Throughout the last 13 years, the words “winning” and “championships” have become synonymous with Grand Valley State University athletics. From the 106 GLIAC titles and 12 consecutive Presidents’ Cups to seven-straight Directors’ Cup titles, the Laker athletic program has set the standard for success in NCAA Division II.

“It says GVSU is demonstrating excellence in all areas of campus life – both academics and athletics,” said GVSU athletic director Tim Selgo, who is in his 14th year at GVSU. “The brand that goes with consistent winning is that we are quite simply winners.”

Already with a national title in women’s soccer and women’s cross-country this year, GVSU has a formidable 231.5-point lead in the 2010-11 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup trophy standings with 728 points. The Lakers totaled 317 points in the winter and led second-place Shippensburg University (Pa.).

“There certainly is a culture of success here at GVSU,” said men’s basketball coach Ric Wesley. “Our athletes do a great job of supporting each other as well as pushing each other to be the best they can be.”

That overall success starts at the top with Selgo’s leadership and can be seen all the way down to the last player on each team’s bench. Traditionally, GVSU has been known for its success on the football field, but emerging national contenders like the women’s soccer team have given the GVSU Athletics a new dimension.

“The overall success our athletic department every year helps each and every program know that we are supported in everything we do,” said GVSU head women’s soccer coach Dave DiIanni, whose team has won back-to-back national titles in 2009 and 2010. “It also creates a healthy competitive environment where it is not only okay but expected for our teams to strive for championships.”

A pair of national championships in women’s soccer and women’s cross-country last semester helped the Lakers score a big 411 points, and the success continued on into the winter.

The Lakers earned 100 points with the women’s indoor track & field national championship, as well as 69 points from the success of the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams. Additionally, the women’s basketball team and men’s track and field team combined for 79 points to cap off the winter.

“Every sport and every league has its dominant teams,” Selgo said. “If one would attend every game we play, one would realize that we get everybody’s best shot and that there are far more contests that are very close than people realize. We believe it to be a case of sustained excellence and meeting the challenge of competing to the best of our abilities.”

“Dominance” is a word that can be associated with the school’s athletics, but Selgo said the “sustained success” has been a testament to the three fundamentals: create the best learning environment possible, challenge teams to competitive greatness, which are defined as coming through with the best effort and best performance when it is most needed, and create the energy necessary for success.

“If we are focused on these fundamentals, we will achieve success,” Selgo said. “It may or may not mean we win a championship or a cup, as there are many variables involved in that, but it means we just need to strive to reach our full potential.”

[email protected]