WINONA LAKE – Grace College’s volleyball team landed one of its most exciting prospects in program history with the signing of 10-year-old Courtney Brower.

Courtney, a Madison Elementary School student, joins the Lady Lancers through Team IMPACT, a Boston-centered nonprofit whose mission is to improve the quality of life for children facing serious and chronic illnesses through the power of team.

Courtney was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis at the age of 4. That has since spiraled into multiple diagnoses that leave her missing school and sports for hospital appointments.

She, along with her mom, were officially introduced as members of the Lady Lancers during a special Draft Day ceremony at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center. Grace’s players and Director of Athletics Chad Briscoe were present to witness the memorable event on the court.

“We are so excited to officially have Courtney as part of our team. She is such a blessing to us. She is encouraging and uplifting to us throughout the year, so we are excited to encourage and build her up as well during her battle,” said Grace head coach Katie Van Hofwegen. As an official team member, Courtney attends many of the team activities and sits with the Lady Lancers during home matches.

“Courtney makes your face light up every time you see her,” said Grace assistant coach Sara Miller. “She is one of our biggest cheerleaders and is so great at reaching out to all of our players. We’re so glad we can share our team environment with such a special girl.”

The Lady Lancers will enjoy their home opener this weekend on Friday and Saturday with the Lancer Classic. The two-day tournament will see Grace play in four matches at the MOCC.

Since its inception, Team IMPACT has created relationships that have enhanced the lives of thousands of courageous children and touched the lives of tens of thousands of student-athletes across the country.

The team behind Team IMPACT is honored and inspired to continue and expand the longstanding tradition of athletes paying tribute to something that is far greater than themselves; the ability to come together, serve the community and support each and every member of the team through adversity both on and off the field.



Grace Adds Marcus Moore To Staff

WINONA LAKE – Grace College’s athletic department is pleased to announce the hiring of Marcus Moore.

Moore will serve in a new position on staff as the Athletics Admissions Recruiting Coordinator. In this new strategic role, he will assist all 17 varsity programs in recruitment. Additionally, he will have a focus on the new initiative for the growth of junior varsity and club sports on Grace’s campus.

“Grace is a special place and has had a big role in my life over the past two decades. I look forward to the challenges of this new position, and I’m eager to see a large number of future Grace College athletes experience our growing campus,” Moore said.

“I’m excited to be able to work for a staff and administration that I look up to so much and to come work in an environment that gets me excited every day.”

Moore will aid in all aspects of recruiting prospective student-athletes, including facilitating campus visits, coordinating tours and scheduling meetings with coaches and professors.

Additionally, he will continue in his role as the head coach for Grace’s women’s tennis program, which he has done since 2017.

“We are very excited to have Marcus lead in this strategic role on our campus,” said Grace Director of Athletics Chad Briscoe.

“His ability to recruit at a high level will be a tremendous complement to our entire coaching staff. His background as a Lancer alum and current head coach will also further help the growth and success of all our athletic programs.”

Moore was a star basketball player at Grace from 2004-08. He was an NAIA and NCCAA All-American who graduated as the No. 2 all-time leading scorer in Grace’s history with 2,351 points.



Lady Lancers Open Golf Season With Win

ANGOLA – Grace’s women’s golf team teed off the 2018-19 season with a victory at the Trine Invitational.

The Lady Lancers won the seven-team tournament by a whopping 32 strokes at Zollner Golf Course. All five players for Grace finished in the top 10 on the individual leaderboard.

Lauren Keiser and Sydney Abbott ended in a three-way tie for medalist after shooting 82 in their season openers.

Kara Godsey and Kristin Holt were only two strokes back, tying for fifth place with an 84. Rachel Harvey rounded out Grace’s scoring with a seventh-place 85.

“What a great way to start our season! This course is difficult; it’s long for the ladies and very hilly. So considering the difficulty of the course and margin of the win, I think it’s clear the girls played really well,” said Grace head coach Denny Duncan.

“We have come to expect great things from Lauren and Sydney, but our three sophomores worked really hard in the offseason and came ready to make an impact.”

The Lady Lancers are back in action on Aug. 31 with the IWU Invitational.