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From left: Amy Trowbridge Stephens '99, Karen Smith Malloy '01, Britt Marolf '01, Marty James '94, Nick Ackerman '99
From left: Amy Trowbridge Stephens '99, Karen Smith Malloy '01, Britt Marolf '01, Marty James '94, Nick Ackerman '99

Simpson inducts seven into Hall of Fame

Simpson inducted seven new members into its hall of fame and recognized three award winners at the annual Red and Gold Celebration, held Friday, Oct. 19 at Hubbell Hall in the brand new Kent Campus Center.

Veterans Hall of Fame and Hall of Fame inductees included: Perry Hunter '71 (football and tennis), Nathan Ackerman '99 (basketball), Marty James '94 (football, basketball and track), Karen Smith Malloy '01 (softball), Britt Marolf '01 (wrestling) and Amy Trowbridge Stephens '99 (volleyball). Longtime wrestling and golf coach Bob Darrah was inducted to the Coaches Hall of Fame, Dr. Richard Meszar '68 and Mike Saddler '89 earned the Double "S" Award and Barb Overton took home the Dick Buxton Award.

Simpson Hall of Fame 

2012 Red and Gold Celebration Program 

 

Hall of Fame and Veterans Hall of Fame

Membership in the Hall of Fame is reserved for individuals who have lettered in a varsity sport at Simpson, have outstanding athletic and academic backgrounds, and have been successful citizens since their college years.

Perry Hunter '71, football and tennis
Hunter was an offensive lineman for the Redmen football team during its run in the late sixties and early seventies. He was an integral part of coach John Sullivan’s offensive line in 1969 and 1970 which paved the way to a 14-4 record in the two-year span. Sullivan was a first team all-conference honoree in 1969 and 1970 and was a leader on the ’69 squad which went 8-2 and played in the Mineral Water Bowl. Hunter also earned NAIA All-District honors on two occasions.

 

Nathan Ackerman '99, basketball
Ackerman closed his career as one of Simpson’s most prolific scorers. He poured in 1,578 points during his four years, good for fourth in program history. He was a two-time,m first team all-conference performer and ranks second in school history in career free throws made (443) and fourth in both field goals made (564) and free throw percentage (76.1). In 1998 Ackerman led the Storm to an Iowa Conference Championship. Ackerman joins his brother, wrestler Nick Ackerman in the Hall of Fame.

Marty James '94, football, basketball and track
James was a three-sport athlete for Simpson, earning letters in football, basketball and track. On the gridiron, James – a defensive back – earned first team all-conference honors as a junior and senior, adding second team All-America honors as a senior in 1992. James helped the 1991 squad to an undefeated 10-0 regular season, an Iowa Conference Championship and a berth in the NCAA Championship. In basketball, James was a two-year starter. He was a part of coach Bruce Wilson’s squad that won the league title in 1992, breaking a 41-year drought. In one year on the track team, James was a part of Simpson’s indoor 4x400-meter relay team that participated in the national meet.

Karen Smith Malloy '01, softball
Smith left her mark on Simpson softball in only two years on the team after transferring from Indian Hills Community College in 1999. As a senior in 2001, Smith was recognized as a first team all-conference performer and a first team All-American outfielder for the Storm. In her first year on campus, Smith set school records with 16 doubles and 46 runs scored, leading Simpson to an Iowa Conference Championship and a berth in the NCAA Championship. She was also an academic all-region and academic all-conference selection during her career.

Britt Marolf '01, wrestling
Marolf was a three-time national qualifier for the Storm wrestling team, earning All-America honors with a seventh-place finish as a sophomore at 118 pounds in 1998. With the help of his finish in the 1998 national meet, the Storm placed fifth in Division III, the highest ever by a Simpson team before the 2004 team also took fifth. Marolf ranks eighth all-time in Simpson history with 103 wins, going 103-55 during his career. He was named the team’s most valuable wrestler in 2000.

 

Amy Trowbridge Stephens '99, volleyball
Trowbridge is one of only seven players in Simpson history to earn the title of All-American. The outside hitter earned second team All-America honors in 1997, leading the Storm to an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. She was named first team all-conference in 1997 and 1998 and was a second team pick in 1996. Trowbridge set the school record for kills in a four-set match when she had 35 against Loras on Oct. 27, 1998. Her name is dotted throughout the Simpson career record book, most notably ranking second in career digs (1,723), third in kills (1,682) and fourth in hitting percentage (.260).

