Long after their playing days have ended, Amber Castonguay, Eric Cowles, Reggie Spearmon, Mirela Tutundzic, Matt Thornton and Jason VanElst still hold their place in Grand Valley State University’s record books.

The six former athletes, who helped build the tradition and competitive excellence that exists within GVSU Athletics today, were inducted into the GVSU Athletic Hall of Fame on Oct. 28.

“When you come to Grand Valley, it’s like you have to win now,” said Spearmon, a former running back on the football team and the program’s all-time leading rusher. “I think that’s a great tradition.”

Spearmon added that although each inductee is different and accomplished their own unique things, everyone did their part to up-start the level of play for the GVSU Athletics.

“Eric was first golfer to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and Thornton is one of the top baseball players to be at Grand Valley,” Spearmon said. “He got drafted to the White Sox. that’s huge, and he played an All-Star game. You can’t beat that.”

As a member of the football team from 1999 to 2002, Spearmon played an intricate part in the running game for the Lakers and helped GVSU win its first national championship in any sport. Throughout his career, he garnered three All-GLIAC honors and he was named a second team All-American during his senior season.

“Leaving Grand Valley with the most yards and the most touchdowns as a running back, I really can’t describe the feeling,” Spearmon said. “It’s really on honor to be able to say to my kids I was one of the best ever to play at Grand Valley.”

Although Spearmon and VanElst, an individual track and field national champion, were the only athletes to win national titles during their careers, the other four athletes — Castonguay (softball, 1999-2002), Cowles (men’s golf, 1998-2001), Thornton (baseball, 1996-1998) and Tutundzic (women’s soccer, 2002-2005) — all played pivotal roles in creating a winning tradition for their respective programs.

Tutundzic ranks second all-time in seven different offensive categories. An insurance goal she scored in the 2005 Midwest Regional Championship match is something that will be cemented in Laker soccer history forever. The goal propelled the Lakers to a 2-0 win over Northern Kentucky, giving the team a berth in the NCAA Final Four for the first time.

“Obviously it was huge on honor to be the first soccer player inducted into the Grand Valley Hall of Fame,” she said. “During the time that I was playing we didn’t win any national championships unlike the teams right now, but one of things I got away from it is lifelong lessons that I learned from the coaching staff as well as my teammates.”

For Tutundzic, the success she achieved on the field is in large part due to the players who paved the way for her to compete as a Laker.

“If it wasn’t for those great players that played before me, players like myself and Jen Swalec and Jaci Lange, we would’ve never game to Grand Valley,” So we also have a lot of thanking for the players that played before us,” she said.

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