GVSU basketball’s Cassidy Boensch earns GLIAC North Player of the Week

The Grand Valley State women’s basketball team has been rolling so far this year, winning their past six contests to establish a comfortable 13-2 overall record (6-1 GLIAC). But the road hasn’t been easy, as this year’s team has been recently plagued with the injury bug to key players.

Luckily for the Lakers, they have sophomore Cassidy Boensch, the team’s tallest player at 6 feet 4 inches, to come off the bench and be productive in the paint. Boensch had herself quite the end to the winter break, and she was rewarded by being named GLIAC North Division Player of the week, per a release from the league office on Monday, Jan. 8.

During the Lakers’ past three wins against Cornerstone (84-46), Northwood (73-55) and Saginaw Valley State (70-48), the Au Gres, Michigan, native averaged 14.3 points, six rebounds and more than four blocks per game while also shooting 62.5 percent from the floor. 

Her best performance came against Cornerstone, where she posted career highs in points and blocks, tallying 18 and seven, respectively.

The Lakers next face their toughest test of the year in Ohio against No. 1 GLIAC opponent Ashland on Thursday, Jan 11, and Tiffin on Saturday, Jan. 13.

GVSU swimming and diving sweeps GLIAC opponent Wayne State

After their trip to Florida early in the winter break, the Grand Valley State men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams headed to a snowy Detroit to face off against the Wayne State Warriors on Saturday, Jan. 6.

Both GVSU teams swept the Warriors, as the men’s team defeated WSU 178-118, while the women narrowly won by a 159-141 score. With their victories, the men’s team improves to a 8-1 overall record, ranking them No. 4 in the GLIAC, while the women’s record now stands at 6-4 and the No. 12 rank in the conference.

First-place finishers for the men’s team include freshman Moritz Bartels (1,000-meter freestyle, 9:45.12); freshman Lauri Hatunen (200-meter freestyle, 1:45.83); senior Joe Gucwa (1-meter diving, 280.42); senior Jared Gregory (3-meter diving, 309.08); sophomore Ahmed Nabih (200-meter breaststroke, 2:05.99); and junior Marius Mikalauskas (200-meter individual medley, 1:58.21).

First-place finishers for the women include sophomore Melina Goebel (1,000-meter freestyle, 10:35.83); senior Sam Postmus (200-meter freestyle, 1:56.26); freshman Freyja Garbaccio (100-meter backstroke, 1:00.11); sophomore Mikayla Karasek (1-meter diving, 272.25); and junior Caroline Brereton (200-meter backstroke, 2:08.85).

The Lakers will finally return to their home waters as they face off against GLIAC opponent Findlay on Saturday, Jan. 13, at 1 p.m.

GVSU rifle club wins two matches during winter break

Hours before the beginning of the new year, the Grand Valley State rifle club participated in two Orion Scoring System Monthly Virtual Matches on Sunday, Dec. 31, at the Grand Rapids Rifle and Pistol Club. 

Leading the way in the air rifle event was senior Christian Yap (Northville, Michigan). He posted a score of 592.1 (out of 654), good for first place overall. Yap was joined by sophomore Joseph Lentine (Saline, Michigan) and sophomore Alexander Straith (Birmingham, Michigan) in posting a team score of 1,738.5, good for first place overall. Lentine finished third with a score of 576.4. Straith posted a score of 570.0, good for fifth.