Coaches Hall of Fame

Membership in the Coaches Hall of Fame is reserved for coaches who have made significant contributions to the college, the athletic program, his or her sport and, most importantly, the students of Simpson College. The coach must have demonstrated exceptional personal and leadership qualities while exhibiting high moral and ethical characteristics.

Bob Darrah, 1989-2012, wrestling, men's and women's golf
Darrah will go down as arguably the most successful coach Simpson has ever seen. Guiding three sports – women’s golf, men’s golf and wrestling – during his 22 seasons as a head coach, Darrah earned 12 Iowa Conference Coach of the Year honors, more than any other coach in Simpson history. Eleven of those awards came when he was the women’s golf coach, building a dynasty in the 1990s. Darrah led Simpson to a league-high nine conference titles throughout his 23 years at the helm, coaching nine conference medalists, three Iowa Conference Golfers of the Year and four All-Americans (Tracy Voss, 1994; Leah Willenborg, 1994-96; Hannah Willenborg, 1998, 2000; Fay Bradley, 2000). He guided the Storm to three National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) runner-up team titles, two NCAA Division II/III third-place finishes and one NCAA Division III fourth-place showing. In all, Simpson made 15 national tournament appearances under Darrah. He also served as the head wrestling coach at Simpson from 1989-1995 and is responsible for Simpson’s lone conference title in the sport. He went 86-25-1 during his tenure, earning Iowa Conference Coach of the Year honors in 1991 as the Redmen claimed the league title. Darrah coached five All-Americans, including two-time national champion Travis Young. In 1996, Simpson honored Darrah’s wrestling legacy by naming the practice facility in his honor.

Double "S" Award

This award, presented by the Gold Club, recognizes those former athletes at Simpson College who have been successful in their careers, volunteer activities, or hobbies. The recipients must be graduates of Simpson who were awarded athletic letters during their college careers.

Dr. Richard Meszar '68, basketball and baseball
While at Simpson, Meszar was a member of the basketball and baseball teams, earning baseball team MVP honors in 1968. He graduated from Simpson with a bachelor’s degree in education and continued his schooling at Arizona State Unviersity. There, he earned a master’s degree in secondary education in 1971. In 1982, Meszar completed his doctorate in education from Arizona State. He spent many years as an educator in the state of Arizona. From 1972-1986 he served as an educational consultant for the Arizona Department of Education and from 1986-1999 he was an assistant principal for the Mesa Public School’s in Mesa, Ariz. During his career, Meszar served as president of the Assocation of State Supervisors of Safety and Driver Education, won the Distinguished Service Award from the Arizona Interscholastic Assocation and was named the Mesa Community College Adjunct Faculty Member of the Year. At Simpson, Meszar was a member of the student senate, the Spanish Club and served as president of Barker Hall.

Mike Sadler '89, basketball
Sadler was a four-year letterwinner for the Simpson basketball team and earned his bachelor’s degree in management in 1989. He received his master’s in business leadership from Upper Iowa in 2003. Since 1994 he has worked for Qwest/CenturyLink in Des Moines, Iowa, where he currently serves as assistant vice president for public policy and government relations. During his professional career, Sadler has served on a number of boards and committees, including the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, the Iowa Taxpayers Association, the Better Business Bureau and the Iowa Board of Corrections. He also chaired the Urbandale Civil Rights Commission, is board member for Simpson’s Culver Public Policy Center and is an active Gold Club member. Sadler is an active volunteer and, in 2005, was named to the Des Moines Business Record’s Forty Under 40, which recognizes local business leaders under the age of 40 for their career achievements and community involvement.

Dick Buxton Award

This award, presented by the Gold Club, is given in memory of Dick Buxton ‘57, the Gold Club’s first president and avid supporter of Simpson athletics. The recipient is a member of the community who has willingly given his/her time and effort in support of athletics at Simpson College.

Barb Overton
A champion for women’s intercollegiate athletics, Overton’s impact on Simpson College spans decades and will be felt for years to come. She began her career at Simpson in 1965 as a professor in the physical education department and was the head of the department from 1972-75. During that time she also directed the Women’s Recreation Association and began the foundation for the organization of a women’s intercollegiate athletic program at Simpson. Overton served as the first varsity softball coach, helped create the varsity volleyball program and also spent time coaching golf and tennis. After a stint away from Simpson, Overton returned in 1999 as an assistant volleyball coach under Lana Smith. In addition to her volleyball duties, Overton is also the Athletic Marketing Assistant and the Assistant Athletic Benefit Coordinator. Her fund raising efforts for the athletic program are immeasureable.