Prior to Graceland, Alphie attended Lamoni High School where he lettered all four years in football, basketball and track. Wendi's outstanding performance in 1990 earned her the honor being named the Most Outstanding Female Athlete for the National Meet. The Van Wert, Iowa native inked a 2nd Team All-Missouri Collegiate Athletic Union award his junior season, and was honored with a 1st Team nod the next year in 1969. In his first 17 years at Graceland he worked with 3,500 athletes, 340 student workers and 25 coaches. In 1994, Coach Hughes retired from coaching after 23 years. During that time he was selected to the Michigan High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame. Kenny Tripp, a Denver, Colorado, native, was not sure what he was getting himself into when he first arrived on Graceland's campus, but after graduating, Tripp has said it was the best decision he ever made. NFL. In his 30+ years, Shelton missed just three football games. Jackie Allen first came to Graceland University in 1995 following two years of collegiate play at Peru St. University. She worked at Queen's Medical Center as a research associate and then as a surgical technician until her retirement in 1996. Upon his discharge from the U.S. Army, Parker returned to Graceland in the spring of 1956 to complete his AA degree. Parker was a starting two-way lineman earning accolades for his stellar play. Graceland Hall of Fame track coach Betty Welch called '77 AIAW meet, "The highlight of my coaching career.". Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. In college, he lettered all four years, was named Most Valuable Lineman twice, received the Doc Hughes Award in 1977 and was named to HAAC All-Conference and NAIA District 15 All-District teams three times. Returning to Graceland as a coach in 1979, Tom became the winningest basketball coach in school history in two years of coaching, and coached them to their only outright conference championship as a 4-year institution. As a student before the days of varsity women's athletic teams, Phyllis was a member of the WRA All-Star teams in four sports, including field hockey, basketball, volleyball and softball. He has received two of the highest awards for a law enforcement officer from his police departments: the Meritorious Service Award for his undercover work exposing corrupt police officers, as well as the Lifesaving Award for saving a man's life while a Major Crimes Detective. Shane Skinner, a 1997 graduate, surpassed two career milestones while at Graceland. He has conducted professional golf workshops for various golf clubs and for non-profit organizations. His 2002-2003 team posted the most wins in a season (18) as well as the most conference victories (11); produced the first NAIA All-American in women's basketball (Michelle Acosta); and established numerous basketball records. Individually, Christel walked away with a meet record in the long jump with a distance of 19'2" and rose as the underdog to win first place in the 100 meter dash with a time of .12.3. . and head coach at West H.S for four years in the highly competitive Sunflower League Conference before moving to Lamoni to become a teacher and coach at Graceland for the last eighteen years of his professional life. David Gadberry, originally from Medford, Oregon, transferred to Graceland after his freshman year. He came to Graceland in 1982 and was a 4-year starter for the Yellowjackets as an offensive lineman. As a coach, Kaleikau founded RKV (Rob Kaleikau Volleyball), a sports training company that provides volleyball skill instruction and programming to young volleyball players of all ages. While at Graceland, Casey's basketball success continued, making the HAAC All-Conference team three times, two of which were first team honors, and he was also named an NAIA All-American. He was the starting point guard running the offense on the basketball court and as catcher batting cleanup on the baseball team. As a member of the 1952 and 1953 Interstate Football Conference Champions, Parker was named to the All-Conference Team in both season and in 1953 was named to the Junior College All-American Team. Dever was a member of three conference championship teams and finished second in Graceland's one-two finish at the 1970 MCAU Conference Championships. return to top, Hal McKain takes pride in his four-year coaching career and his financial contributions to Graceland. Davies passed away in Hobart, Tasmania, of unspecified causes on Nov. 7, 2013, at the age of 57. He received his B.A. Before leaving teaching and coaching to work for the RAND Corporation, where he helped develop and program a computerized air defense system for the U.S. Air Force in the mid 