem '15 

Colton Feller prepares for the snap

Graham Fisher '16 lets fly on a punt

Ki Harris '14 tries to turn the corner on an IC offensive lineman

Barrett Morrissette '16 eludes the Blueboy defenders

Coach Pedersen and the offense talk during a timeout

Rich Renteria '15 returns the opening kickoff

Pregame team huddle

Pioneers Struggle Against MWC Leader

TJ Schaid '13 looks for room against an Blueboy defender

The Midwest Conference preseason co-favorite and current leader, Illinois College Blueboys posted a 53-20 victory over Grinnell College in football action Saturday afternoon at Rosenbloom Field.

The winners broke out to a 23-7 halftime lead as they improved to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in the league. The Pioneers fell to 0-2 and 0-1.

Sam Poulos '16 completed 18-of-31 passes for 135 yards, while Cody Weber '13 had six catches for 80 yards. Defensively, David Ternes '15 had 11 tackles, Max Keller '14 added eight and Kevin Hwang '14 and John Mertes '15 had seven apiece.

Colton Feller '14 returned an interception 50-yards for a touchdown, Andrew Clark '14 also had an interception.

Grinnell is back at home for the third Saturday in a row next week when Lake Forest College visits Rosenbloom Field. Game time is 1 p.m. 

Ryan Creps '12 in Cairo

As we've mentioned before, recent Pioneer Football graduate Ryan Creps '12 has embarked on a adventure that is atypical yet so very Grinnellian.  After living his entire life in Grinnell, Iowa and never having traveled outside the country until his junior year, he's now spending at least one year living in Cairo, Egypt working at a University.

Follow Ryan's year along the Nile at his blog, which already has some great stories and photos from his first few weeks.

Photos From Carleton Game

We have a number of wonderful people that take photos at our games, one of which is Grinnell Baseball Player Andrew Kelley '14.  Here are some of his best from Saturday's game against Carleton.

Colton Feller (#45) and Max Keller (#20) look to help while Drew Blumberg (#44) has a ball carrier wrapped up

Barrett Morrissette (#33) turns the corner while Dalton Davies (#88) climbs to the next level

 

Max Jacobson had 7 catches for 46 yards

 

Sam Poulos (#7) awaits the snap from Quinn Rosenthal (#70)

 

TJ Schaid looks for the endzone on one of his 30 carries

Cody Weber tiptoes to haul in a catch

Heartbreaking Loss to Open 2012

Cody Weber '13 hauls in the second of his two TDs on Saturday

After jumping out to a quick 14-0 start, the Grinnell Pioneers fell in overtime to Carleton 20-14 in the 2012 season opener at Rosenbloom Field on Saturday.

The final three periods saw the Pioneers fail to score again, while the visiting Knights chipped away and tied the game with 11 minutes left in regulation, sending us into overtime where we failed to match Carleton's first TD.  It was a tough way to start the year, but there were so many positive aspects of the game that it's hard to be too down right now.  We are already looking forward to next weekend where we have a chance to redeem ourselves at Rosenbloom Field against Illinois College in the Midwest Conference opener.

Players of the Week:
Defense:              Drew Blumberg - 2 interceptions, 7 tackles, 1 PBU
Offense:              Cody Weber - 9 catches for 171 yards and 2 TDs
Special Teams:    Tom Brinkman - blocker extraordinaire on Punt and FG/PAT teams
Practice:              Morgan Kinsinger & Quinn Rosenthal - leaders of the Drove (Offensive Line)
Rookie:               Sam Poulos - 22-35 for 253 yards and 2 TDs