Infobox college athletics
name = Grand View Vikings
university = Grand View College
conference = Midwest Collegiate Conference | director = Troy Plummer
city = Des Moines
state = Iowa
stateabb = IA
teams = 17
rivals = Saint Ambrose University
stadium = Williams Stadium
arena = Sisam Arena
mascot =
nickname = Vikings
color1 = Red
color2 = White
hex1 = CC0000
hex2 = FFFFFF
pageurl = http://www.gvvikings.com
pagename = www.gvvikings.com
The Grand View Vikings are the athletic teams of Grand View College. The college is a member of the Midwest Collegiate Conference and competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, plays in the Mid-States Football Association, fielding 17 varsity teams in 11 sports:
In addition, the cheerleading and competitive dance squads occasionally perform at athletic events. The squads are supported by the athletic department.
Grand View joined the NAIA after it moved from junior college status in 1979. Many athletic programs at Grand View have been reinstated or added in the past decade. Grand View added women's soccer in 1998 and has reinstated competitive dance (2002), cross country (2003), golf (2004) and track (2006). Wrestling and football were added in 2008. There was talk of reinstating women's tennis in fall of 2007, but so far nothing has been announced. [cite web | title = Grand View considers football | publisher = Des Moines Register | url =http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/stories/091906aae.html | format = English | accessdate = 2007-07-18]
Football
Grand View announced that it will be creating a football team in the fall of 2008 with the hiring of Mike Woodley in July 2007. Woodley has over 30 years of coaching experience and prior to Grand View, Woodley was head coach at Sam Rayburn High School in Pasadena, Texas. Woodley is a familiar name in the Iowa football community, after serving as head coach at conference rival Saint Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa from 1991 to 1993 and assistant coach at Iowa State University from 1994 to 2003. Woodley is a 1974 University of Northern Iowa graduate and four-year football letterman. He still holds the Panthers' school record for 20 career interceptions.
In a press release by the Grand View athletic department, Woodley stated, “Anybody who’s been in this business long enough knows that the opportunity to start a program from scratch is very rare. There are so many exhilarating things happening on campus with the addition of athletic programs, new student housing, and new buildings. Grand View is headed in the right direction, and I want to be a part of it." [cite web | title = Woodley to lead Grand View's first football team | publisher = Midwest Classic Conference | url =http://www.midwest-classic.com/article/292.php | format = English | accessdate = 2007-07-18]
Grand View will play independently of a league in 2008 before officially joining the Midwest League of the Mid-States Football Association, in 2009. Iowa Wesleyan College, McKendree University, Olivet Nazarene University, Quincy University, Saint Xavier University, Saint Ambrose University, Trinity International University, University of St. Francis, and William Penn University are all members of the MSFA.
The Vikings played Briar Cliff University in its historical debut on Saturday, August 30, 2008 Williams Stadium, Grand View's new home field. Grand View won 20-17.
Wrestling
The campus newspaper, The Grand Views, mentioned in its September 7, 2007 issue that construction will begin in the fall of 2007 of "a new weight room for sports teams; faculty offices; and wrestling team area" and will be completed by the summer of 2008 as part of the college's master plan.[Citation | last=Hottle | first=Molly | author-link= | title=Construction takes over | newspaper=The Grand Views | volume=62 | issue=1 | pages=6-7 | year=2007 | date= 2007-09-07 | url= ] This addition will be built onto the southeast side of the existing Johnson Wellness Center near the baseball field.]On Thursday, March 6, 2008, Grand View announced the establishment of a wrestling squad with the hiring of new head wrestling coach Nick Mitchell. [cite web | title = Nick Mitchell named Grand View wrestling coach | publisher = Midwest Collegiate Conference | url =http://www.midwestcollegiateconference.com/article/468.php | format = English | accessdate = 2008-03-06] Mitchell is a graduate of Wartburg College, where he was an assistant wrestling coach leading up to his hiring at Grand View.
The Grand View wrestling program will be the first Des Moines collegiate wrestling program since Drake University dropped their program after their 1992-1993 season. [cite web | title = Top-ranked Wartburg's Mitchell tabbed Grand View's first coach | publisher = Des Moines Register | url =http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080302/SPORTS0208/803020349/1096 | format = English | accessdate = 2008-03-06] The Des Moines Register also reports that the first season for Grand View wrestling will be in the 2008-2009 winter.
Athletic facilities
Charles S. Johnson Wellness Center/Sisam Arena
Located at 1500 Morton Avenue, the Charles S. Johnson Wellness Center opened in 2002 and is the largest building on campus as of summer 2007. The convert|80000|sqft|m2|sing=on facility can be considered the nerve center of the Viking athletic program. The women's volleyball team plays home games in the fieldhouse, and the men's and women's basketball teams play home games in Sisam Arena. Home wrestling events are also held in Sisam Arena. The lobby of the arena contains trophy cases which make up the Grand View Athletic Hall of Fame. Sisam Arena was named after David Sisam, longtime coach and athletic director.
Sisam Arena was renovated in 2002 while the wellness center was being built and received new bleachers, backboards, wall padding and a small media platform.
The upper fieldhouse contains 1/10th mile track, weight lifting equipment open to athletes and Grand View students, faculty and staff and a double basketball court resides on the ground level.
In 2008, a new two-level addition was added on the southeast corner to provide a new weight room, a wrestling room and athletics staff offices. The convert|3100|sqft|m2|sing=on weight room facility exclusively for athletes has ten "Power Lift" stations and a collective convert|9020|lb|sing=off in plates, dumbbells and bars.
Luhrs Athletic Complex
Luhrs Athletic Complex, located behind the wellness center at 1500 Morton Avenue, is comprised of one field each for soccer, baseball, softball as well as an open grassy practice area adjacent to the baseball field on Sheridan Avenue. Luhrs was renovated in 2004. Residential houses sit immediately on the other side of the fence of the soccer field.
Williams Stadium
Located away from campus at 1591 East University Avenue, Grand View will be playing at the stadium of East High School (Des Moines), Williams Stadium. The college and East High will be in a working partnership. Grand View has committed to spending $800,000 on a new locker room facility and will raise an additional $1.2 million for other track and field renovations at the stadium. [Citation | last=Wanek | first=Joseph | author-link= | title=Grand View football team to play at renovated East High stadium | newspaper=The Grand Views | volume=62 | issue=18 | pages=1, 4 | year=2007 | date=02/22/2008 | url= ] Grand View and the East High Foundation, an organization for alumni, staff, faculty and the east-side community, will partner in the fundraising. Artificial turf will be installed, allowing both East High and Grand View to play and practice on the field, although the turf is not expected to be completed until the 2009 season. A sports pavilion, new goal posts, and a new college-regulation track will also be part of the renovation plan.
Other facilities and venues
*Ewing Park, a park owned and maintained by the City of Des Moines, is the home of Grand View's cross-country team and hosts the Viking Invitational each year. Ewing Park is located south of the Grand View campus.
*Briarwood Golf Course is a golf course located north of the campus in Ankeny, Iowa, a suburb of Des Moines. Briarwood, an 18-hole, par-72 course is used for practice.
Fight song
For it’s a grand old team to play for,And it’s a grand old team to see,And if you know our history,Well it’s enough to make your heart go oh-oh-ohWe don’t care what [insert name of opponent or rival here] say,What the heck do we care?Because we only know,That there’s gonna be a show,And the Grand View Vikings will be there!
References
External links
* [http://www.gvvikings.com Official Grand View Vikings athletics site]
