GVSU awarded CSCAA Diver and
Coach of the Year

After finishing fifth at the
2017 NCAA DII Swimming and Diving Championships in Birmingham, Alabama, the
Grand Valley State men’s diving team earned both diver and coach of the year. Sophomore
Brad Dalrymple was named 2017 Men’s Diver of the Year while GVSU coach Steve
Burciaga was named Men’s Diving Coach of the Year.

At the National Championships,
Dalrymple claimed first place on the 3-meter diving with a score of 513.70 and
was runner-up in 1-meter diving with a score of 513.15. Last season as a
freshman, Dalrymple finished in first place on the 1-meter board while
finishing in sixth in the 3-meter.

For the second consecutive
year, Burciaga won the CSCAA DII Men’s Diving Coach of the Year award. Along
with guiding Dalrymple to a first and second place finish, Burciaga guided Joe
Gucwa to a third-place finish in the 3-meter and a ninth-place finish in the
1-meter. GVSU’s Jared Gregory also earned third place in the 1-meter and 10^th
on the 3-meter.

Former GVSU football players seek new
opportunities in NFL

During the first couple of days
of free agency in the NFL, two Grand Valley State alums either moved teams or
stayed put with the opportunity to have more of an impact on the field.

Former GVSU wide receiver
Charles Johnson signed with the Carolina Panthers after playing his first three
seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. Matt Judon, a former GVSU defensive end and
now back-up linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens, remained with the Ravens but starting
outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil was released from the team to create space in
the salary cap.

During his stint with the
Vikings, Johnson accumulated 834 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Johnson is
known for his speed which will help Carolina’s receiving core with Cam Newton
at the helm.

In his rookie season, Judon
recorded 27 total tackles in 14 games played. He did not start in a single game
all season but still finished the season with four sacks and a fumble recovery.
It is still unsure if the Ravens will attempt to resign Dumervil, but if not,
Judon is the top candidate for the starting outside linebacker position next
season.

While Johnson and Judon have
found homes, GVSU alum Tim Lelito is currently a free agent after playing four
seasons on the offensive line with the New Orleans Saints. Lelito recently
visited the Detroit Lions facility in his search of signing with a new team.

GVSU club volleyball wins
conference championship

The Grand Valley State DI men’s
club volleyball team recently won the Great Midwest Men’s Volleyball Conference
after winning three consecutive matches in two-set sweeps. The win marked the
second consecutive conference championship for the Lakers.

The Lakers closest match came
against Ohio in the preliminary round. GVSU won the first set 25-22 and the
second set by an even slimmer margin 26-24.

The first round win bought the
Lakers a bye in the second round, awaiting the winner of the Cincinnati and
Kentucky game. After Cincinnati won a three-set thriller, the Lakers beat the
Bearcats 25-20 and 25-19 in two sets.

In the championship match, the
Lakers cruised to another two-set victory with a 25-18, 25-20 win over Dayton.