Ten alumni chosen for induction to Grinnell College Athletic Hall of Fame
The Grinnell College Athletic Hall of Fame is proud to announce the selection of 10 alumni for induction in 2022:
- Daniel “Vince” Anku ’65
- Donald J. Kraitsik ’69/’70
- Lloyd Eugene “Gene” Reid ’83
- Jeffrey T. Clement ’99
- Mark F. Trocinski ’99
- Sarah E. Evans ’05
- Kate W. Bowen ’06
- Claire Reeder Fletcher ’11
- Michael J. Brus ’14
- Shirlene S. Luk ’15
The celebration of the newest class of Pioneer Hall of Famers will take place during the 2022 Fall Athletics Weekend, which will be held during Labor Day weekend.
The Grinnell College Athletic Hall of Fame was created in 1995 to recognize the achievements of the College’s most accomplished student-athletes.
Here is a closer look at the 2022 inductees:
Daniel “Vince” Anku ’65
No player in Grinnell men’s soccer’s history has scored more goals or generated more points than Vince Anku. He scored 67 goals in just three seasons, including 26 in 1963, the most of any Pioneer player. In fact, his 21-goal season of 1964 is the second-highest total, and his 20-goal output in 1962 is the third-highest tally in Grinnell history.
The Midwest Conference’s No. 1 career goal scorer of all time, Anku had six goals against Northern Illinois in September 1964. A month later he scored six goals again – this time versus Carleton. In addition, Anku scored five goals in a game four different times. He holds the MWC record for the top three goals per game average, 3.25 in 1963, 2.62 in 1964, and 2.5 in 1962.
Making Anku’s feats even more amazing was the fact that he had never played soccer before coming to Grinnell. A Ghana native, Anku played a similar game in his village in which children kicked an old tennis ball barefooted. He credits support from his Grinnell teammates and coach Irv Simone for being instrumental in his prolific goalscoring.
After Grinnell, Anku attended Cornell University’s Medical School and the London School of Tropical Medicine. He went on to become a leading oncologist and has been a pioneer in the joint use of chemotherapy and radiation, particularly with lung, throat, and brain cancers. Anku served as director of the Cleveland Cancer Institute and authored the books What to Know About the Treatment of Cancer, Health of the Nation: Solutions That Make Everyone a Winner, and Hope at Last in Cancer Treatment.
Additionally, Anku has invested in and contributed to community development projects in Africa, especially supporting projects in the Volta region of Ghana, where he was born. The wide-ranging projects have included rural electrification, road improvements, primary care education, a community library, women’s income generation, and improved water and sanitation. Because of his involvement in improvement of quality life in Africa, Anku was selected to seat at the head table with Nelson Mandela, Colin Powell, Coretta Scott King and a few others, during an awards ceremony in Washington D.C. for Mandela.
Donald J. Kraitsik ’69/’70
A natural leader who had the ability to bring out the best qualities in his teammates, Don Kraitsik was a superb wrestler and standout football player. He became a three-sport athlete his senior year when he lettered in track, competing in the high jump.
Captain of the wrestling team his junior and senior seasons, Kraitsik was exceedingly quick and could tempt opponents with what seemed to be a free leg, but, poof, it was gone, and he was able to overpower opponents who were now off balance. That move and many others propelled him to win the 167-pound weight class at the 1967 Midwest Conference championship. He finished in the top three at the conference meet the next two seasons as well.
By the late 1960s, the two-way player was being phased out in college football. That trend did not deter Kraitsik, as he excelled playing defense, offense, and special teams. In fact, his kick return average of 35.4 yards is still the highest in school history. He was a first-team all-conference football selection in 1968. Kraitsik also won the David Theophilus ’51 Award for outstanding athlete in more than one sport as well as the Charles Walker ’56 Wrestler of the Year award, and was co-captain of the football team his senior year.
Through a unique arrangement, Kraitsik spent a fifth year at Grinnell serving as an assistant football and wrestling coach while completing the prerequisite requirements for admission to medical school. Kraitsik’s medical career has been devoted to the health and welfare of Native Americans. He practices medicine at the Fort Defiance Indian Hospital in Arizona and the Gallup Indian Medical Center in New Mexico.
Lloyd Eugene “Gene” Reid ’83
Gene Reid was a difficult man to tackle in the fall of 1982. As running back for the Pioneers, Reid ran for 1,270 yards that season – a school record that remains in place to this day. In fact, the 1,270 mark is nearly 200 yards ahead of the next highest season total. Reid also scored nine touchdowns and averaged 141.1 yards a game during the 1982 season. The awards soon flooded in, including team MVP, first team all-conference, and CoSIDA third team All-American.
Reid’s senior season was the cherry on top of a successful four-year run. He introduced himself to the Midwest Conference in 1979 by being named a first-team all-conference running back. Reid had an 88-yard run at the University of Chicago during the 1980 season, which was a school record for the next 15 years, and still is the second-longest carry in team history. He also has the fifth, seventh, eighth, and tenth longest Grinnell runs from scrimmage.
