Pacific sets class for 18th Athletic Hall of Fame Induction

09/18/2008 - article care of Blake Timm - Pacific University

Pacific honors three athletes, a coach and a major department contributor for in ceremonies to be held on Oct. 18

FOREST GROVE ­ Three standout athletes, a dynamic coach and a major athletic department contributor will be honored as the 18th induction class of the Pacific University Athletic Hall of Fame.

Bill Braun ¹58 (baseball), Ean Lensch ¹96 (men¹s soccer) and Christy Taylor Zimmer ¹92 (women¹s basketball) join former men¹s & women¹s soccer coach Tom Reynolds and meritorious service inductee Jeff Grundon ¹80 in the class, which will be inducted on Sat., Oct. 18. The ceremony begins at 7:00 p.m., in the University¹s Taylor-Meade Performing Arts Center. Admission to the ceremony is free. An invitation-only dinner and reception will take place prior to the ceremony.

BILL BRAUN was a four-year All-Northwest Conference baseball selection as an outfielder, earning Honorable Mention honors in 1955 and First Team laurels in 1956, 1957 and 1958. In his four seasons, Braun never hit below .300 and led the Badgers in 1955 with a .339 batting average. In 1958, Braun was awarded the George Risk Memorial Trophy, honoring the team¹s most valuable player. Braun also played one season of varsity basketball, helping the Badgers to the 1957 NWC championship. A native of Vernonia, Ore., Braun is a retired engineer and currently resides in Gig Harbor, Wash.

EAN LENSCH played a major role in Pacific¹s men¹s soccer successes in the 1990s. The 1995 Northwest Conference Player of the Year and NAIA Honorable Mention All-American, Lensch led the Boxers in goals and points in both 1994 and 1995. He led the 1995 squad to the NWC championship and a berth in the NAIA District II playoffs. A native of Ashland, Ore., Lensch is Pacific¹s single season and career record holder for game-winning goals and ranks among the single season and career leaders in points and goals. Lensch lives in Portland. He is the director of Nike¹s Creative Kitchen, which helps create the company¹s video, advertising and digital content.

CHRISTY TAYLOR ZIMMER was one of the building blocks for Pacific¹s dominant women¹s basketball program in the early 1990s. A four-year starter and a First Team All-Northwest Conference selection in 1991, Zimmer helped lead a loaded Boxers¹ squad to NWC championships in 1989, 1990 and 1991. She was the second Pacific women¹s basketball player to score over 1,000 points and her 1,371 points currently ranks fourth all-time. Zimmer lives in Lewistown, Mont., where she is employed as a physical therapist. Zimmer¹s sister, Tara Taylor, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996.

The late TOM REYNOLDS coached the Pacific women¹s soccer from 1983 to 1992 and led the men¹s squad from 1991 to 1992. Reynolds coached the Pacific women to NAIA District II championships in 1985, 1986 and 1992. In his 10 years leading the program, the Boxers never finished worse than fourth. In 1991, Reynolds was named the NAIA District II Men¹s & Women¹s Soccer Coach of the Year. Following his death from cancer in 1993, Reynolds was elected to the NAIA District II Hall of Fame.

JEFF GRUNDON has played a key role in Pacific athletics since the late 1970s as a player, coach, administrator and admissions counselor. A three-year football player, Grundon served as an assistant football from 1980 to 1991. Since 2006, he has been a volunteer coach for the Boxer men¹s soccer team. In his role as associate director of admissions, Grundon has recruited hundreds of student-athletes to Pacific, including many Hall of Fame members. As part of his admissions duties, Grundon serves as the department¹s official liaison to athletics, helping coaches lure the best student-athletes to Forest Grove.