25 total divers attended the invite to represent their given school. Of the 25 student-athletes, 13 Lakers competed, seeking to secure a qualifying spot at nationals and prepare for postseason competitions. Each diving distance was divided into two sections, the two men’s 1-meter and 3-meter dives, as well as the two women’s 1-meter and 3-meter dives, making a total of eight events.

GVSU junior Carter Wood dominated the 1-meter board, securing a first-place finish with a score of 315.45 over six total dives. Over the 2024-2025 regular season, Wood has never ranked lower than third place and remains a consistent leader of the men’s diving team. 

“I’ve been diving for a long time and have an extensive background in flips and freestyle trampoline, so (translating that into) diving has helped a lot,” said Wood. 

In the second men’s 1-meter event, sophomore Matthew Blommel earned first place with a score of 480.90 over 11 total dives. 

Moving up two meters, sophomore Austin Clise took first place in the 3-meter dive, scoring 324.40 in six dives. Clise’s performance secured his first National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) qualifying score for nationals. In the same event, sophomore Aidan Busignani was right behind Clise, claiming second place with a score of 263.35. 

The women’s team reciprocated the men’s success and intensity, as senior Maddie Kooistra claimed first place in the 1-meter dive, scoring 497.20 in 11 dives. Kooistra’s performance at the board set a new pool record for the Lakers. In the same event, the Lakers dominated the top three rankings, with sophomore Macy Polasek securing second place and sophomore Emi Goto securing third. 

In such a highly individualistic sport, Goto expressed that she pushes herself on the board in hopes of success for the whole team.

“(Since) it (diving) is individualistic, you can’t rely on your teammates to boost your score,” said Goto. “I see my teammates who will do better (performance-wise) than me, and it really pushes me to want to be like them. I want to be competitive with my teammates and we push each other, which offers a different perspective.” 

In the second women’s 1-meter event, freshman Bella Larson earned second place for the Lakers with a score of 260.15 over six dives. Larson went on to secure first place in the 3-meter dive over six dives with a score of 246.30. 

Head diving coach Steve Burciaga watched his team’s success from the media booth and stressed the invite’s importance in preparing the team for nationals and post-season competition. During the invite, each diver performed and then underwent a rest period that averaged 12 minutes. This systematic model replicates that of higher competitions.

“What are you doing in those 12 minutes?” theorized Burciaga. “What are your thoughts in those 12 minutes? We focus on those attributes and modeling so we dive well. This is a great opportunity to learn what to do between breaks, and we focused on that a lot today.” 

As the regular season concludes, the Lakers will enter post-season competition in Holland for the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Championship on Wednesday, Feb. 19.

Senior night honors the team’s student-athletes for their accomplishments and dedication over the past four years. A ceremony took place before the meet, which celebrated the Lakers’ 14 seniors. GVSU fans gathered at one end of the pool, creating a tunnel for every senior to run through and be recognized. 

“It’s their last time to perform in our home pool,” said head coach Andy Boyce. “They’re trying to give everything they’ve got on the last swim and it showed a lot today, from their effort level to their performance.”

After the ceremony, it was time for the Lakers to make history. The Lakers and the Oilers were no strangers to one another. Since 2015, the Lakers have been on a 12-matchup winning streak against the Oilers. Averaging 180.04 points per meet, the streak is the longest win streak for the Lakers. 

Kick-starting the record-breaking day, the women’s team blew the Oilers out of the water, 223 to 69. During the first event, the women’s 200-yard medley, the relay team broke the first pool record at 1:43:45. The team consisted of sophomore Vittoria Proietti, junior Sara Alvarez, graduate student Alysa Wager and senior Kiersten Harmon. Proietti broke two additional pool records in the 100-yard backstroke (56.23) and the 200-yard backstroke (1:59:83).

Displaying their leadership, GVSU’s seniors made their mark during the meet and set new records for the University. In the women’s 1000-yard freestyle, senior Kayley Gallagher took first place, touching the wall at 10:43:54. Wager broke a pool record in the 100-yard butterfly, taking home first place with a time of 55:41. 

