CONTACT: Tory Olson, 515-271-1834, tory.olson@drake.edu
Drake University Athletic Director Sandy Hatfield Clubb and Men’s Head Basketball Coach Mark Phelps will preview the upcoming basketball season and other Drake athletic events in the Let’s DU Lunch series on Wednesday, Oct. 7.
This event, which is open to the public, will be held at AllPlay, located at 615 3rd Street in downtown Des Moines. Doors open for networking at 11:30 a.m. and the lunch and program begin at noon.
Clubb will speak about preparations for Drake to host the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 2010. Named Drake’s 16th athletic director in 2006, Clubb was instrumental in hosting the successful 2008 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Drake Stadium.
Other accomplishments under Clubb’s leadership include the Drake men’s and women’s basketball teams winning Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) championships and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. In addition, the men’s tennis team has won three MVC titles and the softball and men’s soccer teams competed in the NCAA Tournament in 2008.
Phelps will preview the upcoming basketball season and share information on his incoming recruiting class, ranked No. 1 among MVC schools for the 2009-2010 season by several recruiting publications.
The rebirth of the Drake men’s basketball program has been one of the top sports stories in Iowa over the last two years. Mark Phelps is entering his second season as head coach, coming to Drake after serving as associate head coach at Arizona State from 2006-2008.
In his first season, Phelps led the Bulldogs to a 17-15 record and an appearance in the inaugural CollegInsider.com Postseason Tournament. It was the first time the Drake men’s basketball program advanced to postseason play in two consecutive years since 1970-1971.
More about Let’s DU Lunch
Let’s DU Lunch will continue the fall series on Wednesday, Nov. 4, with a lecture by Drake alumnus Dan Cosgrove, vice president for biotech business development at Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business.
Cost is $17 and reservations are recommended by Wednesday, Sept. 30 due to limited seating. Drake University and the Greater Des Moines Partnership sponsor all luncheons.
For more information or to register for Let’s DU Lunch, contact Betty See in the Office of Alumni and Parent Programs at 515-271-2500 or betty.see@drake.edu.