For the second time in program history, Grand Valley State University’s women’s basketball team won the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) National Championship. Making history on Friday, March 28, the Lakers achieved the highest honor in Division II women’s college basketball. The last time GVSU went to the championship was in 2006.

The Lakers began their championship journey on Monday, March 24 by competing in the NCAA Elite Eight against Gannon University. This was the third time in the last 10 seasons that the Lakers competed in the Elite Eight, and the third time advancing to the Final Four after defeating Gannon, 60-32. With a day’s rest, the Lakers took the Final Four win, 68-61, against Pittsburgh State on Wednesday, March 26 after a hard-fought, nail-biting match up.

After spending time in Pittsburgh adapting to the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse court, the Lakers found themselves in the final championship game against California State University, Dominguez Hills. In support of the big game, Laker Nation took over the fieldhouse, as GVSU supplied transportation for students, the marching band, cheerleaders and family. Additionally, other University athletic groups, such as the football and women’s volleyball teams, shared various posts of support and encouragement on Instagram.

“The support (from Laker Nation) has been like no other, and they truly love being there to support us,” said redshirt senior guard Ellie Droste. “Having them at the game on Friday was a game changer. I truly think they shifted the momentum of that game and were able to get in the other team’s head a bit.”

By 7 p.m. on Friday, reality was setting in. Despite the Lakers’ 38-2 record this year, which is also the most single season wins in program history, the championship game was the ultimate test.

To read more from Tori Byrne on this historic victory, click here.

GV track and field shatters records at home meet

The Grand Valley State University track and field teams competed in their first outdoor home meet of the season from Friday, April 4 to Saturday, April 5. There were plenty of notable moments from the weekend, none bigger than school records being broken.

The meet kicked off with sprints and hurdles, where GVSU saw plenty of success. In the 110m, two men and three women for the Lakers qualified for finals. In the finals, senior Ethan Smith finished first with a time of 14.60. For the women, all three runners finished in the top five. Junior Destini Dorkins led the way by running a 14.35, beating her personal record.

In the 100m, GVSU had five men and three women competing in the finals. Graduate student Myles Rhodes led the way for the men with a first place finish. Rhodes ran a 10.48, which tied his personal record. Second and third place also belonged to the Lakers, thanks to freshmen Jacob Machiniak and Desmond Chapa, respectively.

Women’s first, second and third place all belonged to the Lakers. Freshman Claire Neumann ran a personal best, which placed her first. Sophomore Catherine Guckenberger placed second and senior Melia Williams rounded it out at third.

Click here to read more from Griffin Missant on this first meet for the outdoor track and field season.

GV swim and dive secures first win of the semester

On Saturday, Jan. 11, Grand Valley State University’s swim and dive team competed against the Wayne State University Warriors at home. The Lakers came out on top, with leading scores in both the men’s and women’s divisions. The final score for the women was 215 to the Warriors’ 84, in addition to the men’s lead of 207 to 93.

The Lakers had standout performances across the board. Sophomore diver Macy Polasek displayed skill in the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events. In the 1-meter, Polasek came in first, which awarded nine points to the Lakers’ final score. During the 3-meter event, Polasek attempted a new dive, securing her third place in the event.

“Macy Polasek’s forward 3 ½ somersault is a new dive and she performed it very well,” said Steve Burciaga, both the men’s and women’s diving head coach.

In addition to strong diving performances, the women had other notable accomplishments in the pool– the 200-yard medley relay and 200-yard freestyle relay. The Lakers triumphed in both events, securing a combined 22 points toward the team’s final score.

To read more from Arianna Westbrooks on the swim and dive team’s victory against Wayne State, click here.

GV women’s wrestling debuts at home against Northern Michigan

In front of a packed crowd at the Fieldhouse Arena, the Grand Valley State University women’s wrestling team debuted their inaugural dual against Northern

Michigan University, dominating their way to a win, 42-6.

Kicking things off for the Lakers was 160-pound junior Clarissa Agostini. She quickly scored her first points with a takedown over Sophia Bassino from NMU. Agostini maintained her early lead into the second period, where she scored four points from a takedown that resulted in her opponent being controlled on their back. Another quick takedown put Agostini up by 10 points, giving her the win by technical fall, 14-4.

