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.

Opening the night for the Lakers was redshirt freshman Orion Wilson in the 125-pound weight class. With two quick takedowns, Wilson pulled ahead early, 6-1. Keeping pressure on his opponent into the third period, Wilson rallied enough points to take the win by technical fall, 19-1.

Sophomore Jak Keller followed in the 133-pound weight class. Ranked 10th in his class, Keller swiftly pinned his opponent, taking the win by fall.

The next match saw redshirt freshman CJ Poole in the 141-pound weight class. Despite being down early in the first period, a takedown by Poole tied the score, 5-5. The match ended quickly with Poole overpowering his opponent into a pin, giving him the win by fall.

Ranked first in the 149-pound weight class, junior Chris Donathan scored points quickly with multiple takedowns. He closed out his match similarly, putting his opponent’s shoulders on the mat, and winning by fall.

This trend continued with redshirt freshman Maddox Simcoe in the 157-pound weight class. After taking an early lead, he pinned his opponent, giving himself a win by fall. Heading into the halfway point, GVSU controlled the score 29-0.

Redshirt freshman Bradley Mayse started the second half in the 165-pound weight class. A close match ensued, with each wrestler scraping for points and an opportunity. Such an opportunity came for Mayse, taking down his opponent late in the second period to pull ahead. This was enough to give Mayse the win by major decision, 14-6.

Representing the 174-pound weight class for the Lakers was junior Josh Kenny. Ranked fifth in the class, Kenny rallied enough points to give him the win by technical fall, 16-1.

Although he won last season’s national championship in the 174-pound class, Kenny still looks for ways to improve his performance.

“I’ve done a lot in Division II already, so I go prepare for each match trying to learn new techniques, stuff that (I’ve) never hit before,” said Kenny. “I have been doing this for a really long time, so right now it’s all about learning new stuff and (continuing to have) fun out here.”

Kenny also looks to help his teammates improve.

“Mostly, I want to go out there and win a team national title, and if I can, I want to be the guy in the room that helps others improve to the best of their ability,” said Kenny.

Next up for GVSU was redshirt freshman Brayden Bobo in the 184-pound weight class. Bobo and his opponent started aggressively, taking turns nearing a pin. However, Davenport came out on top, and took their first points with a win by fall.

Junior Wyatt Miller, ranked 14th in the 194-pound weight class, was next up for the Lakers. Points came quickly to Miller with a pair of takedowns, and a win followed shortly after by major decision, 16-2.

Closing the duel was junior Carter Blough, ranked third in the 285-pound weight class. Blough overcame his opponent, winning 19-3 by technical fall.

As a Division I transfer from Michigan State University, Blough brought his talents to GVSU and has been a pivotal heavyweight wrestler.

“Here at Grand Valley, the coaches care much more, and it’s more of a family-type feel,” said Blough. “With not as much on the line as Division I, the care here has been big in helping me improve.”

With the NCAA Tournaments a month away, the GVSU men’s wrestling team is beginning to focus on bigger matches.

“We’re going into the fun part,” said Blough. “We are all trying to fine-tune our skills (to) get ready for the big show.”

Head coach Joey Simcoe noted that the team’s philosophy is to “not completely change” who they are. He explained that while the team watches back performances in order to learn from other wrestlers’ tendencies, the Lakers persist in aiming to be selfless.

“We have been able to put this program together quickly and we have faith in what we do,” Simcoe said. “It’s all about sticking together through hard times and being selfless.”

The wrestlers will be on the road next, heading to Indianapolis, Illinois for the Greyhound Duels on Saturday, Feb. 8 through Sunday, Feb. 9.

Now in their second season as a program, the Lakers have been able to find their footing through a pair of ranked wins the previous weekend against No. 2 Glenville State University and No. 8 Lander University. The Lakers’ five individually-ranked wrestlers have helped the team snatch these wins. These athletes include junior Josh Kenny, ranked third in the 173-pound class, and Division I Michigan State transfer, junior Carter Blough, who is ranked fourth in the 285-pound class. Junior Chris Donathan is ranked sixth in the 149-pound class, redshirt freshman Brayden Mirjavadi is ranked ninth in the 184-pound class and sophomore Jak Keller is ranked 12th in the 133-pound class.

Kicking the tournament off, GVSU and Augustana traded points back and forth early on. A 9-0 win by majority by Keller and a 5-4 win by decision from Donathan kept the Lakers close in points. Despite back-to-back wins by Kelly and Mirjavadi, and a final win by decision, 9-0, from Blough, the Lakers fell short in the first round of duels to Augustana, 17-20.