For his career, Reid ran for 2,800 yards, the second most all-time at the College. Reid is the career leader in rushing yards per game with 93.3. He also shows up in the Pioneers Top 10 in several punt return and kickoff return categories.
After Grinnell, Reid worked for the Atlanta Police Department and the Miami Dade Police Department. He now works for CSX as a track inspector in Union City, Georgia.
Jeffrey T. Clement ’99
When Jeff Clement set the NCAA basketball record for 3-pointers in a game with 16 in 1997, it turns out he was just getting warmed up. He broke his own record later that year by swishing 17 against Clarke College. Then he broke that record by making 19 against Illinois College in 1998, scoring 77 points in the process, which was the most ever by a Division III player at that time.
Clement led the NCAA in scoring both his junior and senior seasons and graduated as the Division III all-time leader in made 3-pointers. He still holds the NCAA record for most 3-point shots made in a single season.
Clement’s remarkable scoring prowess caught the attention of media members and basketball fans well beyond central Iowa. He was featured on ESPN’s SportsCenter, the New York Times, Sports Illustrated, and invited to shoot in the NCAA’s 3-point contest during the 1999 men’s Final Four in Tampa, the first Division III basketball player to appear in the contest.
A two-time team captain, Clement also was known for his thievery. He’s fourth on the career steals list with 208. He was also a three-time all-conference selection.
After graduating with an economics degree from Grinnell, Clement considered pursuing his basketball career further in Europe, but instead decided to begin his career and family with his wife, Angela. He earned a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in finance from Boston University and today works in Des Moines at Principal Global Investors as a managing director with the real estate investments group. Jeff has remained connected with Grinnell College in numerous ways, which included volunteering on his class committee, hosting international students, facilitating student internships at Principal and following the Pioneers. Jeff and Angela live in Urbandale, Iowa, and have three sons, Joseph, Andrew, and Jacob.
Mark F. Trocinski ’99
As starting left tackle and defensive lineman, Mark Trocinski was a vital piece in Grinnell College football’s 1998 conference championship season. Trocinski opened up running lanes and made sure quarterback (and fellow Hall of Famer) Troy Dougherty ’00 was well protected. During that year, the Pioneers went 10-0, averaged 45.6 points per game, and recorded 4,849 yards of total offense – an average of 6.5 yards per play.
After the 1998 season, Trocinski was selected as a Hewlett-Packard first team All-American, a Football Gazette third team All-American, and to the Midwest Conference first team.
In an era where two-way players had long since gone by the wayside, Trocinski excelled on both sides of the ball. In 1997, Trocinski was named to the first team all-MWC squad as both an offensive and defensive lineman while helping lead the Pioneers to the conference title game. Trocinski was an all-conference player in three seasons, served as team captain for two seasons, and twice won the team’s Abe Rosenbloom ’34 Most Outstanding Offensive or Defensive Lineman Award.
Trocinski also drew recognition for his work in the classroom. An economics and political science major, he was an academic all-conference selection in 1996 and was named third team Academic All-District.
After Grinnell, Trocinski earned an MBA and law degree from the University of Iowa. He was a college professor at American University in Europe and served as a foreign service officer in Washington D.C. and Argentina. He currently is an attorney in the Denver office of Berry Appleman & Leiden, specializing in immigration law.
Sarah E. Evans ’05
Often described as a joy to watch on the field, Sarah Evans had a knack for placing the soccer ball in the back of the net. Evans is the all-time leading goal scorer for Grinnell College women’s soccer with 67 career goals. Remarkably, she scored more goals than the number of games she played (66).
Evans tied a College record by scoring five goals and tallying 11 points in a match at Knox College in 2004. She scored four goals on three different occasions, two of which also came against Knox. Her total of 23 goals during the 2003 season is the second highest in team history.
The Pioneers had winning records all four years Evans played, including an undefeated (8-0-1) conference record in 2003 and a 12-5-1 overall record in 2004. Evans was team captain both seasons. The 2004 squad beat Carroll and St. Norbert to win the Midwest Conference tournament and advance to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history.
Evans was selected to the Midwest Conference first team all four seasons and was named the conference’s Co-Offensive Player of the Year in 2004.
Today, Evans is an associate professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at Michigan State University. She collaborates with Grinnell faculty members on research projects and has hired Grinnell alumni as lab technicians and graduate student workers.
Kate W. Bowen ’06
A scan of the Grinnell College women’s basketball record books finds Katy Bowen’s name 23 times in the top 10 of statistical categories. An all-around offensive threat, Bowen was especially talented at getting to the free throw line and making foul shots. She is second all-time in career free throws made (364) and attempted (513). Her 81.1 free throw percentage during the 2004-05 season is seventh in team history and her 121 free throws made that season is the fifth highest total.
Bowen also was a great outside shooter, making 128 3-pointers in her career, fifth most in school history. In addition, Bowen was highly regarded as a teammate, making everyone around her better. She is No. 5 in program history in assists, seventh in steals, and eighth in blocked shots.
