Former Pioneer Gridder Named Director of Athletics and Recreation

Former Pioneer footballer Andy Hamilton was recently named the new Director of Athletics and Recreation at Grinnell.  A member of the class of 1985, Andy has been a fixture in our department since, coaching several sports including football, men's and women's basketball, and men's and women's tennis.  He has also served as the Sports Information Director, as an Assistant AD, and as the Interim AD.  On a personal note, Coach Hamilton was the offensive coordinator my first three seasons at Grinnell, calling plays for arguably the best offense we've had at Grinnell.  I'm very excited to have Hamilton at the helm.  I love the continuity this provides to our department, but I also love that it does not signal complacency.  I believe we'll continue to push and improve and our department will be stronger across the board in years to come.

The flip side of Hamilton moving into his new role is that Greg Wallace will be moving to Senior Faculty Status.  Wallace was the head coach while I played at Grinnell, and has been the AD during my time as the head coach.  Greg has been a tremendous friend and mentor over the years, and it will be different not having him in our office.  Special thanks to Coach Wallace for his years of service, and I look forward to his new role working with athletics and admissions.

Footballer Graham Fisher Off to a Hot Start on the Diamond

Graham Fisher '16, an imposing figure on the mound

Three time all-conference punter Graham Fisher has gotten off to a hot start on the diamond as well.  Graham is second on the Pioneers with a .320 batting average and 6 rbi's, and leads the team with 15 total bases and the only home run so far on this young season.  Graham is also 2-0 on the mound, and has yet to allow a run.  He was named the Midwest Conference Pitcher of the Week last week, and has the Pioneers rolling with a 6-2 start.  The Pioneers play Fontbonne University early this morning, and then wrap up their Spring Break trip with a double header against St. Olaf and a game against Keuka College Sunday.

Keep up the good work Fisher, and keep it rolling Pioneers!

What a Weekend!

We had a fantastic weekend hosting the Division 3 Indoor Track and Field National Championship.  Three Division 3 records were broken (Luke Winder of North Central in the men's pole vault - 18'01", Nia Joyner of Illinois Wesleyan in the women's 60m - 7.49, and Amy Regan of Stevens - women's 3000 - 9:30.80) as well as multiple facility records.  Three people won multiple events (Regan won the women's 3k and 5K, Kim Gallavan of Baldwin-Wallace won the women's shot put and weight throw, and Josh Thorson of UW-Eau Claire won the men's 3k and 5k).  UW-Eau Claire won the men's championship while Baldwin-Wallace won on the women's side.

As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child, and that was definitely the case with the Championship.  It took months of work from our planning committee, special thanks to Eloise Miller '15, Ben Cooprider, and Justin Thaxton, as well as those on the NCAA committee.  We had great help from our entire department, as well as countless students, staff (Facilities Management, Dining Services, Conference Ops, etc), community member, and alumni.  Thanks to all for such a great weekend!

It's Time!!

The Calm Before the Storm

After months of preparation and anticipation, the Indoor Track and Field National Championship is finally here!  We are hosting for the second time (2012), and it's going to be a great weekend.  If you're in the area, stop by and check it some of the best athletes in Division III!

Signing Day 2016

Our next new Pioneer is another Iowa boy, Rick Johnson from Davenport Central.  Rick comes with strong family ties to Grinnell and will be a great addition to our defensive front seven.  He has played both Defensive End and Outside Linebacker, and is versatile enough to play either for us next year.

We have one more Early Decision addition to announce, but things are starting to take shape for the young but talented defense, and we look to round out our class through Regular Decision.  2016 is going to be an exciting year!

View Rick Johnson's highlights here.

Ed Hardman Makes Speech at Kipp Schools Dinner

Senior outside linebacker and track star Ed Hardman was recently invited to give an address at a dinner for the Kipp Schools in Chicago.  Hardman is a Kipp School alum, and he will be teaching at a Kipp School in Chicago beginning this fall.  Kipp Schools "are a non-profit network of college-preparatory, public charter schools serving elementary, middle, and high school students.  They [we] have a 20-year track record of preparing our students in educationally underserved communities for success in college and life."

At the dinner, Hardman was invited to introduce keynote speaker, former Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan.  Ed's is an inspiring story, some of which he tells in his speech, linked below.  Simply put, we need more like Ed!

Ed Hardman Speech

Signing Day 2016

We are continuing to highlight the new Pioneers that have committed through Early Decision.  It is a great group of guys that will have an immediate impact for us.

Next up is safety Max Hill, from Chaminade College Prep in California.  Max can cover a lot of ground from his spot as a safety, but he's also a very good tackler and an aggressive run-stopper.  He's a great special teams guy as well, willing to contribute to team success in any way he can.  We're very excited to add him!  Can't wait to get you out here Max!

Max Hill Highlights