Summer 2010
Departments
Winning Tradition
The history and tradition during the early years of Simpson College athletics speak loudly about the quality of athletes and programs that established the landscape of what would become the Simpson athletic experience. Some stand-out moments from the early years include: the tremendous success of the men's track teams with nine conference championships from 1936 to 1947; the six football championships in the 1920s and 1930s; the basketball successes of the early 1940s; the Min eral Water Bowl experience in 1969; and the 1958 conference champion baseball team and its run in the NAIA National Championships. Simpson Hall of Fame athletes like Kenneth “Moco” Mercer '28, Joe Blake '71 and Laurie Sanky Wood '85 were coached by outstanding people like Hap Miller, Les Deaton '47, Frank Casey, John Sullivan and John Curtin.
In the mid 1980s, President Robert McBride made a strong commitment to re-establish athletic strength at Simpson. Throughout the decade and beyond, Simpson reintroduced itself as a force to be reckoned with in the Iowa Conference. After winning only four IIAC championships from 1960 through 1985, Simpson won 44 during the next 15 years.
Since the turn of the century, Simpson's women's sports have moved to the forefront. Brian Niemuth and the women's basketball team have won six Iowa Conference titles, appeared in six consecutive NCAA tournaments and advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2007 and 2008. In volleyball, head coach Lana Smith won a pair of conference crowns and made three trips to the postseason while Henry Christowski's softball teams made three NCAA appearances and captured the conference crown in 2010. Bob Darrah and the women's golf team won conference titles in 2002 and 2006, while Dave Cleveland coached the women's track and field team to top-20 finishes at both the indoor and outdoor NCAA Championships in 2010.
On the men's side, the baseball team made an NCAA regional appearance in 2004 and won the conference championship in 2006. The football team went 9-1 and made a playoff appearance in 2003.
As Simpson heads into its next 150 years, President John Byrd has committed to continuing to make athletics a part of the outstanding Simpson Experience. To ensure that our studentathletes have a phenomenal experience, we continue to improve our support programs in academics, life skills, athletic training, strength and conditioning and car eer preparation.
Some of Sirianni's Favorite Moments
- Jim Williams leading the Simpson football team to f our IIAC titles and five NCAA Division III Championship appearances from 1987- 2001, making the national semifinals in 1997.
- Jerry Fitzsimmons leading the women's cross country team to four conference titles from 1986-90.
- Track & field decathlete and 2000 Olympian Kip Janvrin '88 winning five national titles, including three in the decathlon.
- Football running back Deric “Ricky” Gales '94 receiving the National Small College Player of the Year award in 1989.
- Head coach Shelley Scott (O'Meara) winning two IIAC championships in softball and six in volleyball from 1985-98.
- Head coach Bob Darrah leading the wrestling team to an IIAC title in 1991 and winning seven titles in women's golf.
- The 1991 baseball team becoming the first Division III program in Iowa to advance to the NCAA World Series.
- Bruce Wilson '76 winning the men's basketball team's first conference title in 42 years in 1992.
- The success of Henry Christowski and the softball team, who won national championships in 1997 and 1999 and saw Kelly Schade (Fry) '99 win the 1998-99 Honda Division III Athlete of the Year award.
- Nick Ackerman '01 becoming the first NCAA Division III wrestler to win the Hodge Award for the best wrestler in the nation in 2001.
- Ron Peterson and the Simpson wrestling team placing in the top 10 at nationals three years in a row, from 2004-06.