The Graceland Yellowjackets are the athletic teams that represent Graceland University, located in Lamoni, Iowa, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) since the 1971–72 academic year.[2]
| Graceland Yellowjackets | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Graceland University |
| Association | NAIA |
| Conference | Heart of America Athletic Conference |
| Athletic director | Joe Worlund |
| Location | Lamoni, Iowa |
| Varsity teams | 22 (10 men’s, 9 women’s, 3 co-ed) |
| Football stadium | Huntsman Field |
| Basketball arena | Closson Center |
| Baseball stadium | Chase Stadium |
| Softball stadium | HMP Stadium |
| Soccer stadium | John Rasmussen Soccer Complex |
| Mascot | Sting |
| Nickname | Yellowjackets |
| Fight song | Graceland Forever |
| Colors | Blue and black[1] |
| Website | www |
Over 50% of the students on Graceland's Lamoni campus are student athletes.[3]
Sports
editGraceland competes in 22 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, track & field (indoor and outdoor), volleyball and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, flag football, golf, soccer, softball, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading, dance and rodeo.
| Men's sports | Women's sports | Co-ed sports |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball | Basketball | Cheerleading |
| Basketball | Cross country | Dance |
| Cross country | Flag football | Rodeo |
| Football | Golf | |
| Golf | Soccer | |
| Soccer | Softball | |
| Track and field† | Track and field† | |
| Volleyball | Volleyball | |
| Wrestling | ||
| † – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor | ||
A member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference, Graceland University sponsors teams in ten men's and eight women's varsity sports.
Football
editIn 2005, just four years after completing a season of 0–10, the Yellowjackets won their first HAAC championship title since 1975 and qualified for the NAIA national championships for the first time in the school's history.[4] Herbert Goodman (1998-1999), and Jeff Criswell (1983-1986) went on to play in the NFL. Jerome Messam (2007-2009) as of 2018 plays in the CFL. The coach as of 2017 for the Yellowjackets was Marc Kolb.[5]
Basketball
editIn 2018 the men's basketball team won the NAIA Division I National Championship. This was the Yellowjackets first appearance in the tournament.
School songs
editThe school's fight song, Graceland Forever, was written by Warren McElwain in 1925.[6] The school's alma mater was written by Roy A. Cheville in 1926.[6]
Notable alumni
edit- Jeff Criswell – offensive lineman for Indianapolis Colts (1987), New York Jets (1988–1994) and Kansas City Chiefs (1995–1998)
- Herbert Goodman – running back rushing for over 2,000 yards; current professional mixed martial arts fighter[7]
- Caitlyn Jenner – 1976 Olympic gold medalist, who was also selected by the Kansas City Kings in the 1977 NBA draft despite not having played ball for Graceland; Jenner remains the school's only draft pick by any major pro sports league
- Kevin Souter – Kansas City Wizards in Major League Soccer
- Jerome Messam – running back for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League
References
edit- ^ "Graceland Identity Manual". August 18, 2017. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
- ^ "Quick Facts - Graceland University". Gujackets.com. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
- ^ Athletics
- ^ HAAC Championships by School (Football)
- ^ Staff directory
- ^ a b "Graceland Traditions & Trivia". Archived from the original on April 4, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ^ "Herbert Goodman MMA Bio". Retrieved August 28, 2017.
