Hall of Fame inductees reflect on the Grinnell experiences that shaped them
September 30, 2026 — When Agnė Lukoševičiūtė ’21 arrived at Grinnell College, she had never competed in the hammer throw. But the time she left, she was a track and field All-American, a Lithuanian national champion, and a top five finisher in that event at the NCAA Championships.
Introducing Lukoševičiūtė at Saturday’s Athletics Hall of Fame dinner, her former coach Jeff Pedersen ’02, recalls a meet during Lukoševičiūtė’s first year where she narrowly finished in second place.
“She made her mind up at that moment that it will never happen again,” said Pedersen, who also is in the Athletic Hall of Fame. “Over the next year-and-a-half, Ange would become widely known across campus for solo lifting sessions, countless hours in the hammer circle, and late-night footwork sessions in the residence halls. This event turned into her passion. She exhausted every bit of knowledge I have about the event. She poured over her own videos and sought out some of the foremost experts in the sport, eventually becoming an expert herself.”
Eight of the 2026 inductees to the Athletic Hall of Fame stand with President Anne F. Harris, left, and Holly Roepke, director of athletics and recreation, right, after receiving their medals Saturday before the women’s soccer match.
Lukoševičiūtė was one of 10 Grinnell graduates inducted Saturday into the Athletic Hall of Fame. This year’s induction class included alums who competed in swimming, baseball, soccer, basketball, cross country, and track and field and coaches who led soccer, basketball, and golf programs.
As part of Athletics Reunion weekend, a Hall of Fame ceremony was held in between the men’s and women’s soccer games Saturday, and later the inductees and their families, teammates, and coaches gathered for dinner.
The 2026 inductees are:
- Michael Daley ’72
- Ian Carlson ’95
- Heather Benning ’96
- Rebecca (Mackenzie) Ward ’09
- Jack Taylor ’15
- Adam Dalton ’16
- Hayley Levin ’16
- Beth Tsuha ’17
- Agnė Lukoševičiūtė ’21
- David Arseneault
“The 2026 class represents generations of Pioneer excellence, spanning a wide range of sports, and leadership roles across Grinnell’s history,” said Holly Roepke, director of athletics and recreation. “That range is the point. It isn’t one team’s night. It’s a night that connects decades of people who wore the Pioneer name and made it into something.”
The Grinnell College Athletic Hall of Fame was created in 1995 to recognize the achievements of the College’s most accomplished student-athletes, coaches, and administrators. Saturday marked the 11th induction ceremony. There are now 136 Hall of Famers.
“The most exciting part of this weekend is we can show our current athletes what they are a part of and the standard that was set before them,” Roepke says. “Current and future Pioneers will understand what’s possible here, what commitment looks like, and what it means to represent a college with excellence.”
Jack Taylor ’15, left, and his former basketball coach, David Arseneault, share a laugh before the Athletics Hall of Fame dinner.
In 29 seasons coaching the men’s basketball team, Arseneault won 343 games. Teams from his era still hold 34 NCAA records.
“The truth is I should have never be hired at Grinnell,” he told the audience at Saturday’s dinner. “When I came here. It was absolutely a foreign experience. I came from a background of discipline, punitive coaching, and single-mindedness, and I was asked to coach a group of kids who wanted no part of that. For a couple of years, I tried to do my thing and failed miserably. I was saved by luck in developing that basketball system.”
The System – a fast-paced style featuring numerous 3-pointers, pressure defense, and frequent substitutions – garnered international acclaim. His teams led the nation in scoring 20 times.
“What it did for me was I was able to watch a game where I didn’t know what was going on, so I couldn’t yell at anyone,” he said while laughing. “It made me a little better person and a little easier to get along with. For that I’m grateful. Without question, Grinnell has done more for me that I ever did for the College.”
Taylor, who scored an NCAA record 138 points in a 2012 game, cherished being inducted in the same class as Arseneault.
“My singular goal in life was how to score the basketball,” he said. “What made Coach A unique was he had spent his entire coaching career also being obsessed with how to score the basketball. When we teamed up, we had the best time of our lives.”
Taylor also mentioned he was super proud to be a Grinnellian, a sentiment shared by many of the inductees.
“I just have so much gratitude for Grinnell and the opportunities it afforded me,” said Ward, who won 53 soccer matches while playing for the Pioneers.
Hayley Levin ’16 gives her Hall of Fame acceptance speech in front of fellow Grinnellians in the Joe Rosenfield ’25 Center on Saturday.
For Levin, an All-American swimmer, being back on campus sparked so many wonderful memories.
“I’m reminded of how happy I am here,” she said. “Grinnell cares about academics and athletics. It cares most about who you are as a person and encourages you to blossom, be a positive, contributing member to society, and sets you up for success in whatever your passion is. Grinnell College will always and forever be a place I feel proud to have spent so much time swimming and learning.”
For Carlson, a baseball and soccer standout in the 1990s, being back in Grinnell gave him a chance to see the current athletic facilities.
“We started our baseball practices by picking up the rocks on the diamond. It was a little different,” he said. “It’s neat to see all the improvements. I’m definitely jealous of the athletes playing today.”
Returning to Grinnell got Dalton, a cross country and track star who earned a spot in the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials, thinking about how the College prepared him for his life extremely well.
“Not only did those Grinnell years teach my how I learn, but they gave me a great intellectual curiosity and made me think for myself,” he said. “I had never seen the mountains or the ocean before Grinnell and had not often met anyone with a cultural background outside of mine. Experiencing a diverse student body, studying in China, presenting research internationally, and being able to have that full experience, made me more confident as a person and leader into my adult life.”
—by Jeremy Shapiro