Grinnell College has received multiple national rankings and votes this winter, placing its athletic programs in the spotlight. Among Division III schools, women’s golf is ranked 19th nationally, with women’s tennis ranked 40th and men’s basketball and swim and dive receiving votes.
Ted Schultz, Grinnell’s sports information director, expressed his pride for these rankings.
“I was pretty impressed,” Schultz said. “It really made me realize what strong athletic programs we have in a variety of sports.”
While rankings serve as assurance, Schultz emphasized they also act as fuel. “It’s a little bit of both,” he said. “It is validation, but it also sparks the idea that if we’re here, maybe we can get even higher.”
According to Schultz, this new recognition doesn’t change day-to-day preparation. Instead, Schultz said, it reinforces the systems Grinnell has already put in place. Recent additions like two full-time strength and conditioning coaches and continued investment in support staff are beginning to show positive results, he said.
“It shows that all the things we have in place are starting to pay off,” Schultz said. “It also shows the level of athlete we’re getting — even if it was good before, it’s even better now.”
For Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach Zachary Hasenyager, the rankings represent a realization of his long-term vision for the team.
“The past couple years on the women’s side, we’ve established ourselves in the national rankings pretty consistently,” Hasenyager said. After defeating nationally ranked opponents and earning program-high marks in recent seasons, his teams have begun to see themselves differently.
Hasenyager believes national spotlight elevates Grinnell’s brand beyond academics.
“Having the sports teams enter the College into that national conversation is really great for brand awareness and recognition,” he said. “Once people start to look up the school, they’re always super impressed.”
Men’s and Women’s Golf Head Coach Connor McKay reinforced that sentiment, emphasizing consistency at the national level.
“Anytime you are able to showcase Grinnell on a national level, it is great for the College,” McKay wrote in an email to The S&B. The women’s golf team has been nationally ranked throughout his five years with the program and has finished 13th at nationals the past two seasons. This fall, the team placed third at a national event in Virginia behind No. 1 Emory and No. 2 Carnegie Mellon.
“I personally think we have a top 15 team in the country,” McKay stated. “It gives our athletes the credit they very much deserve.”
Beyond validation, rankings carry a growth in attention from prospective athletes. “Recruits want to come to top programs to compete in college,” McKay added.
“We’ve recruited players with the vision of being an elite team to match the academic reputation of Grinnell College on the tennis courts,” Hasenyager said. “It gives us the idea that those ambitious goals are realistic.”
As Schultz put it, national votes and rankings “show that you can be great at both academics and athletics.”
“It reinforces that students here are well-rounded and exceptional in many areas,” Hasenyager said.