In the last women’s event, the 400-yard freestyle relay, the team set another school record with a time of 3:26:72. The team consisted of Harmon, junior Linda Frick, junior Angelica Angilletta and junior Lucy Hedley. Hedley broke three additional pool records in the 50-yard freestyle (23.36), 200-yard freestyle (1:48:83) and 500-yard freestyle (4:53:72).

Senior Maddie Kooistra dominated the boards, taking first place in the 1-meter dive with 289.58 points and the 3-meter dive with 264.23 points. Kooistra expressed that as a senior, the night was incredibly important for her. 

“It means a lot,” said Kooistra. “Over the past four years being on this team, it feels like family, and seeing everyone supporting you is the best feeling in the world.” 

The men’s team reciprocated the women’s success with dominant performances across various events, defeating Findlay 205 to 83. The first men’s event, the 200-yard medley relay, broke the pool record with a time of 1:28:48, and secured first place. Senior Aaron Dies, sophomore Andrew Goh, freshman Esteban Nunez Del Prado and junior Evan Scotto DiVetta made up the winning relay team. Additionally, the men’s 400-yard freestyle relay team with Scotto DiVetta, Goh, junior Carsyn Christoffel and senior Matt Bosch claimed first place with a time of 2:58:84. 

Bosch broke two pool records and took first place in the 100-yard freestyle (43:95) and the 200-yard freestyle (1:36:73). Dies broke the pool record for the 100-yard backstroke at 48:49, and claimed first place. Additionally, senior Thomas Zoldowski took first place in the 200-yard backstroke at 1:47:82. 

Junior diver Carter Wood swept the boards, taking first place in the 1-meter and 3-meter dives with scores of 300.15 and 280.05. 

In the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA), GVSU is currently ranked fifth in the men’s division and sixth in the women’s division. 

“I would say (maturity sets the Lakers apart from others),” said senior Austin Millard. “The biggest part of this team is realizing that these relationships are deep. This is an important part of our life, and we’re all going through the mix of unknown together.” 

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.

The 200-yard freestyle relay was a fight to the finish, and the Lakers won with a narrow lead. The team was made up of Kierstan Harmon, Linda Frick, Alysa Wager and Lucy Hedley. At the finish, both teams were neck and neck; however, the Lakers clinched the finish, reaching the wall at 1:38.11 and beating the Warriors by hundredths of a second. The Warriors made it to the wall at 1:38.95.

Contrary to the 200-yard freestyle’s tight race, the Lakers managed to beat the Warriors by seconds in the medley relay. Swimmers Vittoria Proietti, Sara Alvarez, Wager and Harmon put the burners on the Warriors, reaching the wall at 1:47.32, which was followed by the Warriors’ time of 1:50.46.

The men’s team also showed out with a dominant performance across various events. One of these events was the 200-yard freestyle relay. Not only did the Lakers blast through the competition, but they also shattered a pool record with a time of 1:22.82. Swimmers Evan Scotto DiVetta, Aaron Dies, Carsyn Christoffel and Matt Bosch cruised to victory, leaving the Warriors scrambling to catch up. 

Another show-stopping race by the Lakers was the 100-yard freestyle. The Lakers claimed the top three times in the event, further solidifying their skill as competitors. The fastest time was taken by Bosch at 45.11, followed closely by Scotto DiVetta at 45.89 and Christoffel at 48.16.

This meet served to not only showcase the Lakers’ skill and athleticism, but also presented a chance for the student-athletes to prepare for the upcoming Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Championship meet next month. 

“We are trying to get ready for our GLIAC meet next month, and today was a good meet to try some newer dives our divers have been working on,” said Burciaga. “It was very nice to compete against another team with very good divers, and see how our divers reacted to the challenge.” 

Swimming head coach Andrew Boyce emphasized the importance of developing a routine heading into this semester.

“We are excited to get into a good routine of class and practices as we start off the second semester,” said Boyce.

The swim and dive teams’ next meet will be away on Jan. 18, and against Davenport University.