In the second round of matches, GVSU showed off their resilience against UIndy, winning 36-10, and taking eight straight matches out of 10. The Lakers finished the first day with another clutch win over Upper Iowa. With the score tied heading into the final two matches, a 14-13 win by decision from senior Wyatt Miller in the 197-pound class and a 2-0 win by decision from Blough secured his team the victory.

“It is nothing but fun,” said head coach Joey Simcoe. “It’s really the only word that comes to mind thinking of how this team has been in year two. Everything we do has become more fluid and we can see how much we have been able to grow now. I am beyond proud of what these guys have accomplished against these sizable opponents.”

Day two of the tournament began against UMary, where a win by GVSU would lock in a top six placing. UMary started strong, winning five out of the first six matches. However, GVSU rebounded with four straight wins on their own. An 8-0 win by majority decision from Kenny and a win by fall from Mirjavadi started the streak. A 6-1 win by decision from Miller and a final win by fall from Blough helped GVSU take a last-second, 20-17 lead. The Lakers went on to face Parkside for their final match. With a majority of starters out for GVSU, they fell 3-43 to the Rangers.

Walking out of their first ever NWCA Tournament in sixth place out of 16 teams, GVSU was the only unranked team heading into the tournament to place.

The Lakers are once again on the road, heading to Erie, Pennsylvania on Saturday, Jan. 18, where they will take on Gannon University.

GVSU currently has nine ranked wrestlers in their individual weight classes. Five Lakers have placed in the top five nationally, and six have placed in the top 10.

Among these GVSU-ranked wrestlers are junior Rayana Sahagun, ranked fifth in the 103-pound class and junior Sage Mortimer, ranked first in the 110-pound class. Freshman Ava Malovich is ranked 18th in the 117-pound class, freshman Aspen Blasko is ranked fourth in the 124-pound class and junior Hannah Palise is ranked 20th in the 131-pound class. Rankings also include freshman Katerina Lange, ranked second in the 138-pound class, freshman Elleni Johnson, ranked eighth in the 145-pound class, junior Clarissa Agostini, ranked 17th in the 160-pound class and freshman Sabrina Nauss, who’s ranked third in the 180-pound class.

Although the team is made up by a majority of freshmen, most of the team’s upperclassmen come from the previously established GVSU women’s wrestling club. Junior Maria Potrero, competing in the 145-pound class, was one of the wrestlers who switched from the club to the varsity team.

“It has been awesome so far,” Potrero said. “All of the new experiences and opportunities we all have gotten in the few months as a program have just been amazing. With all of the hard work we have put in as a team, it is so awesome seeing how much this program has grown.”

According to Potrero, transitioning to a varsity sport has had more benefits than just recognition.

“Making the switch from club last year to varsity right now has (led to many) interesting changes, but the biggest impact for me has been financially,” said Potrero. “I no longer have to worry about all of the fundraising for my own tournaments or the individual traveling involved, so that has been able to put my mind at ease so I can solely focus on wrestling and getting better.”

Leading the women’s wrestling team in their inaugural season is head coach Jake Short. While this is only Short’s first year coaching at GVSU, he has played a pivotal role in building up his squad. Potrero noted that Short has excelled at keeping wrestlers mentally prepared for each match.

“He is the reason a lot of our elite freshmen wrestlers committed to Grand Valley,” Potrero said. “He and assistant coach Deede have built a program that does everything right for us. Coach Short is awesome in how pushes us every single practice, and he also makes sure that we’re always taking care of our mental health. He uses affirmations, and guides us to correct our mistakes to get better.”

Looking forward, GVSU’s women wrestlers will be back in action on Saturday, Jan. 18 in Iowa City for a tri-duel, where they will take on Iowa University and Augustana University. As the Lakers close in on the NCAA Regional Tournament, they look to send multiple wrestlers deep into their competitions.

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.

Taking the mat next was 110-pound junior Sage Mortimer. As a gold medal recipient in the Under-23 World Championships and having placed in the top three of her weight class in the U.S. Olympic Trials, Mortimer demonstrated her speed and strength for GVSU, winning her match with a grand amplitude throw into a pin. Halfway through the duel, the Lakers held a strong lead, 18-6.

Opening the second half was 114-pound freshman Ana Malovich. With a quick swipe of her opponent’s feet, Malovich gained the lead with a takedown. Dominantly, Malovich swiftly pinned her opponent for the win.

