AD Korner

Happy Fall, Prairie Fire Family!

First and foremost I am excited to share with you that all of our fall sports are a go! Our fall sport student-athletes are competing once again in non-conference and conference action and proudly representing the purple and gold! 

So far our women’s and men’s soccer programs have been fighting through tough non-conference schedules. Both programs intentionally scheduled challenging non-conference opponents to prepare them for success within the Midwest Conference and beyond. One fun development has been seeing some great play from not only our juniors and seniors, but also our sophomores and first years. 

The volleyball team is off to a good 6-7 start with some notable wins and Coach Pat Barry is very excited about his team. The cross country team has run in three meets thus far against Illinois Wesleyan University, Saint Ambrose University, and Wheaton College and has seen terrific improvement from every member of the team and the personal records are falling. On the greens, the men’s and women’s golf season started in mid-September and we are looking forward to hosting a home event this weekend. And finally, on the gridiron, the Prairie Fire are led by first year head coach, and alumnus, Aaron Willits '08. With a new offense and a revamped style of play, the team was very competitive in the season opener against Ripon on September 11 and looks to build momentum as they progress throughout the season!

With all of this excitment, I would be remiss if I didn't thank everyone who has played a part in helping us make this return to competition possible — our athletics trainers, coaches, staff and certainly our campus partners. It has been so great to see our teams compete again, and I know they are all chasing ambitious goals. I hope you will closely monitor and stay in tune with us this year!

Until next time, Go Fire!

Daniella Irle
Director of Athletics

K Club Update

Knox Family, 

Across the department it has been a long spring and summer of planning and preparation in advance of this fall. Now we are seeing those efforts rewarded with the return of our student-athletes on their competitive field of play which has been so exciting!

Fall Campaign: 

This fall, as Knox College rosters approximately 300 Prairie Fire student-athletes across 18 NCAA Division III teams, we’re asking you, members of the Knox family, to renew your membership to K Club, or become a first time member. Keep an eye out for communications in October highlighting K Club dollars in action as well as future areas of use, as it is YOU, who will play a key part in supporting the student-athlete journey and in turn, the continued well-being of Prairie Fire athletics.

Knox-Lombard Athletic Hall of Fame Update:

For those interested in celebrating the 2021 Hall of Fame inductees, please stay tuned as a date and time for their induction ceremony is still being identified. Do keep in mind though that the College’s Homecoming festivities will take place on May 12-15, 2022. 

In the meantime, do you recall a former teammate, a coach, or a collective Knox team who you feel deserves to be in the Hall? Take a few moments to complete this form as you still have time to submit a nomination prior to the February 1 deadline for the 2022 class. Are you curious to see who is currently in the Hall of Fame prior to submitting your application? Check out our redesigned Hall of Fame page under the Fan Zone tab on the Prairie Fire website where you can click on previous inductees for photos and their biography. 

Social Media: 

I also want to remind you that if you want to be up-to-date on games, events, and all things happening with our student-athletes, check us out on social media! Make sure you’re following the Prairie Fire on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

As always, Go Fire!

Crew Keller
Assistant Athletic Director, K Club Engagement & Fundraising