Ian Pelto, Men's Lacrosse, Colorado College

Posted: May 11, 2016

IAN PELTO OF COLORADO COLLEGE, a senior on the men’s lacrosse team, has been selected the SCAC Character & Community Male Student-Athlete of the Week for the period beginning May 9, 2016.

The SCAC honors the efforts of student-athletes who excel in the field of athletics and serve their campus and community.

Pelto has been one of the team’s unsung heroes during his four-year career, helping the Tigers strengthen their position as the premiere program in the West Region and one of the most successful in all of Division III men’s lacrosse.

Thanks in parts to his efforts as a defensive midfielder, Colorado College has compiled a 47-19 record, good for a .712 winning percentage.

The Tigers won the Locker-Stabler Cup all four years by defeating West-Region rival Whittier College and will make the program’s fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance on Wednesday, May 11, when they play host to the Poets at Stewart Field.

Despite having his final season cut short by injuries, Pelto ranks second among this year’s seniors with 102 ground balls and 32 caused turnovers. He also produced 10 goals and six assists during his career.

Pelto’s two-way skills were evident during his rookie season in 2013 when he ranked among the team leaders with 26 ground balls and nine caused turnovers. He also recorded career highs of seven goals, four assists and 11 points as a freshman.

The following year as a sophomore, he produced a personal high of 12 caused turnovers and in 2015 he recorded a personal-best 39 ground balls.

Despite playing in just five of 15 games this season, Pelto continued to contribute to the team as a senior captain. Not surprisingly, he displayed that same commitment to campus leadership during his four years at the college.

Pelto currently serves as chair of CC’s Student Conduct Committee, which hears alleged conduct violations, proposes disciplinary actions and works with the college administration to implement sanctions.

As a Resident Advisor, he supervises more than 60 students, coordinates social and educational programs to improve community, manages conflicts and other difficult situations, and helps select and train new RAs.

Since 2014, Pelto has been an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for the colleges Emergency Medical Services. His duties have included serving as a shift supervisor and team lead, supply officer and an instructor for CPR and First Aid classes.

Most recently, Pelto helped coordinate the Quony Cup, the annual all-campus soccer tournament that commemorates former men's soccer and lacrosse player Chris Quon, who died unexpectedly in 2009. The event also pays tribute to one of Quon's lacrosse teammates, Evan Spirito, who lost his battle against cancer in 2011.

Sponsored by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the event raises funds for the American Cancer Society, the Christopher Quon Foundation and the Evan Spirito Memorial Foundation.

Operating behind the scenes comes naturally for Pelto, who continues to assist The Colorado Springs School as Technical Theatre Director. In that role at his high school alma mater, he builds sets individually and with groups of students, and runs light and sound for the school’s theatre productions.

Not one to blow his own horn, Pelto organized and played trumpet in the lacrosse team's performance of Soul Man, which took second place at SAAC’s annual Show of Talents.

Pelto will graduate on May 16 with a bachelor’s degree in International Political Economy and minors in Arabic, Biochemistry and pre-medicine.

After spending a year in Denver working with the Colorado Health Institute as part of Colorado College’s Public Interest Fellowship Program, Pelto plans to attend medical school.

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