1950's, Clayton accepted a position at Wyandotte High School in Kansas City, Kansas. During both 1976 and 1979 Rod was honored as NAIA Coach of the Year. Both of Robs parents attended Graceland. To highlight his marvelous senior season, Martin garnered All-District, All-Conference and Honorable Mention All-American awards in 1978. In 1975, he joined the Graceland Football Staff as a volunteer coach during which time he has coached quarterbacks, running backs, tight ends and wide receivers. In 1981, he was a member of the Casino Citys NBL championship team, where he finished sixth in the league in scoring. in Social Work from Graceland in 1979. He attended to the emotional as well as the physical needs of the players. In her senior year, Wendi was an All-Conference selection as well as an All-District 15 selection. Since then he has established himself as a highly respected sports commentator, television personality, actor, producer, commercial spokesperson, auto racer, and as a dedicated supporter of organizations such as the Special Olympics and American Diabetes Association. As a Yellowjacket he was named All-American in football and baseball, and won the Rawlings "Big Stick" Award as one of the top three hitters in American Collegiate Baseball. Scott then moved into coaching. Pam was a solid contributor at each. Alphie is married to Kathy and they have four grown children; Christy, Jay, Matt, and Amanda . In a pre-volleyball era tennis was his varsity sport under Hall of Fame Coach, Dr. Hal McKain. return to top, Charles Richard starred as a track athlete at Graceland. Connie is an active member of his community as a volunteer with the Galesburg Literacy Coalition as well as the Galesburg Leadership group. He earned 13 varsity letters in basketball, football, baseball and track. In 1989, Wendi was the national champion is the 400 meter hurdles. After two years, Tom moved on to Southern Utah University. An unprecedented seven time All-American in both indoor and outdoor track, Wendi was a four time NAIA National Champion. from Pepperdine College, and an A.A. from Ventura Junior College. When the spring season rolled around, Pam kept herself plenty occupied shuttling between the softball field where she played first base for coach Judy Sanken and the track where she threw the shot put. (It should be noted that those same payers went on to earn the Wyoming State 4A Championship at seniors.) Playing both tight end and tackle for the Bruins, he went on to play on the undefeated National Championship team as well as facing Michigan State in the 1955 Rose Bowl. Kyser is the founder and director of two community based nonprofit agencies, where she has facilitated thousands of school children, neighbors, families and coworkers in learning positive conflict resolution skills to build healthy relationships. Darrell married Kimberly Allen (Graceland '91) and they have 3 children: Madison, Trevor, and Brody. In the spring of 1974, he finished his freshman season third in the nation in home runs with 13, sparking an eventual 40 home runs throughout his Graceland career. Hal is a 1952 graduate of Graceland and played fullback on the football team and threw the javelin in track. Skinner still works as a consultant for undercover narcotics and has been a featured guest lecturer for his work in drug enforcement. weight class. During his four years on the "Hill" he was a member of the basketball, football, golf and track teams. As a local high school softball star, Dava posted a career batting average of .518 while being nominated four times as both an All-Conference and All-District athlete. NHL. In addition to success at the high school level, Darrell has had 14 athletes continue on to wrestle at the college level, including 3 Division-I athletes and 2 Division-I All-Americans. Following Graceland, Alphie found his vocation in education and taught in Villisca, Iowa for 20 years where he also enjoyed coaching football, girls' basketball and softball. Hal McKain takes pride in his four-year coaching career and his financial contributions to Graceland. In this role he developed an eight team youth and adult club program that competed in USA Volleyball settings. Elmo Gamet is the 1993 inductee into the Yellowjackets Athletic Hall of Fame. Wessel also notched her second NAIA All-American award. In baseball, Erwin was an All-District 15 selection for four years, All-Heart of America Conference First Team selection for three years, and second team selection for one year. return to top, Russell Bruch earned a total of 13 varsity letters at Graceland College from 1978 to 1982. Criswell said that he feels Ross is the best candidate to rebuild the football program and develop a