Following GVSU scoring their first official points, 180-pound freshman Sabrina Nauss used her overpowering strength to quickly pin her opponent in only one minute and 40 seconds.

Off to a good start, 207-pound freshman Aaliyah Grandberry took the mat next for the Lakers. A strong first period put Grandberry up 7-0, but a quick pin by her opponent gave the Wildcats their only points of the duel. 103-pound junior Rayana Sahagun received an easy, automatic win for GVSU, as Northern Michigan then forfeited the match.

Click here to read more from Brady Kemmerling on the debut of the new women’s wrestling program.

The Lakers traveled to Georgia with eight fighters, six men and two women. Rebekah DeBoer was the champion in the 132-pound beginner class and Jason Murray was the champion in the 225-pound novice class. Both DeBoer and Murray brought home two national championship belts. With these wins, GVSU boxing now holds nine belts. Samantha Swafford, sophomore Tanner “TJ” Gardner and Lucas Malloy were runners-up in their classes, securing themselves each a medal. Both DeBoer and Swafford made history for the team, as they were the first Laker women to place in nationals.

Last year, GVSU competed in the USIBA with nine boxers, seven men and two women. The 2024 team won 16 matches, had two champion runner-ups and secured three championship belts. Going into this year’s competition, the Lakers set goals to retain more boxers entering the match, have more women competitors, earn another championship belt and win USIBA team awards. 

Gardner touched on his experience competing at USIBA and the value of his team’s support. 

“All the people here will support you no matter what happens, even if you lose a national championship fight,” said Gardner. “(The team) was ultimately proud of me and it was really nice just getting picked up by everybody. I’ve only been (a part of the team) for five months, and we treat each other like family.” 

Freshman Maxwell Gohsman, junior Ashton Kamps and Kristopher “Diego” Krepps ultimately lost their bouts, but were supported by the team for achieving tournament placement.

Gohsman provided insight into the most important lesson he’s learned through boxing and competing. 

“You cannot fight through emotion,” said Gohsman. “If you are emotional when you are either sparring or hitting the bag or doing anything, it is not going to go well. You actually want to be the calmest when you are fighting.”

Club boxing offers two opportunities for students to become involved in the program: recreational sparring and competitive training. Recreational sparring allows students to work out with the team, but doesn’t offer the opportunity to compete. All members start as recreational players, but can transition to a serious spot on the competitive team. Members of the competitive squad train to represent GVSU in tournaments and shows.  

Kamps pitched the boxing club as a great opportunity to get into shape, make friends and train with coaches.

“The people I’ve met in boxing are some of the best people I’ve met in my entire life,” Kamps said. “The types of coaches and facilities that we have access to, anywhere from coaches that have trained world champions to pros and even Olympians, is amazing.”

After a weather delay held Friday’s game back, senior Jayden Dentler took the mound for the Lakers. The Lakers first put the ball in play in the fourth inning with back-to-back hits from junior Evan Morrison and senior Ryan Dykstra. GVSU scored first off a single from senior Brendan Guciardo, which brought Morrison and Dykstra home. Davenport responded in the following innings with a couple runs of their own to tie things up.

The lead returned to GVSU with a triple by Dykstra and a flyout by junior Jovan Gill, which scored two more. Dentler and the Lakers’ defense took down the next six batters to secure the win.

“When pitching, batting and fielding are all working for us, that’s when we click and get on a hot streak,” said Dysktra.

Assistant coach Jarret Olsen agreed with Dysktra.

“Well, we’re just playing good, complimentary baseball right now,” added Olsen.

Dentler was credited with his sixth win of the season, completing all seven innings with 97 pitches.

Pitching in game two was redshirt sophomore Owen Avery. Down 1-0, the Lakers got on base in the fourth inning with singles from senior Jonas Gulbrandsen and Guciardo. A hit up the middle by sophomore Ryan Stimac scored two, pulling the Lakers ahead, 2-1.

Allowing six hits and giving up five runs in the fifth inning, Avery was substituted for senior Colby Phipps. In the sixth inning, a triple by Caleb Estrada and a wild pitch brought him home to bring the score to 6-3. Three more hits by the Lakers led to scoring two runs, but despite bringing things close, Davenport pushed back with a home run in the seventh inning. 

