HEADLINE: Laker men seize GLIAC crown

SUBHEAD: GV, Wayne State teams come away with 1-2 finishes in Jenison

By Brodie Orent

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The Grand Valley State men’s swimming and diving team claimed the 2015 GLIAC Championship for the fourth time in school history on Saturday, snapping Wayne State’s four-year reign atop the conference.

GVSU jumped out to a huge first-day lead, never let up and finished the four-day event with a GLIAC Championship record of 1,098 points – 227.5 more than runner-up Wayne State and 717.5 more than third-place Malone. Lakers coach Andy Boyce was named the 2015 GLIAC Men’s Coach of the Year.

Senior swimmer Sven Kardol said his team has done a tremendous job this year and he couldn’t be prouder to be a part of it.

“Winning the conference title is just the icing on the cake,” Kardol said. “It is the one thing we worked for all season long and finally having that reward feels amazing.”

Kardol claimed the GLIAC title in the 400 IM and set a pool record by making the NCAA B cut with a time of 3:55:69 on day two.

The Laker women were in second place after day one and stayed in second throughout the tournament, finishing with 689 points. Wayne State took home its sixth straight title with 820.5 points, its ninth GLIAC crown in 10 years.

GVSU’s Sam Postmus was named the GLIAC Women’s Freshman of the Year, while sophomore Taylor Wiercinski was the Women’s Diver of the Year.

Senior Sarah Roeser hit the NCAA B cut and finished second in the 100 free with a time of 51:51, and fellow senior Emily Eaton also hit the NCAA B cut with a time of 52:40.

Roeser, also a part of the GVSU women’s 800 free relay team that hit the NCAA B cut with a time of 7:34:14, said her team is doing amazing and had one of its best championship meets in in recent history.

“Making the cut is a cool thing,” Roeser said. “We don’t know if it will for sure go to nationals with those times, but it is awesome to be in the running.”

Roeser also said Wayne State is a great team that provided fantastic competition for the Lakers.

On the men’s side, freshman Gabriel Souza got a GLIAC title in the 100 fly and set a GLIAC Championship meet, pool and GVSU freshman record, while also hitting the NCAA A cut with a time of 46.81.

Junior Gianni Ferrero won the 100 backstroke with a time of 47.45 to claim his second GLIAC title, a pool record and an NCAA A cut.

Freshman Metin Aydin secured the conference crown by touching first in the 200 back with a time of 1:46:54. Aydin set a GVSU varsity and freshman record while hitting the NCAA B cut.

Freshman swimmer Sam Postmus won the 1650 free with an NCAA B cut time of 17:00:60, which was good enough for a GVSU varsity and freshman record.

Boyce said on receiving the coach of the year award that it wasn’t just for him; it was also for his outstanding staff of assistant coaches: Justin Vasquez, Amanda Miller and Steve Burciaga.

“It’s a long meet,” Boyce said. “It’s a grind. You have to be well conditioned, but I’m happy with how it turned out.”

Next up for the Lakers is the NCAA Division II National Championships, which starts March 10 in Indianapolis, Ind.

Boyce said the Lakers will know who qualified on Tuesday.