GRINNELL’S GRIFFIN LENTSCH NAMED CENTRAL IOWA COLLEGE SPORTS MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Grinnell College Athletics

DES MOINES, Iowa – Grinnell College men’s basketball player Griffin Lentsch ’13, who made a big name for himself this season, has been rewarded for his efforts by being named the Central Iowa College Sports Male Athlete of the Year.

The award was presented Sunday by the Des Moines Area Sports Commission, which serves under the umbrella of the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Other finalists in the contest were Iowa State wrestler Jon Reader, Iowa State football player Kelechi Osemele and Drake football player Mike Piatkowski.

Lentsch, a 6-4 guard from Forest Lake, Minn. (Forest Lake), made national headlines in November when he erupted for an NCAA Division III national record 89 points in the Pioneers’ 145-97 victory at Principia College.

His scoring output surpassed the previous D-III mark of 77 points set by former Grinnell star Jeff Clement in 1998. The point total is third all-time in all of NCAA, placing only behind the 112-point production by Clarence “Bevo” Francis of Rio Grande in 1954 and the 100-point output by Frank Selvy of Furman, also in 1954.

Lentsch finished 27-of-55 from the field, including 15-of-33 from 3-point land. The 15 treys rank ninth best in all of NCAA. He was also an amazing 20-of-22 from the free throw line, with the made number of free throws a Grinnell record.

Currently, Lentsch is tops in the nation in 3-pointers per game with 4.4 and is fifth in scoring, averaging 26.2 points an outing. Grinnell finished second in the Midwest Conference regular season and advanced to the league tourney for the second year in a row.