In the ninth inning, Dykstra brought it back to a one-score game with a home run to right center. However, the Lakers were unable to close the gap, losing game two. Phipps finished with 59 pitches, while Avery threw 84 pitches and was credited with the loss.

Starting on the mound in Saturday’s game three was junior Collin Bradley. Davenport obtained an early lead in the first inning, scoring one run, and later extended it with two walks and three hits in the second inning. This scored the Panthers three more runs.

Down 4-0, the Lakers rebounded with hits by junior Nick Krstich and Morrison, as well as a walk by Estrada. With bases loaded, Dykstra was able to get a ground out RBI. A double hit down the right field line by Gill brought home the remaining runners, bringing the score to 4-3.

After giving up a solo home run in the fifth inning, the Lakers fought back with hits from Guciardo and junior Ayden VanEnkevort. A sacrifice fly from Krstich scored one run, putting it back to a one-run game.

Freshman Sebastian Talaga took over on the mound for Bradley in the sixth inning, where he held Davenport scoreless in the next two innings. In that time, the Lakers were on a roll, scoring from a sacrifice fly from Dykstra and a hit from Krstich that scored two more.

Heading into the ninth inning, VanEnkevort was brought in to close out the game. Unfortunately, chaos struck with the final batter up. With bases loaded, a wild pitch was not able to be controlled by the Lakers’ defense. Davenport took advantage and was able to send three runners home for the win, 8-7.

At the plate on Sunday, the Lakers capitalized early on a RBI double from Gulbrandsen. By the third inning, the score was tied, 3-3. Stringing together more runs throughout the game, GVSU held onto a small lead into the eighth inning. However, Davenport pulled together two runs to take a one-score lead, 7-6, and held this for the remainder of the game.

Upcoming for the GVSU baseball team is a long streak of home games that will last through the end of April.

“We got a new turf field this year, so just knowing how it plays and feels will help us out,” said Dykstra. “The last two home games we’ve had, we’ve had pretty big crowds, so (it’s) kind of cool to have at a home field again.”

The team will next take on Saginaw Valley State University (18-6) in another four-game series from Friday, April 4 through Sunday, April 6.

The two days of golfing were split into three rounds, with rounds one and two both being played over the first day, and round three filling out the second day.

In round one, junior Charlie Cooley and graduate student Drew Coble led the Lakers, both shooting 69 (-3). Juniors Manuel Cue Vargas and Bryce Wheeler followed, both hitting even par with 72. Freshman Ryan Gallagher was close behind after hitting a 74 (+2).

Cue and Gallagher improved in the second round, carding a 67 (-5) and 70 (-2). Coble also had another impressive outing with a 70 (-2). Wheeler and Cooley closed out round two for the Lakers, carding 73 (+1) and a 76 (+4).

Ending a successful day one, GVSU held the lead, shooting rounds of 282 and 280, overall ending -14. Coble and Cue stood out throughout day one, both hitting 10 birdies, as well as being tied for third place and leading their team at five under par.

With one round left to play on day two, the Lakers held a four-stroke lead over second place.

Making five birdies and an eagle, as well as hitting a 68 (-4), Cue was able to jump two spots and finish with the best overall score of -9. This final round success won Cue the title of individual champion. Along with winning his second individual title of the season, Cue was awarded the GLIAC Conference Men’s Golfer of the Week.

“Manuel showed a lot of positive signs this week,” said head coach Gareth Lappin. “He got off to a slow start, but managed to keep his composure and stayed patient and he was rewarded. He is learning fast and there is no limit on how far Manuel can go this season.”

Coble was the next ranked Laker, tied at 13th after carding a 75 (+3) with three birdies, and finishing two under par. Tied for 26th place was Cooley, who finished his round with 73 (-1), hitting four birdies and an eagle. Wheeler followed, shooting a round of 74 (+2) and tying for 31st place. Wrapping things up for GVSU was Gallagher, who tied for 38th, carding a 76 (+4).

“As a team we are close,” said Coble. “We just have to put everything together for three solid rounds. Going forward, I think it is the same mentality, trying to clean everything up. We are just now getting to play outside in Michigan, so that will definitely help us build more confidence going forward.”