The winning streak continued with 124-pound freshman Aspen Blasko, who pinned her opponent early. This allowed GVSU to pull away in points, leading 28-6.

A shoving match ensued with 131-junior Hannah Palise, but a solid takedown gave her the lead. A slow and steady match followed, lasting into the final seconds of the match, but a quick burst of energy by Palise ended the match with another grand amplitude throw for the win.

Freshman Katerina Lange, at 136 pounds, quickly racked up points with takedowns, giving her the win by technical fall, 10-0.

Closing out this milestone victory for the Lakers was 145-pound freshman Elleni Johnson. She wrapped her match up quickly with an automatic win, as NMU forfeited.

Although the duel had concluded, three exhibition matches followed. Sahagun and Johnson both got to show their talent in these matches, with Sahagun winning with a pin and Johnson scoring a fast technical fall, 11-0. Nauss closed out the exhibition rounds by taking part in her second match of the night. She won this match, ending with a pin.

“Having this big of a turnout here for our first match (was) crazy,” said Nauss. “We want to show everyone how hard we have been working, and it’s been a great experience with this team.”

The women’s wrestling program, which is newly established this semester, is led by head coach Jake Short. Previously, Short coached the women’s wrestling squad at Augsburg University, where he led the school’s team to a fifth-place finish in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Tournament.

While at Augsburg, Short coached nine wrestlers to NWCA All-American honors, including three individual national champions. Although Short found success before coming to Allendale, coaching at GVSU presented a new start that was too intriguing for him to pass up. 

“There were a lot of moving parts in my decision to come here, but it was destined to be,” said Short. “I took a look at the institution (GVSU) and the resources that they had, and I felt this was an opportunity to see what we could do.”

Having to build a program from the ground up, Short went into the process of establishing a roster.

“I was fortunate enough to get some athletes out of the transfer portal, and I had an awesome recruiting class,” Short said. “These girls don’t act like your typical freshmen. They want to come out here (to) dominate and win matches. With recruiting, I was real and told recruits how I coach and operate.”

Short added that there have been few challenges with this group, and he believes it’s a result of the culture they’ve worked to create.

“I didn’t know if it would be a struggle,” said Short. “It does help to have a few juniors and sophomores with seniority, but the freshmen act as if they have been in my program for years. It’s the players that have created this strong culture.”

The roster consists of 22 students, led by head coach Jake Short and assistant coach Marlynne Deede. Among the grouping is GVSU student Sage Mortimer, who recently achieved international success as a student-athlete.

In 2021, GVSU announced the relaunch of the men’s wrestling program, which was canceled by the University in 1993. At the time of the announcement, the University added that it would start a women’s wrestling team by 2024. The women’s first season kicked off with a meet in Wisconsin, in an open tournament hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. 

GVSU is one of the only Division II universities participating in the tournament. Students who competed included Rayana Sahagun, Ana Malovich, Aspen Blasko, Olivia Heft, Miriam Hopson, Hannah Palise, Elleni Johnson, Clarissa Agostini and Aaliya Grandberry.

Deede said that as a new team, setting a standard for positivity and communicating effectively will create an expectation for the rest of the program. For her team to be successful, Deede said they need grit, attitude, courage and confidence. 

“I have been part of three college programs, all of which were new initiatives,” Deede said. “It has always been an honor to be part of the ‘first.’ It feels special to be part of the inaugural GVSU women’s wrestling team.”

Several elements contributed to the difficulty of re-establishing the wrestling program, even more so for launching the women’s sport. Finances, tournaments and sport regulations could be factors as to why GVSU hadn’t invested in a women’s wrestling team previously.

Deede said GVSU waited until the time to start a women’s wrestling team. Once the pieces finally fell into place, the developing sport was able to officially take shape.

“Women’s wrestling is still a developing sport, requiring commitment and resources to start a program with confidence,” Deede said. “GVSU took the opportunity when it arose. It has been inspiring to learn about extensive support for women’s sports and wrestling at (GVSU). I am empowered by the women who lead at GVSU, and I am happy to be part of this journey.”

On Oct. 24, Mortimer received a gold medal in the Under-23 World Championships in Albania. Mortimer also placed in the top three of her weight class in the U.S. Olympic trials, according to an article by GVNext. 

“Sage is a perfect example of what it means to never stop wrestling and never stop believing,” Short said in an interview with GVSU Athletics. “She made the most of her opportunities and now she gets to call herself a world champion.” 

