Malone Pioneers
Logo
UniversityMalone University
ConferenceGMAC
NCAADivision II
LocationCanton, Ohio
Varsity teams17
Basketball arenaOsborne Hall (Gymnasium)
Baseball stadiumThurman Munson Memorial Stadium
MascotJ.W. Scout
NicknamePioneers
Fight songMalone University Fight Song
ColorsBlue and red[1]
   
Websitewww.malonepioneers.com

The Malone Pioneers are athletic teams of Malone University in Canton, Ohio, United States. The Pioneers compete in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as members of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC). Malone joined the G-MAC after four seasons in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) from 2012–13 to 2015–16. Malone joined the GLIAC and Division II in the 2011–12 season (as an independent in its provisional status) and completed the NCAA Division II membership process in July 2013 after having previously competed in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA); mostly known for its tenure with the now-defunct American Mideast Conference from 1965–66 to 1988–89, and from 1993–94 to 2010–11.[2] In 2016, the Pioneers began play in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, also known as the G-MAC.[3]

Varsity teams

National championships

Team

Sport Association Division Year Opponent/Runner-up Score
Men's cross country (4) NAIA Single 1972 Occidental 92–169
2007 Black Hills State 59–202
2008 Azusa Pacific 61–118
2009 Concordia Nebraska 44–166
Women's cross country (1) NAIA Single 1999 Spring Arbor 77–160

Individual teams

Baseball

The baseball team, founded in 1963, plays home games at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium, their home since 2021.[4] The team previously played at the stadium from 2008 through 2015, before using the baseball field at nearby Jackson High School from 2016 through 2020. During the 2016 and 2017 seasons, the team also held a few home games at Schoonover Stadium on the campus of Kent State University.[5][6] The program's longest tenured coach is Bob Starcher, who led the Pioneer baseball program for 23 seasons, accumulating 521 wins. During Starcher's tenure as head coach, the program experienced 19 winning seasons and 12 conference or district titles.[7] In 2007, the last baseball game was played on the site of long-time Bob Starcher Field at Malone College.

Football

See List of Malone Pioneers head football coaches

Malone University played football continuously between 1993 and 2018. The program began under head coach Joe Palmisano with a 23–23 tie against Bethany (WV) on September 4, 1993.[8] Malone concluded their program with an all-time record of 104 wins, 164 losses, and 2 ties. The last head football coach was Fred Thomas, who coached from 2016–2018. He took over the program from Eric Hehman, who held the position from 2009 until 2015. The school disbanded the team in February 2019.[9]

Conference Titles

Year Conference Record
1995 Mid-States - Mideast Division 3–0–1
1996 Mid-States - Mideast Division 5–1
1998 Mid-States - Mideast Division 5–1

Postseason History

NAIA Football Playoffs
Year Round Result
1995 Round 1 W 24–23, Geneva
Quarterfinals L 7–15, Findlay
1998 Round 1 L 41–46, Georgetown (KY)
Victory Bowl
Year Result Location
2006 L 28–56, North Greenville Younts Stadium
2007 W 45–17, Geneva Reeves Field
2008 L 44–49, Northwestern (MN) Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome

Track and field/cross country

There have been a total of 133 Men's NAIA track and field All-Americans and 17 NAIA national champions. On the woman's side, there have been 59 NAIA All-Americans and two national champions. Both of these totals include indoor and outdoor track and field. Keith Spiva is arguably the most accomplished track and field athlete produced by Malone. He won 4 NAIA national titles and was named an All-American 6 times. He is also the only Malone track and field athlete to win back-to-back national titles in a single event (1989 and 1990 200 meter dash). Christopher Sinick is the most decorated male athlete, with a total of 11 All-American awards in both cross country and track. Combination of track and field with cross-country accomplishments, there have been 69 additional Men's NAIA All-Americans and 28 Woman's NAIA All-Americans. Moreover, Malone has produced one Men's and one Woman's individual cross country national champions.[10]

Christian Dorosario, a member of the Malone Pioneers in the 1970s and school record holder in the mile relay, competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics and 1976 Summer Olympics in the short sprints.[11][12]

Malone has won the following national honors:

  • NAIA
    • Men's national cross-country champions: 1972,2007,2008 and 2009 [13]
    • Men's national cross-country runner-up: 1973, 1980, 1989, and 2001[14]
    • Women's national cross-country champions: 1999[15]
    • Women's national cross-country runner-up: 1998[15]
  • NCCAA
    • Men's national track & field champions: 1973, 1989, 1991, and 2007[16][17]
    • Men's national cross-country champions (Division I): 1986–1992, 1994, 1995, 1997–2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2006[18]
    • Women's national track & field champions: 1987–1989, 1999–2002, 2004, and 2005[19]
    • Women's national cross-country champions (Division I): 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1997–1999, and 2004[20]

Volleyball

Women's Volleyball has been played at Malone since 1975 and has amassed nearly 900 all-time wins. The current coach Tanya Hockman[21] has been head of the program since 1999 and has held the position longer than any other volleyball coach at Malone.

The Malone volleyball program has been an extremely successful one through the years, particularly in the mid 1980s and now under Hockman, who has led the team to over 450 wins during her tenure. The 2001 team tied the school record for most wins in a season at 41 and the program also has two AMC titles (2000, 2001) under Hockman.[22]

References

  1. ↑ Malone University Visual Identity Guidelines (PDF). Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  2. ↑ Looney, Josh (July 15, 2013). "Division II adds new conference, members". NCAA. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Great Midwest Athletic Conference Expands, GLIAC Contracts". Hero Sports. July 6, 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Thurman Munson Stadium". MalonePioneers.com. Malone University. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  5. ↑ "2016 Baseball Schedule". MalonePioneers.com. Malone University. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  6. ↑ "2017 Baseball Schedule". MalonePioneers.com. Malone University. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  7. ↑ Malone College : Baseball Archived December 20, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ College Football Data Warehouse Archived May 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Malone College Football 1993 results
  9. ↑ "Malone University dropping football program amid restructuring". Akron Beacon Journal. February 1, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  10. ↑ Malone College : NAIA All-Americans Archived November 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  11. ↑ "The Evening Independent". wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  12. ↑ "The Evening Independent". wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org. July 19, 1976. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  13. ↑ Malone College : November 17, 2007 Archived May 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  14. ↑ Yearsitechampionpointsrunner-Uppoints Archived May 22, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  15. 1 2 "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 22, 2011. Retrieved December 11, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. ↑ Welcome to the NCCAA: National Christian College Athletic Association
  17. ↑ Welcome to the NCCAA: National Christian College Athletic Association
  18. ↑ Welcome to the NCCAA: National Christian College Athletic Association
  19. ↑ Welcome to the NCCAA: National Christian College Athletic Association
  20. ↑ Welcome to the NCCAA: National Christian College Athletic Association
  21. ↑ Malone College : Tanya Hockman Archived May 17, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  22. ↑ Malone College : Volleyball Archived October 22, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
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