PDCA is a non-profit organization which was founded in 1983. The organization supports competitive diving coaches nationwide by helping to improve coaching skills, assist developing athletes and expand the accessibility and recognition of the sport. To be recognized as a nominee, a coach is assessed on a combination of factors, such as their athletes’ performances, coaching skills, impact on their team’s culture and nominations from peers within the diving community. To deliberate, a committee within PDCA reviews coach nominations. 

“I was in disbelief for a moment, and then felt honored to be selected,” said Burciaga. “There are so many great diving coaches with successful programs, whether it’s USA, AAU or NCAA. I feel we (the teams) have done very well in my 12 years at GVSU.”

Although this was Burciaga’s first honor by PDCA, he is no stranger to receiving personal awards. Burciaga has been named Diving Coach of the Year three times by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA). He received the 2021 Women’s Diving Coach-of-the-Year award and the Men’s Diving Coach-of-the-Year title in both 2016 and 2017.

Prior to his time at GVSU, Burciaga was named the Michigan Boys Division 3 Diving Coach of the Year in both 2010 and 2011 at Grand Rapids West Catholic High School. Recalling his first day at GVSU, Burciaga expressed uncertainty about the position. However, he noted that after speaking with Tim Selgo, the University’s past athletic director, he knew he belonged and felt confident about his coaching ability. 

“I was not sure how successful our program would be, but I knew how to coach and motivate divers, whether it was high school, AAU or USA diving programs,” Burciaga said. “I feel, my personal success will be measured on how successful our swim and dive teams perform at meets.”

GVSU’s swim and dive program has been honored with seven NCAA Diving Championships, two CSCAA Divers-of-the-Year, over 100 All-American Awards and numerous Conference Diving Championships. Burciaga established record-setting scores at GVSU, and transformed the University’s diving stature. The team’s successes have been partially attributed to Burciaga’s coaching techniques, which create personal connections with every student-athlete.

“I like to get our divers out of their comfort zone and push them a little,” said Burciaga. “With each little successful push, it creates trust and confidence, which I believe is a key to success. This leads to what our program focuses on, competing versus participating.”

The current 2024-2025 season reflects Burciaga’s coaching philosophy, as the diving teams have secured multiple first-place finishes across six competitive meets. The Lakers competed in Fort Pierce, Florida on Dec. 20, and finished the women’s 1-m and 3-m dives with two divers in the top five. Additionally, in the men’s 1-m and 3-m dives, GVSU finished with two divers in the top five.

According to Burciaga, competing at a high level and creating a transparent community leads to success. 

“I cherish my time with each and every diver who walks on deck and practices each day,” Burciaga said. “Yes, there are championships, awards and records, but every diver is important to me. I feel a successful program is one where we all can share in our success.”

Burciaga expressed that his loyalty to the University is based, in part, on GVSU’s support of its student-athletes.

“GVSU provides exceptional support for them (student-athletes) to succeed in the classroom and in the pool, court or field,” said Burciaga. “This foundation for our student-athletes makes it easier for coaches to focus on coaching them in their sport. I feel this is a big part of deciding (to) return each season.”

The records broken by the men’s team were the 100 free (43.91), 400 free relay (2:59.72), 100 breast (54.76), 200 breast (2:01.14) and the 200 individual medley (1:49.98). For the women’s team, records were broken in the 200 free (1:48.26), 400 free relay (3:28.08), 100 breast (1:03.03), 200 breast (2:17.18), 100 fly (56.04) and the 500 free (4:54.85).

The men’s 100 free was a show of dominance, with the Lakers’ Matt Bosch breaking another GVSU pool record. Bosch won with an impressive DIIB standard time of 43.91. Not far behind in second was GVSU’s Evan Scotto Divetta with another DIIB time of 45.07. NMU’s Gabriel Fulconi was neck and neck with Scotto Divetta in a battle for second place. Scotto Divetta beat Fulconi by .91 of a second, with Fulconi finishing at 45.98.

The men’s 400 free relay was a race to remember. The Lakers absolutely dominated in under three minutes at 2:59.72, breaking their pool record. The team was made up of Scotto Divetta, Andrew Goh, Carsyn Christoffel and Bosch. Behind GVSU by 1.90 seconds were the Wildcats, who finished at 3:01.62, also breaking their pool record.