Blasko, a member of the women’s wrestling team, was enamored by GVSU’s “gorgeous facilities,” and had previously worked with Short before joining the team. She said that after touring campus, the decision to attend GVSU and join the wrestling program was simple. 

“Everything kind of fell into place,” Blasko said. “After getting recruited and stuff, it was a pretty easy choice (to join the team).”

Blasko said that success on the mat isn’t about winners and losers, but about personal and physical growth, building good relationships and bringing life to the team. As a member of the first women’s team at GVSU, she said the perfect season would provide learning experiences for growth and athletic technique.

“I (am) excited to be on such a positive team with great coaches and great people,” Blasko said. 

The tournament was played on March 15 and 16, where Kenny, sophomore Chris Donathan, redshirt sophomore Wyatt Miller, and senior Seth Konynenbelt competed against the best wrestlers in the country for a national title. To qualify for the event, each wrestler placed top three in their weight class at the regional tournament on March 2 at West Liberty University in West Virginia.

The first wrestler to compete for the Lakers was the No. 3 seeded Donathan in the 149-pound class. Ranked third heading into the tournament, Donathan took on Devan Moore from Newberry College in the first round. Donathan battled for a close win by decision. For his second match, Donathan faced No. 6 seed Dylan Brown from the University of Central Oklahoma. Donathan scored first with a takedown, but a late turnaround by Brown led to Donathan’s second loss of the season.

However, this loss did not knock Donathan out of the tournament yet, as wrestlers are put in the
“Wrestleback Bracket” after their first loss. Next for Donathan, he faced Dean Noble from Western Colorado University. Although another low-scoring match ensued, Donathan ultimately fell to Noble with a score of 9-3. Finishing the season with a 25-3 record, Donathan had lost just one game heading into the NCAA Championship Tournament.

The next Laker to compete was No. 4 seed Josh Kenny in the 174-pound class. He began his run with a win by major decision over Johnathan Parrilla from Millersville University. Kenny followed this win with a lengthy overtime match against Matt Ortiz from McKendree University. In this low-scoring match, Kenny came out on top with a late takedown, advancing him to the semifinals.

Closing in on the title round, Kenny said he focuses on himself and his mindset before each match.

“Winning was of course the biggest thing, but to do so, I just have to have fun,” Kenny said. “I choose to go into each match without hate, but instead I trust in myself and just try and dominate. I wrestle because I love to do so and for no other reason.”

Kenny would next claim a 17-2 win by technical fall against eighth-seeded Brody Hemauer from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. This win advanced Kenny to the final round. Kenny, a native of Grandville, Michigan, was the first Lakers to do so since 1988.

In the title match, Kenny faced Anthony Des Vigne, the second wrestler that a GVSU player faced from UCO. The first period would end up scoreless, with both wrestlers putting everything they had left into this match. Kenny went on to score four points early into the second period that put him narrowly ahead. As the second period was closing out, Kenny pinned Des Vigne to win the NCAA DII National Championship.

Kenny ended the season with a 32-5 record, as well as earning All-American honors on top of winning the national title in the 174-pound class.

After reaching the pinnacle of success, Kenny said he aims to continue to have high goals going forward.

“I definitely want to make it back next year, but I mainly want to focus on helping others,” Kenny said. “I have hit my biggest goal, so it is now my responsibility to try and help others hit their goals, and hopefully that is them winning a title. We are a team first and I will always put myself second to that.”

Kenny became GVSU’s first wrestler since 1988 to become a National Champion, when 118-pound Roger Singleton did so. The GVSU wrestling program, which had been disbanded in 1992, added another National Championship under their belt in its first season returning. 

Still, two more Lakers were yet to compete for a title of their own. The unseeded Konyenbelt was up next for GVSU, representing the 184-pound class. He began his portion of the tournament against Cole Casilio from Gannon University. After a tough few minutes, Konynenbelt fell to Casilio, bumping him into the Wrestleback Bracket. He then took on No. 6 seed Bryce Fitzpatrick from St. Cloud State University for his second match. With another slow start, Konyenbelt also fell to Fitzpatrick, knocking him out of the tournament.

As the only senior on the roster for the Lakers, Konyenbelt wrapped up his career with a 27-16 record on the season.

The final wrestler representing GVSU was the 197-pound Wyatt Miller. In his first match, he faced No. 5 seed Dakota Rodgers from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, where he lost 4-3 in a low-scoring battle.

