Four Pioneers were recently named to the National Football Foundation's Hampshire Society. Jacob Beecher, Ed Hardman, Sam Poulos, and Greg Ruzich joined an elite group of senior football players from across the country that were recognized for their outstanding academic record. Two Pioneers earned the honor in 2015, and six in 2014.
Jacob Beecher was able to balance a Biological Chemistry major and participation in two varsity sports, and still maintain one of the highest GPA's on the team (along with Greg Ruzich, he was a co-winner of our first annual outstanding student-athlete award). Besides all that, Beecher was able to graduate a semester early, and has already been admitted to the Kansas City School of Medicine and Biosciences.
Ed Hardman has experienced similar success as a two-sport athlete. Ed battled injuries his first two seasons, but earned a starting position on the defense as both a junior and senior. Hardman also excelled on the track, owning all-time top 10 times in the 60 (#2 all-time), 200, and 4x200 indoors and the 200 outdoors. Ed has already accepted a position with Teach for America, and will be working at a KIPP school in Chicago.
Sam Poulos finished his career as the first four-year starting quarterback since All-American Troy Dougherty graduated in 2000. Sam is already in France, playing professionally for the Thonon Black Panthers.
Greg Ruzich has also excelled as a Biological Chemistry major. Greg will ultimately attend medical school, but he plans to work as a medical scribe in a Chicago-area hospital before applying.
Huge congratulations to these four, and to all our graduating class of 2016! I'll update the rest of the class as their post-graduation plans are finalized.