In the women’s 200 free, Laker Lucy Hedley crushed it. Hedley broke GVSU’s 200 free pool record with a time of 1:48.26. Hedley was untouchable, securing the win by coming in first with a time that met the NCAA Division II B standard. The fight for second place was fierce, with GVSU’s Angelica Angilletta and NMU’s Elana Curti neck and neck. In the end, Curti came out on top by tenths of a second. Curti finished at 1:54.26 and Angilletta at 1:54.45.

The women’s 400 free relay was extremely competitive, with GVSU and NMU finishing only .79 of a second apart. GVSU’s relay team was stacked with Kiersten Harmon, Angilletta, Linda Frick and Hedley. NMU’s team consisted of Becca Burrows, Mia Strazny, Joanne Arbic and Curti. The race was close and both teams fought hard to the finish, but the Lakers took home the win. The Lakers relay team not only won, but they also broke a pool record at 3:28.08. The Wildcats were right there with them, finishing at 3:28.87 to beat their previous school record of 3:32.28.

The Lakers’ performance was nothing short of an excellent showcase of their dominance within the division. As of Oct. 18, both teams were within the top five rankings by the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA). The CSCAA ranked the women’s team number two and the men’s team number four. From their broken records to their ranking, the team has set themselves apart from others this season. As a new addition to the team, freshman swimmer Chloe Burkill recognized this.

“We’ve done really well, and we’re definitely a really strong team,” said Burkill. “It’s not even that the team is so strong, but I just love how everyone is so supportive of each other and everyone’s always cheering each other on. I feel like the environment of the team as a whole is just so nice.”

Incoming freshman Esteban Núñez del Prado competed at the 2024 Olympics, representing his country, Bolivia. Competing in heat one of the men’s 200-meter individual medley against competitors from Paraguay and Seychelles, he placed third with a time of 2:08:10, ranking twenty-third overall.

Following the 2024 Olympics, he will be part of the GVSU swimming and diving team.

“We’ve never had someone (from the GVSU swimming and diving team) compete in the Olympic games before,” said Head Coach Andrew Boyce.

Being the first Olympian to join the team, Núñez del Prado is already making waves at GVSU.

Núñez del Prado’s recruitment process looked quite different from recruitment for an athlete residing in Michigan. For Núñez del Prado, he first heard about GVSU from a friend at the University.

“I talked with a friend and he told me how good (everything is) there, so I talked with the coach and he was a super nice person,” Núñez del Prado said.

Boyce noted that the recruitment process is often a different experience for everyone.

“We do a lot of Zoom meetings and phone calls, but with Esteban in particular, he had a friend on the team that told him about the school,” Boyce said. “We just went from there, and the rest is history.” 

It was as simple as that, and the Bolivian Olympic athlete had his attention turned out of the country and towards Allendale, Michigan. 

The GVSU Men’s swimming and diving team currently holds 13 GLIAC titles. This past February, the team secured their tenth consecutive win, finishing with a total of 915 points. 

In a sport like swimming, it is important to have a strong team dynamic. Boyce is hoping that the addition of Núñez del Prado to the team will have a positive impact on the group’s dynamic and enhance their overall success.

“We continue to strive to be one of the top teams in Division II,” said Boyce. “We have a lot of athletes that push each other to be the best they can be. I think with an athlete at his caliber, he will know how to push the team and himself to the best of their abilities, and I can’t wait to see how he interacts with the students on campus and the team as well.”

Núñez del Prado competing in the Olympics will bring an entirely new perspective to the team dynamic.

“(The Olympics) are completely different (from) any other competition I have been to,” Núñez del Prado said.

Núñez del Prado will be bringing a lot of knowledge from the international competition to the GVSU swimming and diving team, but even with this life-changing experience, he hopes to learn even more during his time here. 

“I hope to learn how to manage my schedule as (well) as possible and make great friends,” said Núñez del Prado.

Many students and supporters in the GVSU community are excited to see the impact that Núñez del Prado leaves on the University. On an Instagram post made by the swim and dive team, one of the comments reads, “This makes me so proud to be a GV swim alum!”