Lappin added that despite the team showing “good signs,” the Lakers still have a couple skills to work on.

“We need to continue working on our putting speed, and some guys have technical things to work on,” said Lappin. 

Since this event was the 12th-straight top-five finish for the Lakers, the GVSU men’s golf team looks to continue their winning on the green at the Tennessee River Rumble in Lenoir City, Tennessee from Monday, March 24 through Tuesday, March 25.

“We are a very process-driven team and we treat each event the same,” explained Lappin. “Putting guys in high-pressure situations is the most important thing at this time of year to prepare us for championship play.”

Representing GVSU in the tournament were juniors Chris Donathan, Josh Kenny and Carter Blough, along with redshirt freshman Brayden Mirjavadi and senior Wyatt Miller. To qualify for finals, each wrestler had to place within the top three in their weight class at regional competitions.

The first wrestler to compete for the Lakers was the No. 1 seed Donathan in the 149-pound class. Ranked first heading into the tournament, Donathan snuck out a close win by decision, 6-4, in his first match. In the second round, Donathan scored quickly, gaining enough points to give him the win by technical fall, 20-4. However, in the third round, Donathan was up against No. 4 ranked Nick James from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Despite scoring fast and keeping it close, Donathan took his first loss of the season.

This loss did not knock Donathan out of the tournament, as wrestlers were put in the Wrestleback bracket after their first loss. Donathan rematched against Brennan Watkins. However, Donathan medically forfeited the match, ending his season with a 14-1 record.

The next Laker to compete was No. 2 seed Josh Kenny in the 174-pound class. Winning GVSUs first national title in 32 years during the previous season, Kenny kept a consistent mentality going into the match.

“My mindset stays the same, (which is to) go out, try my best and have fun,” Kenny said. “The only thing I can control is my effort and my attitude.”

In a slow and low-scoring first match, Kenny won his first match, 2-1. He followed this with another low-scoring match against the seventh-seed Matt Ortiz from McKendree University. This time, however, Kenny took his first loss from decision, 4-2.

Kenny then claimed an 11-1 win by major decision in the first round of the Wrestleback bracket. Moving on, Kenny faced off against No. 3 seed Bryce Dagel from St. Cloud State University. The night unfortunately ended for Kenny, as lost by a major decision, and finished the season with a 20-7 record.

Although he was unable to repeat his previous successes, Kenny still reflected positively on this season.

“One thing I think about a lot from this year (are) the outcomes of each match, and all the factors that only I can control,” expressed Kenny. “(I think) about how I have eaten good, managed my weight and worked hard at practice. (I try) not to think about outside factors because of the target on my back that I made last year at finals.”

Seventh-seed Mirjavadi was up next for GVSU, representing the 184-pound class. He began his run in the tournament with a strong outing, winning the first round by major decision, 14-3.

Next, he paired against No. 2 seed Matt Weinberg from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. Facing a tough opponent, Mirjavadi lost 9-0, which moved him into the Wrestleback bracket. In his first match of the bracket, Mirjavadi took on and lost 4-1 to Damon Ashworth from the University of Central Missouri.

The next Laker up was the 197-pound Wyatt Miller. In his first match, he faced No. 4 seed Max Ramberg from Augustana University, where he lost in a low-scoring battle, 5-0.

Being bumped down to the Wrestleback bracket, Miller quickly started with a win by fall, pinning his opponent in just over a minute. No. 6 seed Dakoda Rodger from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown was up next, where a win by decision, 5-1, gave Miller another victory. This run continued for Miller, as he won his next match, 7-1. In his following match, however, Miller’s run ended with an 8-7 loss against the No. 5 seed Jackson Kinsella from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. 

Due to the amount of wins he racked up, Miller had one final match for fifth place. Competing against the No. 7 ranked Nicholas Johnson from Glenville State University, Miller took his second loss by decision, 10-3. 

The final wrestler representing GVSU was No. 3 seed Carter Blough in the 285-pound class. A transfer from the Divison I Michigan State University, Blough started strong with a close overtime win, 7-5. In the second round, Blough once again went into overtime, but lost 2-1 to the No. 6 Jake Swirple from Minot State University.

