Grace College Track and Field Coach Jeff Raymond was recognized on Friday as he steps down from his coaching role to work in the sports information department at the college. A story at the online newsite, InkFreeNews, reported that he was honored during the final day of the Crossroads League Track and Field Championships, which was held at Grace. A portion of the story appears below. Click here to read the complete article.
Raymond Gets Fond Farewell
WINONA LAKE – It wasn’t quite the victory tour some coaches experience after announcing their pending resignations. But Friday’s final day of the Crossroads League Track and Field Championships was a perfect setting for Jeff Raymond to say his goodbye.
Raymond, the longtime track and field coach with the Lancers, announced earlier this year he is resigning from the post after 11 years with the track program. Also coaching cross country in Winona Lake for several years, Raymond chose to step down from the post in lieu of accepting a position with the Grace College sports information department.
“I’ve been involved with collegiate track and field as an athlete or coach for almost every year since 1983,” stated Raymond. “Along the way, however, I worked in media relations for more than 15 years. Stepping back into that world is something I’m looking forward to. I genuinely enjoy a wide variety of small-college sports and feel I have a good insight into what the players and coaches go through because of my past experiences.
“I hope I can take a little pressure off Josh Neuhart and an SID job that can easily become a 24/7 endeavor. While all the specifics of the job are still in the works, I will most likely cover selected sports at Grace, write game stories and post information online. I also hope to write a feature story every month, highlighting a specific athlete or coach.”
The SID office at Grace largely has been a one-man operation with Neuhart getting selected help from student interns and the occasional grad class helper. But the office will now get Raymond’s professional service, to which Neuhart has already been honored by CoSIDA as one of the top outfits in the country.
“Our coaches and student-athletes will be immediately impacted by having Jeff join our athletics communications staff at Grace,” said Grace Assistant AD/SID Josh Neuhart in a statement earlier this spring. “His experience and organization will greatly enhance our communications efforts, and I’m thankful to be able to serve alongside him.”
Raymond, however, hasn’t had much time to rearrange the desk and filing cabinets. Grace is currently working through the final weeks of its track and field regular season, Friday in the second day of the Crossroads League Track and Field Championships. The NCCAA National Championships are set for next weekend and the NAIA’s are at the end of the month, both of which Raymond expects to have athletes eligible to compete.
Transitions will have to wait.
Click here to read the complete article.