For Núñez del Prado, his time on campus is just as important as his time on the team. When asked what he was most excited about coming to GVSU, Núñez del Prado said, “To live the college experience. I think (it) will be great.”

The 2023 season was one of major successes for the Grand Valley State University Lakers women’s lacrosse team, who went undefeated in conference play (6-0) and reached the NCAA Division II National Semifinals after winning the Midwest Regional Championship. The Lakers finished 16-5 and are now off to another blazing start in 2024.

After winning their first four games, No. 10 GVSU has started 7-1, with their only loss coming to the undefeated No. 3 Maryville University by a narrow score of 7-6.

The Lakers are on the road this week, facing Indianapolis University on Thursday, March 28 at 3 p.m. Following their matchup with Indianapolis, GVSU will begin Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference (GLIAC) play the ensuing week.

GV swim and dive men finish 6th, women place 16th, as Maddie Kooistra wins national championship

The GVSU men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams competed at the NCAA DII National Championships in Geneva, Ohio from March 12 through 16. Although the men’s team placed higher at No. 6 overall, the No. 16 placed women’s team brought home a national champion.

Junior diver Maddie Kooistra came home as a national champion after earning first place in the 1-meter-board dive. Kooistra tallied a score of 463.95, which was good enough for the Lakers’ sole national championship. 

Kooistra previously won the consolation final in 2023 for the 1-meter-dive with a score of 446.40 points, a 17.55 point improvement. She had previously also finished with a bronze medal in the 3-meter-dive with a score of 475.90 in 2023.

GV Track and Field continue outdoor season after winning indoor GLIAC Championships, earning 4 NCAA Indoor Championships

After both GVSU men’s and women’s track and field placed first in the GLIAC Championships, winning 17 of 34 titles in the events, both teams finished top five in the NCAA Indoor Championships.

With three men’s athletes winning a national championship, one player from the women’s team earned one. Junior thrower Erika Beistle, who has previously been named an All-American in the discus throw, tossed a 16.37 meter shot put to win the women’s team’s championship.

The national champions for the Lakers men’s squad were senior thrower Myles Kerner, senior distance runner Caleb Futter and freshman high jumper Jaivon Harrison.

Futter ran a 4:18:02 mile time to win the individual title, while Kerner is now the reigning back-to-back national champion in shot put, after winning his second straight title with a 19.31 meter throw. Harrison, who won a high jump national championship in 2021 at the junior college level for the Bryant & Stratton College Bobcats, garnered his first NCAA DII National Championship in year one with GVSU.

The GVSU men’s squad placed second at indoor nationals, while the women’s team placed fourth. The Lakers began outdoor competition on Friday, March 15. They will continue competing outdoors with the men’s team heading to the Raleigh Relays at North Carolina State University starting on Thursday, March 28. The women’s team will head to the University of Texas for the Texas Relays during the same time.

The Lakers’ first home outdoor competition will be the GVSU Early Meet on Friday, April 5.

The Lakers celebrated senior night at the GVSU Fieldhouse Pool by honoring 13 seniors, six men and seven women, before taking on the Panthers in their final home dual meet of the season. The GVSU men went on to win 196-44 and the women won by a score of 186-56, breaking a combined 10 pool records on senior night in their last weekend of competition before preparing for the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC)  and NCAA Championships.

Senior Roger Miret Sala broke the 100 meter backstroke pool record against Davenport, with a time of 48.59. Miret Sala, a native of Cleida, Spain, is a team captain in his fifth year with the program.

According to Lakers’ standout freshman Andrew Goh, Miret Sala is the senior who he is going to miss the most.

“One of those seniors who I actually bond with really well was Roger (Miret Sala) who is one of our captains. He’s one of the seniors who reached out to me before I committed and he helped me through the whole process of committing,” Goh said. “I really owe a lot of thanks to him, but I’m really sad to see him graduate. Roger is a really, really big mentor for me.”