In the Wrestleback bracket, Blough managed to take his opponent to overtime again, and won, 9-7. For his next match, Blough faced the No. 1 Crew Howard from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Taking his second loss by major decision, Blough ended the season with a 28-7 record.

Although no Lakers were able to bring home a title this season, the team didn’t leave completely empty-handed. Donathan, Kenny, Miller and Blough all received All-American honors for their seasons on the mat.

Of the 38 competing Lakers at the championship, six student-athletes competed on day one. Freshman Brooke Bowers kicked off Thursday in women’s pole vault. Bowers placed seventh in the event, and grabbed two points for the Lakers.  Following this, senior Maria Mitchell placed fifth in the women’s mile. With a finishing time of 4:45.80, Mitchell qualified for the final. Junior Lauren Kiley closed out the day for the women. Kiley, who competed in the 5000m run, placed sixth with a time of 16:16.51. 

On the men’s side of the track, two GVSU athletes competed on Thursday. Graduate student Caleb Futter and sophomore Owen Westerkamp both ran in the men’s mile. Westerkamp placed 17th with a time of 4:09.12, and Futter placed fifth, earning himself a spot in the finals.

Day two was a tidal wave of wins for the Lakers. GVSU had 24 total participants throughout Friday’s events. Not only did the teams have a large number of competing athletes, but their successes were undeniable. The Lakers’ biggest highlight from day two came from the men’s high jump. Here, it was a clean sweep for GVSU on the podium. Graduate student Eli Kosiba, senior Jonathan Rankins-James and sophomore Jaivon Harrison all took the top three spots. With this placement, Kosiba was awarded the title of national champion.

Moments after receiving the hardware, the high jump team was feeling extremely confident. 

“Grand Valley is not just jumping against the NCAA, we (are) jumping against the world,” said junior Marcus Gelpi. 

Harrison echoed a similar sentiment.

“Name someone better (than us),” Harrison stated.

The women had major successes on day two as well. Graduate student Alaina Omonode and senior Shelby Ulven competed in the women’s weight throw. Both had impressive throws, and advanced to the finals. The women also had four athletes competing in the distance medley relays. There were several strong performances, which resulted in a third place finish in the event. 

Saturday was the conclusion of the championship. The University saw its athletes represented on 23 total podiums. The men fell just one spot shy of winning the national championship with a final score of 61.5. They ended up finishing runner-up to Pittsburgh State University, who tallied around 15 points more. While the women’s side was able to finish third in the finals with 47 points, first place was awarded to PSU and Minnesota State University, Mankato took second.

The championship marked the end of the University’s track and field indoor season. The teams are now looking ahead to their outdoor seasons, which will begin on Saturday, March 22 in Marion, Indiana with the Polar Bear Classic.

In the weeks leading up to the tournament, GVSU was moving with an upward trajectory. The Lakers had ended their regular season on a three-game win streak, dismantling Roosevelt University in their final regular season game.

In an interview posted on YouTube by GVSU Athletics, men’s basketball head coach Cornell Mann noted that energy was high during the practices that led up to the tournament. Mann attributed the team’s positive spirits to the time of the year, as March is hugely relevant to basketball generally.

“It’s a good time of year, but a fun time (as well),” said Mann.

GVSU went into the GLIAC Tournament with a 12-8 conference record. With this record, they landed in the fifth seed and were matched up with the Northern Michigan Wildcats, the fourth seed. The Lakers played NMU twice in the regular season and lost both times. Unfortunately for the Lakers, the most recent matchup against the Wildcats was not much different.

The Lakers started the quarterfinal round a bit slow. The production on the offensive side of the ball was lackluster for GVSU through the opening 10 minutes. The Lakers only scored three made field goals, and found themselves down by 11 points with just 12 minutes left in the half.

The Wildcats continued to pressure the Lakers, as the scoring deficit reached 20 points toward the end of the first half. However, all was not lost for the Lakers. GVSU was able to string together a few solid possessions before the close of the half. After redshirt sophomore Charles Turner drilled a 3-pointer with under a minute to go, GVSU went into the break down by 17.