winning culture. He has taken part in volleyball activities in Bulgaria, Japan, and Italy and other countries. Even past his four years as a Graceland student-athlete, Lynch has added value to the program. Prior to attending Graceland, Kristy had never set foot on a cross country course or seen a state track meet. He lives in Kansas City, Missouri, with his wife of 12 years, Cara (Piepergerdes 05), and their three daughters, Camryn, Harper and Bailey. Wendi was a member of the Yellojacket women's volleyball team from 1987 to 1990. In 1972 she arrived at Graceland in hopes of furthering her education and starting a career outside of sports. return to top. An end on the gridiron and post player on the court, he excelled at both sports. 1968-1972 were spent in the full time service of the Center Stake jurisdiction of the now Community of Christ as Director of Youth and Leisure Ministries. Gay was the organization's president during her junior and senior years. E++ subscribers can access ESPN.com's complete NFL draft coverage, plus exclusive player grades, rankings and . In the AIAW regional track meet in May of 1977, Christel finished with two impressive performances against more than 400 other athletes. As a junior, he was the leading scorer in the state of Iowa (all classes) with a scoring average of over 32 points per game. On a national scale, Gray secured NAIA All-American honors twice, including a Second Team selection in 1990 and a First Team selection in 1991. Voted the "Most Athletic girl" in high school. In the first, she finished fifth in the discus, and in the second championship placed third in the discus, this in the javelin and fifth in the shot put. Syd came to Graceland College in 1984, from Stamford, Connecticut, and made an immediate and lasting impact on the football team. NBA. During his illustrious Graceland career, Gray won many awards that honored his outstanding collegiate career. He still holds numerous school records including single game assists (15), single season assists (248), and career assists (730). He then kept the reins of the program for the next 25 years, leading the Mustangs to another four state championships, one runner-up and several playoff appearances. in radio and television broadcasting and marketing from the University of Denver in 1949. 7. He set many practical records, including 286 consecutive free throws (four-year average 99%) and 499 jump shots in a row from the head of the circle. The Recreation major stays active in his post-playing career, and remains proud to have contributed to his family's legacy of accomplishment at Graceland. In addition to his accomplishments on the field for Graceland, Billy was selected for an all-star team which traveled through Belgium and Holland to play baseball. Connie received his B.A. He is currently teaching in West Columbia, South Carolina, where he has been residing with his wife, Audrey, for the past 20 plus years, and they have an 18 year old daughter, Kristen. In her more than 40 years of working with student-athletes, she has had the pleasure of serving as an academic adviser to literally thousands of students at Graceland, many of whom were athletes. return to top, Gary Sage was a member of the football and wrestling teams from 1960 to 1964. Connie played football for Graceland College from 1975 through 1978. Jerry and his wife Celia own an antique shop and furniture refinishing business in Independence, MO. In football he was selected as both a HAAC all-conference player and an all-district player in 1977, he was voted the MVP of the 1977 homecoming football game and he was a member of the 1975 "Mineral Water Bowl" team (inducted 2006) coached by fellow Graceland Hall of Fame inductee Bill Dudek. 2023 Draft Pick Info. He influenced student-athletes to become a total person both on and off the competition field. He was the third recipient of the NAIA Outstanding Alumnus Award. In her second year at Graceland, Pam combined her basketball quickness, keen eye at the plate and shot put strength to become a dominate player on the Graceland Field Hockey Team coached by Graceland Hall of Fame Coach Betty Welch. He had 267 steals in his career, including 118 in his senior season in 2005. return to top, Dennis Paul Thompson is a life-long resident of Lamoni and is currently the co-owner and manager of a local farm related business. Auxier came to Graceland from Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1957. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. She implemented many activity programs for women and for the college in general. Travis Bell 2023 NFL Draft Profile - ESPN Jackie made an immediate impact in both volleyball and softball. NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Markel Garner, OL, Graceland Nowlin was the first wrestling coach at Graceland and was the head coach of baseball, tennis and track while serving as an assistant football coach throughout his tenure with the Yellowjackets. In 1998 C.R. Five-time Iowa Open Champion, turner holds 13 major Iowa championships. From 2003 to 2008 his wrestling team never finished lower than 3rd place at the Iowa State Wrestling Tournament. Martin has been married to Nancy (Class of '79) for 34 years and they have two children, Rebecca and Tyler. From 1987 to 2000, he was an assistant coach for the football team. He was an all-conference selection for all four years, a two-time Heart Scholar-Athlete, and an NAIA Academic All-American. Dudek and his wife Annie have two children, Major and Kaicen. As a basketball player in college, Rich was a two-time first team all-conference selection whose name appears throughout Graceland's all-time records lists. In the process, he earned an M.S. His men's track team won numerous Heart of America Athletic Conference championships. Donte Sylencieux - WR - Graceland - 2021 Draft Scout/NCAA College Football From Prep to Pro!, EST 2001 . colinm1@graceland.edu. In that year, Jeff signed a 1-year contract with the New York Jets-making him the first Graceland graduate to play in the NFL. As a member of the Yellowjacket football team, Gary was as All-Conference selection in 1963 and 1964, and was named to the 1964 All-American Team as an honorable mention selection. In his junior year, Chaz received the Doc Hughes Defensive Player of the Game award for his stellar execution in the 1982 homecoming football game. He has since become very active in the Professional Golf Association (PGA). During his career, Skinner also served four years as the Lamoni Chief of Police before returning to New Mexico, where he now serves as the Chief of Police for the Carlsbad Police Department. One season her "A" and "B" team earned a combined record of 40-0. In track and field, Dr. Hutchins credits Hall of Fame coach L.D. As a member of the Yellowjacket football team, Gary was as All-Conference selection in 1963 and 1964, and was named to the 1964 All-American Team as an honorable mention selection. The Canadian backstop maintained his power in all four years, belting six home runs in each season for a total of 24. Alphie currently lives in Leon with his wife Kathy. As a four-year member of "Weldon's Warriors", Graceland's cross-country team. In a pre-volleyball era tennis was his varsity sport under Hall of Fame Coach, Dr. Hal McKain. Throughout his career, Seefeldt scored six defensive touchdowns. Since Wendi graduated from Graceland College in 1991 her athletic achievements have continued. In 1995, Jeff signed with the Kansas City Chiefs where he played until his retirement in 1999. return to top, Ralph L. Strait made the news as a star runner at Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon. He lettered in indoor track one year and placed second at the conference pole vault. Graceland University retired Criswell's jersey, #69. return to top, The love of Clayton Henry's life aside from his family has been mathematics, baseball and basketball. He also directed the swim meet for Graceland Spectacular for 30 consecutive years." He also managed the latter achievement in his senior season, lettering in tennis both years. He made an immediate impact on the football team as an outstanding run blocker and an even better pass blocker, eventually becoming a two time All-American. He was a charter member of Stewart Manor, where he served as the house president during his junior year. Collins was an assistant at Ottawa University in Kansas, from 1971 to 1972 and at Graceland College from 1974 to 1978. At Graceland, she competed in field hockey, basketball, track and softball. While at Graceland, Jeff earned All-American honors before graduating in 1986 with a BA degree in Education. In the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games he won gold medal and set a world record with 8,618 points in the decathlon. Casey also served as a Team Co-Captain and was voted Team Most Valuable Player as a senior. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue has 1,500 combat personnel operating out of 50 fire stations. Kristy graduated from Graceland in 2002 with a degree in Wellness Program Management and Health and Physical Education. Benda left Graceland with lifelong friends and says she is honored to be inducted into the hall of fame. During his freshman year, Tripp and his teammates were the Heart Basketball Conference Champions, posting an undefeated record at home.
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