A native of Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, Goh is also an international student. His father had previously come to the United States to study and wanted his son to share the same experience. When Goh had begun the process of looking for schools to attend, his swimming teammates from back home in Malaysia, who also swam in the GLIAC, influenced his decision. After applying to several universities in the conference, GVSU’s coaching staff and facilities stood out to him. Goh became one of the contributing swimmers in breaking the pool record for the GVSU men’s 400 meter medley relay against the Panthers, which was set by a time of 3:16:02 in just his first season.

There is also another highly successful young swimmer on the women’s team that is coming into their own for the Lakers. Sophomore Katie O’Connell, a native of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, is the reigning GLIAC Champion in the 400 meter individual medley and is looking to defend her title next month.

“I think we have a lot of confidence going into the championship season because we’ve had such a great undefeated season,” O’Connell said. “I’m just hoping to make that final push these next few weeks and have a good time. I feel like that’s what the conference and national meet is all about because we work so hard the whole season and it’s just about showing off and having a lot of fun.”

After beating Findlay 166-68 in the men’s division and 156-78 in the women’s, spirits were high for Lakers’ head coach Andy Boyce, who is in his eighteenth year with the program.

Boyce led GVSU to their first-ever win over an NCAA Division I opponent, Oakland University, in both men’s and women’s categories earlier this season. 

The Lakers dominance has been evident against almost every opponent in the dual meets, dropping just a single competition on the men’s side earlier this season. It was a narrow five-point loss to the defending national champions and No. 1 ranked Indianapolis University.

Now, Boyce is looking ahead to the GLIAC Championships. His men’s squad will attempt to earn their tenth-straight first place finish in conference play, as the women will try to finish in first place in back-to-back years for the first time under Boyce. 

With the competition running from Friday, Feb. 9 through Monday, Feb. 12, the GLIAC Championships will be held at the Holland Aquatic Center in Holland, Michigan, at a time to be announced. The Lakers will travel back and forth from Allendale, Michigan every day for the competition, a 30-minute drive.

Although making the drive for four straight days is not ideal, Boyce believes that the ability for his team to sleep in their own beds will be a big advantage.

“It makes a difference being so close and we’re familiar with the facility,” O’Connell said. “We even did a practice there around the New Year, this year, just to get a little bit more familiar with the facility for the freshmen. It ‘s nice to have that phenomenal facility in our backyard.”

After competing for a conference title, Boyce expects to send some players to the NCAA Division II National Championships.

“The more people we send to nationals, the higher we’re gonna finish up the national championships,” Boyce said. “It’s tough to get them there, but I think we’ll have a solid group this year at the National Championships.”

With just the GLIAC and NCAA championships left before those 13 seniors finish their careers, the Lakers are looking forward to competing as a group for the last couple of times.

“We just really want to enjoy these last few meets as a team because we really are just like one big family,” O’Connell said. “We just work for each other and we’re happy for each other’s successes. I feel like I had a lot of good role models these past two years and people that I’ve looked up to.”

The No. 16 ranked Grand Valley State University Lakers’ men’s wrestling team has continued to build momentum by taking victories against unranked Thomas More University (3-2) and the No. 5 ranked Lake Erie College Storm (6-5) in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Regional Duals for Super Region 3. The competition was hosted at Tiffin University in Tiffin, Ohio.

In a massive 42-15 win over TMU, the Lakers saw three wins by forfeit, as well as wins for Seth Konynenbelt, Trammell Robinson and Jak Keller by pin. Josh Kenny, the No. 3 ranked 174 pounder in the nation, won by injury defeat over TMU’s Liam Schram.

In a 22-21 Lakers victory, the meet against Lake Erie proved to be far more difficult than the ranking would imply. The Storm are extremely battle-tested this season, with eight total meets against top 25 ranked teams, three of which they came out with a win.

After dropping the first four matches, the Lakers came back to win with the help of a major decision by the 184-pound Konynenbelt, who dominated Lake Erie’s Jordan Barnett.

Head coach Joey Simcoe’s squad now moves to 9-2 in the season with two top-ranked 10 wins on the year, positioning themselves for success in the final month of the regular season.

The Lakers will now head to South Euclid, Ohio to play the winless, 0-10, Notre Dame College Falcons on Thursday, Jan. 18 at 5 p.m. 

