The Marshalltown Community College Baseball team has had plenty of success moving players on to four year institutions over the last decade under head coach Rich Grife. While Grant Seuferer moved on to continue his playing career after MCC, the former Tiger was recently honored with a distinguished honor from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (CPAs).
Seuferer, a member of the MCC Baseball team from 2010-12, was recently awarded the 2015 Elijah Watt Sells Award, given to the CPA candidates who have obtained a cumulative average score above 95.50 across all four sections of the Uniform CPA Examination, passed all four sections of the Examination on their first attempt, and completed testing in 2015.
93,742 individuals attempted the Examination in 2015. Seuferer was one of just 75 candidates, or roughly .08 percent to meet the qualifications for the award.
A native of Milo, IA, Seuferer was an infielder for the Tigers during his two seasons. As a sophomore, Seuferer was awarded the NJCAA Pinnacle Award for Academic Success after obtaining a 4.0 GPA in the classroom. Following his tenure at MCC, Seuferer moved on to Central College where he continued his baseball career and graduated with a 4.0 cumulative GPA. Seuferer is also a graduate of Iowa State University with a Master of Accounting degree and is currently employed with Deloitte Tax in Des Moines, IA.
Seuferer reflected on his time spent at MCC and the impact the institution had on his career. "I think MCC was a great place to start my college education. It is cost effective and you get the same courses, materials, and knowledge as many of your colleagues at four year universities. In addition, you get a lot more one on one time with your teachers and coaches than you would at larger institutions. MCC has very nice facilities and provides for an easier transition from high school to college. I'll never forget the people I met at MCC or the experiences I had."
"Spring break trips with the baseball team were always the highlight of the year, which provided once in a lifetime opportunities for me to play in great complexes in Myrtle Beach, SC," Seuferer added. "You really get close to your teammates because a majority of the students that live on campus are fellow athletes. A unique aspect about community college baseball is the variety of players. You get to play with some guys that just want a couple more years of baseball, but also with guys that will go on to play Division I and eventually get drafted. Regardless of talent level, we all had one thing in common- we loved the game of baseball."
"One of the best aspects about MCC Baseball, in my opinion, is coach Grife. He knows what he is talking about when it comes to the game of baseball, and he enjoys nearly every minute of it. The coaching staff taught us to play the game the right way and with respect because they want you to be successful on the field for the Tigers, but also as you go on throughout life. Grife is the first guy to ask about how life is off the field. I could always tell he cares about each one of his players and wants to make sure they have the tools they need to be successful in the future. Discipline and time management were probably the two best skills MCC helped me to develop in order to be successful as I moved on to get my Bachelor's and Master's degrees and began my career."
Current MCC accounting professor Ted Lewis who taught Seuferer is proud to see his accomplishments continue to pile up. "Grant was the gold standard for student-athletes," Lewis stated. "He was bright and conscience. Grant was heavily involved on campus as a Student Ambassador, Resident Assistant, Phi Theta Kappa member, and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance volunteer. He had a genuine interest in learning, whether it was accounting or baseball."
"When he was ready to transfer, he picked Central because he could pursue his accounting degree and still play baseball. He had a true love for the game of baseball that was endearing. I believe fellow MCC business professor George Johnson said it best when he said Grant was just a 'good soul.' Grant was just a nice young man and I am very proud of him and his accomplishments."
MCC Baseball head coach Rich Grife, while proud to see Seuferer find continued success, is not surprised. "Grant is one of the most intelligent kids I ever coached, just a great kid overall. He came to Marshalltown for all of the right reasons. He knew he wanted to play baseball for four years along with getting his degree. He took an avenue that helped him accomplish all of his goals. It was a great pleasure to have Grant play in our program and we are lucky that he chose Marshalltown as a place to get a start on his career."