Being bumped down to the Wrestleback Bracket, Miller first wrestled against No. 4 seed Caden Steffon from Southwest Minnesota State University to stay. Miller quickly scored three points on Steffon and held this small lead until the end of the third period, where Miller pulled away for the win.

No. 6 seed Tereus Henry from Fort Hays State University was up next, where a late overtime takedown gave Miller another victory. Following back-to-back wins, Miller’s next opponent was Max Ramberg from Augustana University. However, Ramberg quickly outwrestled Miller into a loss by major decision. 

Miller, who finished in eighth place with a final record of 31-8, was also awarded as an All-American.

With four GVSU wrestlers competing in the tournament, head coach Joey Simcoe decided to bring along a few of the other members of the team who he thinks may also soon be competing for a national title. 

“We had a few of the guys travel down to watch us at nationals and it was a great experience for them to see what it is like to compete on the biggest stage,” Simcoe said. “My goal is to make sure that everyone is ready for nationals once they make it, regardless of if they had been there before or not. We are going to keep our high standards and guarantee that we will be prepared for any match.”

With their first full season of competition behind them, Simcoe looks forward to what this squad has to offer down the road.

“Nothing can describe how proud I am of these guys,” Simcoe said. “It was by far the most fun ride from start to finish. Once we began growing not as a team, but as a family, that was when we really started to see our best wrestling.”

To qualify for the NCAA Division II National Championship, an individual wrestler must finish top three in their weight class out of the 12 competing wrestlers. The Lakers were able to successfully send four wrestlers to nationals, those being sophomore Chris Donathan, redshirt sophomore Josh Kenny, senior Seth Konynenbelt and redshirt sophomore Wyatt Miller.

The regional tournament was hosted at West Liberty University in West Liberty, West Virginia. The Lakers had already faced many of the 12 teams that were present previously in the regular season.

GVSU head coach Joey Simcoe, who was recently named Coach of the Year for the NCAA Super Region 3 by the National Wrestling Coaches Association, explained how the team prepares for their big matches.

“Once we are aware of our wrestler’s matchups, we watch film and begin game planning to try and get the best preparation for our team,” Simcoe said. “We work different situations, with live wrestling, and hope that our preparation gives us the advantage in the match.”

Ranked No. 4 nationally in the 149-pound weight class, Donathan’s first match was in the quarterfinal round against Kaelob Pearce from Bluefield State University. Within the first minute of the match, Donathan swiftly put up 19 points, giving him the win by technical fall.

In the semifinals, Donathan faced Nolan Gessler from Tiffin University. Unlike with his previous opponent, both wrestlers found themselves in a slow match, which lasted roughly 11 minutes. Despite few points being scored, Donathan would maintain the lead and get the win by decision with a score of 9-4, punching his ticket into the finals.

Another slow match ensued in the finals, where against Christian Small from Lake Erie College, Donathan fought to get a small lead. Despite holding the lead for the majority of the match, Small scored a near fall with seconds remaining, putting him ahead in points. 

This final match would be Donathan’s first loss of the season, and currently, with a 24-1 record, he looks to make a strong run at the national tournament.

Also looking to make a nationals run is No. 2 ranked Josh Kenny in the 174-pound class. 

In the quarterfinal round, Kenny faced Gavin Rodriguez-Cayro from Davis & Elkins College. Throughout the first few minutes, Kenny would steadily grow his lead in points and would end the match with a pin.

Next, Kenny faced David Davis from Tiffin in the semifinals. Applying his speed and strength, Kenny overpowered his opponent and won 21-4 by technical fall.

For his final match, Kenny took on Nate Barrett from Ashland University. This match would take up the entire time limit, with back-and-forth takedowns. Ultimately, Kenny outscored his opponent 15-5, taking first place in his weight class with a win by major decision.

Wrestling in the 184-pound class for the Lakers was Seth Konyenbelt. In the quarterfinals, he barely escaped with a 3-2 win against Lucas Salmon from Tiffin. Konyenbelt would then fall to Daniel Beemer from Ashland in the semifinal round. Still with an opportunity to finish in third place in the competition, Konyenbelt went on to win his next two rounds to secure the third-place finish.

Having to rebound after losing in the semifinals, Konyenbelt said he kept a determined mindset throughout the tournament.

“Each match revolves around trust,” Konyenbelt said. “I trust in my coaches that they have prepared me physically and technically. I also have to trust in myself to be able to execute during the match.”

