GVSU soccer’s Gabriella Mencotti earns United Soccer Coaches award

If you’ve been watching the Grand Valley State soccer team this year, you’ll know how important senior Gabriella Mencotti is to her team’s offense and overall success.

Mencotti’s efforts on the field haven’t gone unnoticed, as she was named the United Soccer Coaches Division II Player of the Week Tuesday, Oct. 10. The United Soccer Coaches organization is the largest community of soccer coaches in the world.

During the Lakers’ past weekend series, Mencotti posted a staggering seven goals and two assists, including four goals in the Lakers’ 7-0 victory over Ashland University Friday, Oct. 6, and a hat trick in their 5-0 win over Tiffin University Sunday, Oct. 8.

This is the first time a Laker has ever been awarded with the nationally recognized weekly honor. Although it may have been Mencotti’s best week of play, the senior has stayed consistent throughout the entire season, leading all of Division II with 16 goals. 

Mencotti and the rest of the Lakers will finish their regular home season schedule with GLIAC matchups against Purdue University Northwest Friday, Oct. 13, and Davenport University Sunday, Oct. 15.

GVSU football running back Marty Carter earns GLIAC honors

Whether it was with his 218 rushing yards or his three touchdowns runs, one being a 97-yard run to break the school record for longest touchdown run, Grand Valley State football running back Martayveus “Marty” Carter dominated during the Lakers’ 45-27 victory over Wayne State Saturday, Oct. 7.

Carter’s dominating performance on the gridiron raised the eyebrows of conference officials, as he was named the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week for his Wayne State performance.

This hasn’t been his only stellar performance this season, as Carter has 714 rushing yards and seven touchdowns so far this season. In addition, Carter is now tied for second on the all-time rushing list with former GVSU running back Michael Tennessee (3,515 yards).

The No. 7 ranked Lakers and Carter will take an eight-hour road trip down south to face non-conference foe Truman State Saturday, Oct. 14, at 4 p.m.

GVSU club rowing competes in Nashville

Led by a trailer chock-full of boats, the Laker Navy descended to Nashville, Tennessee, to compete in their first regatta of the fall season in the Second Annual Music City Head Race Saturday, Oct. 7.

The varsity men got things started with a dominating performance in the four-man boats. GVSU went 1-2, with the third-place boat from Alabama a full two lengths behind GVSU’s second-place crew. The third GVSU entry in the event finished 11th, beating out the other ‘C’ boats and half of the ‘B’ entries along the way.

The Laker varsity women finished almost 30 seconds clear of the next finisher, the varsity eight from the University of Georgia. The GVSU two-man varsity boat was nearly as solid, finishing ahead of all but two varsity boats and second of all two-man varsity boats.

GVSU athletes medalled in every single event they entered, with many events seeing our crews claiming multiple medals. The next event for the Laker Navy will be at the Head of the Grand Sunday, Oct. 15.