NMU’s scoring stamina carried over into the second half, as the Lakers never seemed to find their rhythm until it was too late. GVSU trailed by double digits the entire second half; the closest they were able to cut the Wildcats’ lead down to was 13 points. In the end, the Lakers fell to NMU with a final score of 85-72. GVSU concluded its season with a 16-13 overall record, and was also 12-8 in conference play. NMU went on to win the GLIAC Tournament.

Even though the Lakers’ record for the season was not the best, there were still major accomplishments among the team’s members. GVSU had five players make All-GLIAC teams.

GVSU sophomore Kaden Brown led the way with an All-GLIAC first team selection. Brown also won Sixth Man of the Year, marking the first time a Laker has ever won this award. While Brown was GVSU’s leading scorer for the season, he’s emphasized the importance of collaboration among the team. Throughout the season, Brown has vocally praised his teammates for the impact they have on his game. He noted that his teammates’ support brings his confidence to “another level.”

Senior William Dunn and junior Jalen Charity were both selected for All-GLIAC second team. The team also saw redshirt junior Trevor Smith Jr. and redshirt sophomore Shamus Thompson make the All-GLIAC defensive team. 

The first 10 minutes of the matchup against the Warriors were filled with great defensive play. Neither team could get a feel for their offense and the score reflected that. With just under 10 minutes played, the Lakers were trailing 14-10. However, both teams were finally able to start scoring at a higher rate. Wayne State went on a 19-12 scoring run to close the half, and found themselves in firm control of the game. GVSU was in an 11-point deficit at the game’s halfway point. At this point, the score read 33-22.

However, the Lakers seemed to have a productive halftime because they came out strong on offense in the second half. The start to this half exhibited scoring run after scoring run for the Lakers. After redshirt sophomore Charles Turner knocked down a triple, the Lakers brought the Warriors’ lead down to just three points. The Warriors, without hesitation, answered this run with an 8-0 run of their own. WSU took the lead right back up to 11. 

The Lakers still continued to fight their way back up. After four made free throws by junior Jalen Charity and a jam by redshirt sophomore Shamus Thompson, the Lakers were able to cut the lead back to five. Wayne State was relentless at keeping the lead comfortable for themselves. With roughly nine minutes to play, the Warriors held a double-digit lead for the following six minutes. 

GVSU was able to rally toward the end of the game due to the shooting of sophomore Kaden Brown. Brown hit two 3-pointers in the clock’s last four seconds, but time was not on the Lakers’ side. GVSU lost this game by just one point. The final score was 67-66. 

Charity wasn’t happy with the team’s performance, but remained determined.

“(The) only positive we can (take) is that we have another chance to play (against SVSU on Saturday to) redeem ourselves,” said Charity.

That’s exactly what the Lakers did against Saginaw Valley. GVSU opened the game with a quick, 7-0 run. A major point of emphasis coming into this game was improvement on GVSU’s defensive side, especially with Saginaw Valley’s guards playing at such a high level. 

“We just have to let our principles carry us,” said Brown. 

GVSU continued the game’s strong start throughout the first half. The Lakers led the full 20 minutes of action in the first half and were up by 11 points at the end of the half. The Lakers’ ability to keep the lead at a comfortable spot continued into the second half. After the first three minutes of the second half were closely contested, the Lakers found themselves up by 10 again with about 16 minutes remaining. 

SVSU showed tremendous fight and was able to spark an 11-0 run with just two minutes left in the game. However, this was the final push for the Cardinals and they weren’t able to take away the Lakers’ lead. GVSU was able to keep this double-digit cushion until there were just 14 seconds remaining in the game, as the Cardinals managed to score. However, the Lakers were able to hold their lead, and win a much-needed eight-point victory over SVSU, as the final score was 76-68. The Lakers moved to 14-12 on the year and 10-8 in conference play.

On Thursday, the Lakers came out hot against the Pride. The team started early in the paint, and forwards Shamus Thompson and Cam Regnerus were responsible for the first six points. The first 15 minutes of play were neck and neck. In fact, there were several lead changes throughout most of the first half. With roughly five minutes remaining before the half, GVSU found themselves trailing by seven points. This was when sophomore guard Kaden Brown made his mark on the game. Brown knocked down three consecutive 3-pointers in just over a minute of play. 

“I can definitely thank my teammates for that,” said Brown. “They are always looking for me and believing in me. That (feeling supported) brings my confidence to another level.”