The Pioneers had won 3 games in the four seasons before Bowen arrived at Grinnell. In her four years on the team, Grinnell won 41 games, including a 16-8 mark in 2003-2004 – the most wins of any Pioneer team this century. In 2003, Bowen was chosen as the women’s Grinnell College Freshman Athlete of the Year and a second-team all-conference selection. She was chosen to the Midwest Conference first-team in 2004, 2005, and 2006.
After earning a psychology degree from Grinnell, Bowen obtained her Master of Arts in education from North Central University and Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Doane University. She has spent her career teaching youth with behavioral and developmental needs and is now the educational director at the Apex Regional Program in Iowa.
Claire Reeder Fletcher ’11
On the volleyball court, Claire Reeder Fletcher ’11 could most often be found in the middle. This was appropriate on many levels. It was where Reeder most impacted volleyball matches through her tenacious ability to register kills, set up her teammates, and block opponents. And she was also in the middle of everything the Pioneers did, from motivating her teammates to preparing for matches.
Reeder was the first Grinnellian to be chosen as MWC Volleyball Player of the Year (2009). She was a Midwest Conference second-team selection in 2007 before being named first-team all-conference for three consecutive seasons. Reeder was also selected for every Midwest Conference all-tournament team across her four years and was a four-year team captain.
She is third in program history in career kills per set (3.45) and attack attempts (3,635) and fourth in Grinnell’s history books in kills (1,354), points (1,611.5), and attack percentage (.259). She has the most points in a match of any Grinnellian when she tallied 36.5 during a five-set match vs. Culver-Stockton in 2007.
Reeder has been a valued partner with the Center for College’s Careers, Life, and Service (CLS) and has returned to share her career experience and skills knowledge in service of helping current Grinnellians. She remains an avid volleyball supporter as well, attending Grinnell matches and remaining in contact with the coaches and current student-athletes. Claire counts her teammates and fellow Grinnell athletes among her best and lifelong friends.
A history and French major at Grinnell, Reeder earned an MBA from the University of Michigan. She now works in strategy at Target in Minneapolis, where she lives with her husband Ryan Fletcher ’11 and their daughter, Arden.
Michael J. Brus ’14
On a March 2013 evening in a Shenandoah, Texas, swimming pool, Michael Brus accomplished something no other Grinnellian had in the College’s illustrious swimming history. Brus won the 200-yard backstroke at the NCAA D-III National Championships to become Grinnell’s first national swimming champion. His time of 1:44.81 also shattered a NCAA D-III record.
Brus was a frequent competitor on the national stage, qualifying for 12 national championship events, three each from 2011-2014. He was an eight time All-American and qualified for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 200-meter backstroke. He was a 26-time Midwest Conference champion, winning at least five events every year. In fact, he was undefeated individually in all four years at the conference meet. Predictably, Brus was chosen as the Midwest Conference Outstanding Swimmer all four years.
Brus holds the Grinnell College records in the 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke, 200 individual medley (IM), and 400 IM. He’s also part of school record relays in the 400 freestyle, 800 freestyle, 200 medley, and 400 medley. He has pool records in six different events at the Russell K. Osgood Pool on Grinnell’s campus.
Academically, Brus was chosen as a 2014 College Swimming Coaches Association of America Scholar-Athlete and a first-team Scholar All-American. He also earned the Morgan F. Taylor ’26 award for outstanding athlete in a single sport.
A chemistry major at Grinnell, Brus is now an analytical chemist at LyondellBasell, a chemical manufacturer in Cincinnati. He continues to swim for the Cincinnati Marlins, a masters swim team.
Shirlene S. Luk ’15
Whether Shirlene Luk was on the court solo or with a doubles partner, she was equally adept at finding ways to win. Luk won 72 singles and 71 doubles matches during her four years on the Grinnell College women’s tennis team. The combined 143 victories are the most in team history. Luk is tied for the most all-time doubles wins, and she is tied for the second most singles victories.
Luk was especially terrific when the stakes were high. She was the Midwest Conference singles champion in 2012, 2014, and 2015. She teamed up with Toby Cain ’12 to win the MWC double title in 2012, and then won again the next year with Clothilde Thirouin ’14.
The Pioneers won the MWC for three straight seasons during Luk’s tenure, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The 2013-14 team became the second ever Grinnell team to win an NCAA DIII Tournament match after defeating Coe College 5-1 – including a win by Luk and Thirouin at No. 1 doubles.
Luk is the only women’s tennis player to have a regional ranking in both singles and doubles. After her senior season, Luk received the Grace McIlrath Parker ’11 Award for outstanding athlete in a single sport.
Luk has continued to play tennis competitively in United States Tennis Association (USTA) sanctioned leagues. In October 2021, Luk traveled with her team to Arizona to compete at the national 4.5 Women’s USTA championship, where they finished second.
An economics major at Grinnell, Luk is now a financial planning associate with Focus Financial in the Twin Cities, while also dabbling in investment real estate management on the side.
— by Jeremy Shapiro