Peterson, Winchester continue to pile up accolades

Cross country runner Alan Peterson (Ironwood, Mich.) was selected as the USTFCCCA Division II National Male Athlete of the Week for the week of Oct. 20. Peterson picked up an individual win at the 2014 University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh AAE Invitational on Saturday.

The award is given to six collegiate cross country athletes for each of the three NCAA divisions each week. A senior, Peterson placed first at the AAE Invitational after notching an 8k time of 24:32.9 to help the Grand Valley State University men’s team finish second with 69 points.

On the women’s side, runner Allyson Winchester was named the GLIAC Cross Country Women’s Athlete of the Week. Winchester was one of four GVSU athletes to land a top-10 finish at the competition as the Laker women handily won the 42-team event.

The Wayland, Mich. native finished fourth with a time of 21:02.73, seconds behind third-place finisher Kendra Foley, also from GVSU.

Pair of GVSU swimmers sweep weekly GLIAC awards

For the second week in a row, a pair of Grand Valley State University swimmers were tabbed as the GLIAC Men’s and Women’s Swimmers of the Week.

Junior Gianni Ferrero (Idstein, Germany) and freshman Samantha Postmus (Wayland, Mich.) were honored after both GVSU squads defeated the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Allendale on Saturday.

Ferrero set a pool record and hit an NCAA B cut in the 100 fly with a first-place time of 47.96. He also touched first in the 200 free (1:42.05) and swam a leg on the 50 fly relay (22.09).

Postmus, who claimed the same laurel last week for her performance at Michigan State University, set a varsity, pool and freshman record in the 400 IM (4:29.33) on Saturday, good enough to hit an NCAA B mark. She also hit an NCAA B cut in the 500 free (5:05.47), setting another GVSU freshman record in the process.