GV swim & dive sweeps Wayne State with top-ranked men’s and women’s teams

The No. 4 GVSU men’s swimming and diving team took a 180-120 victory over the Wayne State University Warriors on Saturday, Jan. 13 as the No. 6 Lakers’ women won 190.5-109.5.

The Lakers had 11 individual first-place finishes on the women’s side and won the team 200m Medley Relay and 400m Free Relay. The men’s squad also finished first in both team relays and had eight first-place finishes in other categories.

The GVSU women remain undefeated this season after winning all of their meets and invitationals. The men have lost just one game this year, a loss to the top-ranked Indianapolis University team.

The Lakers will return home to take on cross-town rival Davenport University on Friday, Jan. 19 at 5 p.m. in Allendale, Michigan at the GVSU Fieldhouse Pool.

GV men’s and women’s track combine for 35 top 5 finishes at Bob Eubanks Open

With just three meets under their belt, the GVSU men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams continued their impressive season at the Bob Eubanks Open in Allendale, Michigan.

Among first-place finishers for the women’s team, junior sprinter Melia Williams took home the 60m dash with a time of 7.78s, helping to take four of the top five spots in her category. GVSU had several categories where they took a majority of the top five or ten finishes.

The men’s team had similar success, as junior Myles Rhodes won the 60m with a time of 6.89s and GVSU took all of the top five spots in that category. Rhodes also finished first in the 200m at 21.61s.

GVSU had a total of 35 top-five finishes across the board in a dominant showing from both the men’s and women’s teams.

The Lakers will stay at home for the upcoming GVSU Mike Lints Alumni Meet on Saturday, Jan. 20, which will be among their five remaining hosted events.

Grand Valley State University’s football program welcomed their eighth head coach in program history, Scott Wooster, during an introductory press conference this past week.

Wooster served as the offensive line/tight end coach and offensive coordinator for the Lakers over three seasons prior to his promotion to head coach as he stated enthusiasm to continue the success the team has achieved in recent seasons.

“Obviously the biggest part of it was the opportunity to grow, build and serve these guys that were right out here (at this press conference) – it’s just such a special group,” Wooster said. “To be able to be the leader of this group of men, that was the most exciting part going through this week and the most honoring part.”

To continue the recap of Wooster’s hiring from Sports Editor Anthony Clark Jr., click here.

Men’s DI hockey club ices Davenport, extends win streak to seven

The Grand Valley State University’s Division I men’s hockey club continued their seven-game winning streak against Davenport University this past weekend after two blowout matches that finished 5-1 and 11-1.

Now ranked No. 10 in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Men’s 1 division with a record of 22-5 (25-5 overall), Head Coach Matt Sekosan had a lot to say about his upperclassman setting the pace for the winning streak.

“We have a strong class of upperclassmen,” Sekosan said. “They sort of lead the way in terms of self-policing and getting everybody on task; the guys listen to the system that we implement, and do the best they can to play.”

To see the rest of Breanna Hammer’s recap of hockey victory, click here.

Strutz headlines Bill Clinger Classic with new record for indoor track and field

The Grand Valley State University’s men’s and women’s track and field teams hosted the Bill Clinger Classic last weekend. The Lakers performed at a high level, marking personal and program records.

One of the highlights from this meet was junior Lindsey Strutz’s performance, setting program record for the women’s pentathlon with a score of 3615 – a record that also ranked Strutz No. 12 in the nation for the event.

“It feels absolutely amazing to break my old school record by so much,” Strutz said.

To read Madeleine Smith’s full story of the historical performance by Strutz, click here.

Women’s lacrosse above .500 after first GLIAC victory

Grand Valley State University women’s lacrosse made the trip to Minnesota to battle Concordia St. Paul last week, winning 17-10 and adding the fifth win to the Lakers’ record just past the halfway point of the regular season (5-4).

With this being the first test in conference action, Head Coach Mackenzie Lawler said she told her players to come out with intensity from the start in order to walk away with a win.

