GVSU track & field competes in NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships

The Grand Valley State men’s and women’s track and field teams finished the 2018 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships Saturday evening with the men tied for sixth with 26 points and the women in eighth with 25 points. 

This year’s championships kicked off Friday, March 9, and concluded Saturday, March 10, in Pittsburg, Kansas. The Pittsburg State men’s team won their first-ever Indoor National Championship by edging defending champion Tiffin by one point, 49 to 48. West Texas A&M University won the women’s championship with 40 total points.

The GVSU women’s 4×400-meter relay team was crowned a National Champion as Chant’e Roberts, Angela Ritter, Jessica Eby and Rachael Walters hit the finish line first and set a school record with a time of 3:40.34.

GVSU saw six podium finishes as both teams had three apiece. For the men’s side, Jacob Battani placed fourth in the pole vault with a clearing of 5.15 meters, while Wuoi Mach tabbed a seventh-place finish in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 8:10.71. The men’s 4×400-meter relay team, composed of Andrew McFarland, Thomas Capers, Tyler Pavliga and Jaylin Golson, set a new indoor school record with a time of 3:12.10 en route to a fifth-place finish.

On the women’s side, Roberts and Walters each reached the podium twice during the meet. Both placed in their individual events and were part of the 4×400-meter relay team that was crowned a National Champion. Roberts placed fifth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 55.08, while Walters finished as the National Runner-Up in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:08.13, only behind Danielle McCormick, who ran a time of 2:07.79.

The Lakers will now head to their outdoor season, as they will be on the road for the next month before they host the Al Owens Classic on Friday, April 20, and Saturday, April 21.

GVSU softball pitcher Allison Lipovsky throws perfect game

In the world of baseball/softball, arguably the hardest milestone to accomplish is for a pitcher to toss a perfect game—meaning that not a single opponent reaches the base via base hit, walk or error. 

During the Grand Valley State softball team’s spring trip to Clermont, Florida, junior pitcher Allison Lipovsky tossed a 14-strikeout perfect game over seven innings to claim a 3-0 victory over Notre Dame College.

The perfect game came just one day after Lipovsky threw a complete game four-hitter to upset the No. 1 nationally ranked Minnesota State Mankato 6-1. During that contest, Lipovsky struck out six batters over seven innings. 

From the beginning of their trip on Sunday, March 4, to its end on Saturday, March 10, the Lakers won 10 of their 12 contests. GVSU outscored their opponents 73-20 over that span. 

GVSU will next compete in a doubleheader against GLIAC rival Ferris State on Wednesday, March 21, in the Lakers’ home-opener at the GVSU softball field. The first contest will begin at 3 p.m.

GVSU men’s golf finishes third at Las Vegas Classic

After a very long winter offseason, the Grand Valley State men’s golf team finally completed its first tournament of the spring season during the three-day Las Vegas Classic, starting Sunday, March 4, and ending Tuesday, March 6. 

Out of 18 teams, the Lakers finished in third place after carding a three-day total of 887 (+23). Although this was their first tournament in nearly five months, the Lakers still continue their streak of making it to the top five of each tournament they’ve competed in this school year. 

Senior Dominic Mancinelli had a great opening tournament, shooting rounds of 69, 68 and 76 for a total of 213 (-3), which put him in fourth place out of 104 golfers. Junior Alex Scott got better as the days went by, carding rounds of 75, 73 and 71 (+3) to finish in a tie for eighth place.

The Lakers will have about a week and a half off before they head down to Lexington, Kentucky, for the SVSU Spring Invitational. The two-day tournament will take place Saturday, March 17, and Sunday, March 18, at Kearney Hills Links.