GVSU alum qualifies for pole vault finals at U.S. Olympic Team Trials

Former Grand Valley State track and field star Kristen Hixson finished tied for 11^th place in the U.S Olympic Team Trials on July 8. Hixson’s 11^th place finish was good enough to earn a spot into the finals which took place on July 10.

Hixson and three other women cleared a height of 4.35m, while nine women cleared a height of 4.40m. But the top finisher at the qualifying event was Jenn Suhr, who cleared a height of 4.50m.

Hixson entered the qualifiers ranked seventh out of 24 athletes competing. She cleared a bar of 4.65m to qualify for the Olympic Team Trials.

During her time at GVSU, Hixson won three individual Division II National Championships, two in 2012 and one more in 2014. Hixson finished her career at GVSU as the top pole vaulter in school history.

GVSU men’s basketball hires new assistant coach

The Grand Valley State men’s basketball team announced the hiring of Taylor Johnson as the new assistant coach. Johnson spent the previous three years as a graduate assistant for the North Carolina State men’s basketball team while earning his master’s degree in family and youth studies.

At NC State, Johnson was responsible for assisting with filming practices and games, editing game film, scouting opponents and player analysis. He is also experienced in the recruiting process. As a volunteer student assistant at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida, Johnson helped land five recruits for the basketball team, including the first Florida Top 50 recruit in school history.

Johnson returns to the state of Michigan after graduating from Western Michigan University in 2013.

“I can’t wait to get started working with the 2016-17 squad and finding impact players for the future of Laker basketball,” Johnson said.

GVSU men’s golfer finishes as runner-up at Michigan Amateur Championship

Domenic Mancinelli, a junior on the Grand Valley State men’s golf team, finished in 2^nd place in the Michigan Amateur Championship. Mancinelli lost in the championship match to Michigan State’s Sam Weatherhead.

The Michigan Amateur Championship featured the top 150 amateur golfers in Michigan. The field of 150 is reduced to the top 64, and then the event turns into a match play tournament.

Mancinelli defeated five golfers on his way to the championship round, but fatigue proved to be a factor in the last round. Mancinelli played over eight rounds of golf in five days after three of his five previous matches needed extra holes to decide a winner.

GVSU had two other current players compete in the event, Mitchell White and Alex Scott. Autsin Eccleton and Nicholas Gunthorpe, both GVSU alums, also competed in the event.

“This is the second year in a row that we’ve been really well represented at these major Michigan events,” said GVSU head coach Gary Bissell. “For us to get four total guys (two current, two alum) into match play speaks volumes about our program, and that we’ve got a lot of depth.”