Trophy hall named for Selgo

The extensive trophy cases in the Fieldhouse may be now named for Tim Selgo, but the retiring athletic director said it does so only because of the great successes of student athletes, coaches and administrators he has worked with for the past 20 years.

A naming ceremony was held April 12 in the Fieldhouse to name the Showcase of Champions for Selgo, who will retire at the end of the academic year. The hallway cases include 10 Learfield Sports/NACDA Directors’ Cup trophies, 17 GLIAC Presidents’ Cup trophies, in addition to hardware representing NCAA team and individual championships and league trophies, among others.

Selgo oriented the audience to the cases and acknowledged the five or six thousand student athletes, and hundreds of coaches and administrators he has worked with since joining Grand Valley in 1996. “It is because of the great work of all these people that this space has my name,” he said.

President Thomas J. Haas said Selgo was not only responsible for hiring great coaches who produced winning teams, but for elevating Grand Valley’s reputation as among the best in NCAA Division II athletics.

“He is without a doubt the best promoter of a well-rounded athletic department,” Haas said. 

Haas said Selgo has focused his attention on ensuring Laker athletes perform well on the field and in the classroom. “He has helped develop the whole person and has created an environment for student success,” Haas said.

Laker golfer Gabrielle Shipley, president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, also spoke and said she represented all 550 student athletes in 20 varsity sports.

“Mr. Selgo has made a positive impact on my college career,” Shipley said. “He is a role model on how to be a great leader.”

Selgo noted that in addition to Haas, former university President Mark Murray and President Emeritus Arend D. Lubbers were in the audience. “There’s the old phrase of ‘Surround yourself with successful people and you will find success.’ Today is an example of that. From student athletes to coaches and support staff, I surrounded myself with those successful people and it is on their backs that I stand before you today and that my name is allowed on this space,” he said.

The Laker Pep Band played the Grand Valley fight song outside the Fieldhouse to start the ceremony.