GV boasts strong lead in Directors’ Cup standings

Grand Valley State has a sizeable lead in the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings with the winter season in the books. GVSU totaled 387 points, the highest of any Division II school during the winter season.

The Directors’ Cup is an annual award that ranks the top Division II schools based on the collective performance of all the school’s varsity sports. Schools earn points based on the success of their individual sports, and the school with the most points at the end of the athletic year is awarded the cup.

GVSU’s 378 points for the fall season was the highest of any Division II school, far ahead of the next closest program, the Colorado School of Mines (328).

GVSU’s 387 points in the winter season was also top in Division II. Queens University (NC) was the highest challenger, with 314.50 points.

GVSU has a cumulative score of 765 for the 2015-16 year, the leader by a large margin. Rounding out the top five is Alaska-Anchorage (488.25), Colorado School of Mines (441), UC San Diego (421) and Queens (NC) (402.50).

GVSU has won a Division II record of 10 Directors’ Cups, and has finished first or second in the rankings for 14 consecutive years.

Laker lacrosse stays put in latest poll

Grand Valley State lacrosse (7-3, 5-0 GLIAC) remains at No. 9 in the latest IWLCA poll released this week.

The Lakers received 245 points, 20 points behind No. 8 Florida Southern (11-3), and 30 points ahead of No. 10 New Haven (10-2). The rankings featured few changes, and Adelphi remains at the No. 1 spot with 400 points and all 20 first-place votes.

The Lakers will hit the road this week to play at Findlay on April 15 and at Tiffin on April 16.

Burnett nabs weekly award

Grand Valley state’s TJ Burnett was named the GLIAC Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week after his performance at the WKU Hilltopper Relays on April 9.

Burnett, a junior, earned a NCAA provisional time with a with a second-place finish in the 400 meter hurdles (52.49). That time is good for first in the GLIAC and fifth overall in Division II.

Burnett ran as the anchor in the 4×400 relay and helped the ‘A’ team earn a first-place finish (3:15.31).