Janecke, Laker women earn USTFCCCA honors

On Wednesday, Grand Valley State cross country standout Jessica Janecke was honored with the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division II Women’s Scholar Athlete of the Year award.

The award is given to the top female finisher at the NCAA Championship with a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or higher.

Janecke, who finished third in the race in December, holds a 3.53 cumulative GPA as a double major in biomedical sciences and allied health science.

GVSU teams enter home stretch at Lake State

Playoff implications will be on the line Thursday night as the Grand Valley State basketball teams travel to take on Lake Superior State in GLIAC North action.

The GLIAC Tournament, for both the men and women, consists of the top three teams from each division, plus two wild card spots for the next best pair of teams.

The GVSU women (12-5 GLIAC) currently own the second-place spot in the North standings but have two teams, Hillsdale and Northern Michigan, right on their heels with 11-6 conference records. Meanwhile, the Laker men (6-11 GLIAC) have some work to do. The team currently sits in last place in the eight-team North Division standings, but could still claim a wild card spot with some help.

The all-Laker action begins in the women’s game on Thursday night at 6 p.m. The men are scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m.

Baseball team picked to finish first in North

Coaches in the GLIAC voted the Grand Valley State baseball team as the favorite to win the North Division this season in the 2015 GLIAC Baseball Preseason Coaches’ Poll, which was released on Wednesday.

GVSU garnered all 11 possible first-place votes, which was good enough for a league-high 61 points.

Ashland was the favorite in the South Division, meanwhile, with 55 points.