Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Football - Josh Kleinfelter '11 set for induction into Lycoming Athletics Hall of Fame

#31 Josh Kleinfelter (A www.LycomingFootball.com file photo)
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Running back Josh Kleinfelter '11 will be inducted into the 2018 Lycoming College Athletics Hall of Fame class at the 33rd annual Hall of Fame Ceremony as part of Alumni Weekend, June 1-3, 2018.

Josh Kleinfelter - Class of 2011
When Coach Frank Girardi retired at the end of the 2007 season, he told the incoming coach, Mike Clark ’93, that his starting tailback had a chance to be really good, if not one of the best in a line of accomplished running backs to come through the storied Lycoming football program. Josh Kleinfelter ’11 lived up to that praise in the course of his career, becoming the only running back in program history to earn four all-conference accolades. As a rookie, the 5-10, 185-pounder finished third in the conference with 509 rushing yards and two touchdowns under Coach Girardi.

#31 Josh Kleinfelter (A www.LycomingFootball.com file photo)
In 2008, he was the force that paced the Lycoming offense, as the team rebounded from a 3-7 season by winning the school’s 14th MAC title. Kleinfelter ran for 1,123 yards and 11 touchdowns, crossing 100 yards four times in the season. He added 821 yards as a junior, but saved his best campaign for last. In 2010, he rushed for 1,212 yards on 216 attempts, posting eight touchdowns and averaging 121.2 yards per game, despite fighting injuries for the last four games of the year. He became the first running back in school history to post five straight 100-yard rushing games and the first to post three straight games with more than 200 all-purpose yards. 

#31 Josh Kleinfelter (A www.LycomingFootball.com file photo)
He rushed for more than 200 yards twice and his 5.6 yards per carry average was half a yard higher than any back in the MAC. The Bellwood, Pa., product finished his career with school records in rushing yards (3,665), rushing attempts (773), rushing yards per game (91.6), all-purpose yards (4,474) and all-purpose yards per game (111.8) and still ranked in the top two in all those categories, while still holding the record for rushing attempts.

#31 Josh Kleinfelter (A www.LycomingFootball.com file photo)
After graduating from Lycoming, Kleinfelter went on to graduate from the Pennsylvania State Police Academy in 2015. He married wife, Chelsea, in September, and the couple reside in Hesston.