The final wrestler to qualify for nationals was Wyatt Miller in the 197-pound class. Miller started with a win by technical fall, 20-2, in the quarterfinal against Crue Cooper from Davenport University. Miller would then lose in the semifinals and be put in the third-place bracket. In the same fashion as Konyenbelt, Miller went on to win his next two matches to secure third place.

As the lone senior on the team, Konyenbelt said he is “excited going into the tournament knowing it is my last couple of matches. Knowing I am not returning next year, I am excited to wrestle every match like it is my last.”

All four wrestlers, Donathan, Kenny, Konynenbelt and Miller, will compete for a national championship at the NCAA competition in Wichita, Kansas on March 15 and 16.

After missing nearly all of their top wrestlers a week prior to injuries and illness, the Lakers were back to full health and beat Rochester University with a dominating final score of 51-1 on Wednesday, Jan. 24. 

Despite this being GVSU’s inaugural season, they have been able to establish themselves as a top-ranked program nationwide. The Lakers’ head coach, Joey Simcoe, feels like the team is on track to meet many of their goals in their first year.

“Some of our main goals this year were to have a 3.0 team GPA and to finish top 10. We are exceeding most, and we are pushing our expectations,” Simcoe said. “We talk about never settling, whether it be school or wrestling. We plan to push our expectations, but also set them high.”

In the first matchup of the meet, Rochester forfeited in the 125-pound weight class, putting GVSU up 6-0 before the action even started, giving the automatic win to freshman Luca Conflitti.

Opening the duel for the Lakers was 133 pound freshman Collin Twigg. Twigg would quickly get back-to-back takedowns, putting him up by six points early. Shortly after, Twigg would wrestle his way into pinning his opponent, Dallas Stanton, scoring one of many bonus point wins for the Lakers.

Junior Jak Keller, in the 141-pound class, followed up at a slower pace. After Keller played a more decisive approach, a late burst of energy would score him 19 points, giving him the win by technical fall.

Next up to wrestle was the No. 4 ranked 149-pounder, sophomore Chris Donathan. His undefeated record of 16-0. Using his power and quickness, Donathan pinned his overmatched opponent, Nathan Young.

In the following match, junior Caden Jacobs, wrestled in the 157-pound weight class. Although the scuffle began slowly and with few points, the crowd of nearly 550 people cheered on the close contest. A takedown in the final seconds by the Warriors would give them the win, but unsportsmanlike conduct by Rochester’s head coach Wesley Maskill would lose them a point. 

Halfway through the meet, GVSU led 23-2, showing no signs of stopping the smattering as they went into their next match.

Freshman Trammel Robinson, standing 6’1” and 165 pounds, was up next. Starting with an early takedown for the lead, Robinson joined Keller and Donathan with a pin on his opponent late in the match. Another unsportsmanlike conduct would be called, this time on the Falcon’s Jailen Tatum, dropping Rochester’s score to just one point as the Lakers moved to 29 total points.

Robinson leads the team in wins, making this one his 22nd of the season.

Succeeding that match was redshirt sophomore and No. 2 nationally ranked 174-pounder Josh Kenny. Kenny swiftly put up 17 points in the match, giving him the win by technical fall as Rochester’s David Van Daele mustered two points.

Moving his record to 19-4, Kenny said a lot of work goes into being a top ranked wrestler and it is a part of creating a name for GVSU’s wrestling program in its first year. 

“You have to pour your heart and soul into every practice, conditioning, lift or match. I train seven days a week, and five of those days consist of working out twice daily. This does not include the film you watch about your opponents or the strict diet you have to follow when the competition gets close,” Kenny said. “Grand Valley is at the pinnacle of DII athletics and I wanted to be a part of the inaugural program that puts Grand Valley on the map for wrestling.”

Keeping the dominance going for the Lakers, 184-pound senior Seth Konynenbelt got yet another pin before the No. 9 ranked 197-pounder, GVSU sophomore Wyatt Miller, took to the mat. Miller extended his team’s lead with a technical fall before freshman heavyweight Owen Hawley pinned Rochester’s Jackson Slenk, using a suplex to help get the takedown.

The Lakers will next travel to Indianapolis, Indiana, where they will head to the University of Indianapolis (4-5) for the Greyhound Dual and Greyhound open on Saturday, Feb. 3 and Sunday, Feb. 4.

GVSU will then head back to Allendale, Michigan to take on Findlay University for their final home meet at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8.

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.