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.
National championships
editTeam
edit| Sport | Association | Division | Year | Opponent/Runner-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's soccer (1)[4] | NAIA | Single | 2006 | Azusa Pacific | 0−0, (7–6 pen.) |
Individual programs
editFootball
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.[5] 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.[6]
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.[7] The school's alma mater was written by Roy A. Cheville in 1926.[7]
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[8]
- 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
- ^ "NAIA Men's Soccer Championship History" (PDF). NAIA. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ 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.