“It’s our first conference game; I think that this game sets the tone for (more) conference play coming up,” Lawler said. “We have two other conference games this week and I think it would be great to get a win to start strong but also know that those other games are going to be competitive and those teams have gotten a lot better over the years.”

To finish reading Zoe Murphy’s coverage of the women’s lax match, click here.

Swim and dive secure GLIAC Championship titles

Grand Valley State University swim and dive secured the GLIAC Championship titles after four-straight days of competing.

With the wins, the women’s team has won its second conference title in the last three seasons (2020-21 champions) with a total score of 969.5 points. The men’s team continued its dominance in the GLIAC as it has now won nine consecutive championships after scoring 942 points, winning by nearly 400 points above second-place Northern Michigan.

Individually, both teams saw several Lakers crowned as conference champions in their events as many of them set GVSU and GLIAC conference meet records over the four-day period (Feb. 15-18).

To find the whole story written by Brian Bloom, click here.

Men’s golf wraps up fall season with another team title win

In their fourth first-place finish in the fall season, the Grand Valley State University men’s golf closed out a successful fall season with a win at the Motor City Invitational.

The Lakers found themselves in a tight match after day one, holding only a six-stroke lead over Tiffin University, with Wayne State and Ferris State not far behind. GVSU shot a 296 on day one, eight strokes above par.

Sophomore Charles DeLong led the Lakers on the individual leaderboards once more after 18 holes as he sat in second place (71, -2). Sophomore Nick Krueger (fifth) and freshman Charlie Cooley (tied-sixth) were as influential in the first round as they held a score of 73 and 74 respectively.

Being one stroke behind the first place leader after round one (Hurtubise; Wayne State), DeLong was familiar with this type of situation and used his versatility to take charge.

To read the fall season recap by Jason Millis, click here.

Emily Spitzley talks hoops, milestones and team culture for women’s basketball

Westphalia, MI is a small village roughly 55 miles east of Grand Rapids with a population of about 1,000 residents. Those who didn’t grow up in the community may not think anything more of it besides a farmers’ town. For fifth-year guard Emily Spitzley, it’s the place where the game of basketball all started.

Grand Valley State University women’s basketball would eventually be the landing spot for Spitzley after high school. Like many true freshmen joining a team, Spitzley didn’t see a lot of action on the court as she adjusted to her new environment.

Averaging just 4.8 minutes of playing time in her 24 games played in the 2018-19 season, Spitzley figured the best solution of gaining respect from her peers and herself most importantly would be to put her head down and grind.

“I came in like a nervous little kid not stepping on anybody’s toes, kind of stay in your own lane (and) do your thing,” Spitzley said. “Over the last five years, I’ve been able to find that confidence, find that voice for myself overall. And that kind of comes with getting better overall as a basketball player.”

To view Clark Jr.’s whole conversation with Spitzley, click here.

GV tennis programs compete in ITA Regional Championships

Grand Valley State University’s tennis teams participated in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) DII Midwest Regional Championships over the course of the past two weeks (Sept. 17-26), as the men’s team traveled to Indiana and the women’s hosted their tournament at home.

The women’s team experienced a significant delay in their tournament due to inclement weather and were ultimately forced to play indoors instead of outdoors as the tournament is typically played.

In the Draw A women’s doubles bracket, sophomore Estefania Hernandez and freshman Rachel Sam paired up as senior Taylor Barrett and junior Vasileia Griva partnered to face off against opponents in the round of 32.

To find Ermias Stewart’s full article, click here.

Late touchdown lifts GV football over Ferris on the road

The now 7-0 Grand Valley State University football team defeated the defending NCAA DII National Champions in Ferris State University in the annual Anchor-Bone Classic to end the regular season six-game losing streak against the opponent.

With the win, the Lakers were able to avenge two losses from the previous season and dealt the Bulldogs its first regular season loss since 2017.

“(The games left a) very bad taste in our mouth,” junior linebacker Abe Swanson said. “We went a whole season thinking about the playoff game and how much that loss hurt us, and it gave us fuel going into this one. There’s still a lot of season left, but it was so satisfying to get that win.”

To see the highlights reported by Bloom, click here.