GRINNELL COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Sam Poulos Wins First-Year Athlete of the Year!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

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.

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.