Brown’s scoring stretch tied the game at 36, with just over three minutes left in the first half. After some more back-and-forth scoring, Thompson was able to close the half with four straight points in the paint. This gave the Lakers a 42-40 lead.

Junior Jalen Charity had a productive start to the second frame. Charity was able to get a shot to fall from beyond the arc less than a minute into the half. That shot was followed up by a tough drive and finish inside by Charity. Brown was also able to get another 3-pointer to fall, which extended GVSU’s lead to six.

The Pride were almost always able to fight back, which cut the Lakers’ lead to one multiple times. However, the Lakers had too many guys who showcased strong performances. GVSU had six players in double figures and shot 50% as a team from the 3-point line. 

“Everybody on our team is offensively talented,” said Charity. “During this game, we shared the ball and (were able) to find the open guy.”

After a quick 8-0 run with four minutes left, GVSU extended their lead to 11. This posed too much of a deficit for the Pride. The Lakers ended up winning 88-81, which helped GVSU improve to 13-10 on the year and marked three straight wins in conference play. 

The following match against Parkside was an uphill battle for the Lakers. In the first half, the Rangers led for 17 out of the total 20 minutes of play. Parkside took their largest lead of the game and went up by 10 points, with roughly seven minutes left in the opening frame. 

Even with the lackluster start, GVSU was not done clawing its way back into the contest. The Lakers went on a sensational 11-0 run in just five minutes. After GVSU grabbed the lead for a brief moment, the game ended in a tie, 37-37, and went into the break.

In the second half, Parkside was able to jump back out to an abrupt 10-point lead. While GVSU was able to bring the score back into single digits, the Rangers had the Lakers in a bind throughout the rest of the game. The Lakers did not lead at all in the second half. GVSU’s last-ditch effort was able to get Parkside’s lead all the way down to one point. However, this was all the Lakers had left to give and Parkside brought the deficit right back up to 10. After a valiant effort, the Lakers fell to Parkside with a final score of 80-72.

Opening the night were the field events. In the weight throws, senior James Mackey Jr. took first place for the men with a throw of 20.19m. The women also showed their talents, taking second and third place in the weight throws. In the shot put events, the Lakers once again topped the charts, taking first in men’s, as well as first and second place in women’s.

For the rest of the field events, the Lakers were present atop all of the event’s leaderboards. The Lakers had multiple athletes in the top three, and won both men’s and women’s pole vault, high jump and long jump.

Although he didn’t compete in this open, junior Marcus Gelpi expressed the mindset that he and numerous GVSU track and field jumpers share. He noted that he “trusts the process” and leans on his support group, whether that be his coach or teammates. 

“Iron will sharpen iron and they’ll (his support group) hold me to high standards,” said Gelpi. “Before each meet, I try to have fun and be laid back. I clear my mind of all the stresses and outside noise. Then, when it becomes time to compete, a new side of me comes out. My sense of fight-or-flight kicks in, and usually, it results in something great happening.”

The team’s winning momentum continued on the track. For the men, multiple Lakers found their way into the top three, and a few took gold in the 200m, 1 mile, and 4x400m relay. However, the women found even more success, taking the gold in the 60m, 400m and 800m, along with the top three spots in the 60m hurdles and the 200m.

The Lakers’ return home to the Kelly Family Sports Center was a big motivator for the team’s athletes. According to head coach Jerry Baltes, knowing a home location’s runways, circles and how things flow is incredibly beneficial. 

“There are certainly benefits of getting out of our comfort zone and going elsewhere, but we had some events (where) they (student-athletes) weren’t used to the runway or the circle was a little bit slower,” Baltes said. “That affects things, and you (have to) adjust on the fly, whereas we know what we have here at home.”

Now, well into the season, GVSU’s track and field team looks to continue their dominance and prove their top national rankings.

“I don’t have to do a lot to get them (athletes) fired up,” said Baltes. “They know what’s in front of them and the opportunities they have. Each person continues to put in hard work, and that’s the goal every weekend. For some of them, that means they’re gonna be in the top 10 in school history, and some might break a school record.”

The Lakers are staying home for their next go-around, as they will host the GVSU Big Meet on Friday, Feb. 14 at the Kelly Family Sports Center.