GV track & field teams sweep GLIAC weekly honors

The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) announced Tuesday, Feb. 13, that the Grand Valley State women’s 4×400-meter relay team and the men’s distance medley relay team were awarded the GLIAC Track Athlete of the Week awards following the seventh weekend of the 2017-18 indoor track and field season.

In the the women’s competition, the 4×400-meter relay team was awarded the Women’s GLIAC Track Athlete of the Week honors after they hit an NCAA automatic time and set a new indoor school record of 3:42.38, as they had the best Division II time during the meet. The relay team broke the old record of 3:42.50, which was set by Chant’e Roberts, Rachael Walters, Angela Ritter and Jessica O’Connell last year. The relay team now holds the fastest time in the GLIAC and in Division II.

The men’s DMR team earned the Men’s GLIAC Track Athlete of the Week recognition after they hit an automatic time of 9:46.76 in the DMR race en route to a first-place finish during the GVSU Big Meet on Saturday, Feb. 10. The relay team’s time was also a GVSU indoor school record and a Kelly Family Sports Center record as well.The Lakers’ time is now the fastest time in the GLIAC and the second fastest in Division II.

The indoor season doesn’t stop for the GVSU track and field teams, as they will next compete in the GVSU Tune-Up event at the Kelly Family Sports Center on Friday, Feb. 16, kicking off events at 2:45 p.m. 

GV basketball’s Cassidy Boensch named GLIAC North Division Player of the Week

For the second time this season, sophomore Cassidy Boensch was named the GLIAC North Division Player of the Week for her performances during the GVSU women’s basketball team’s victories over Wayne State and Davenport. The announcement was released from the league office Monday, Feb. 12.

Boensch nearly recorded her second double-double of the season after scoring 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting while pulling down a game-high nine rebounds to go along with her three assists and two blocks in just 16 minutes during the Lakers’ 71-41 victory over Wayne State on Thursday, Feb. 8.

The center then recorded a huge 17-point, nine-rebound, two-steal performance two days later against the Davenport Panthers in a low-scoring 56-47 defensive victory Saturday, Feb. 10.

Boensch is now shooting 60 percent on the season, which is the second-highest mark in the GLIAC. In addition, the Au Gres, Michigan, native is averaging 9.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while leading the team—in a wide margin—with 38 blocks, which is the tied for the fourth most in the conference, all while averaging just over 17 minutes per game.

The Lakers will be back in action later this week with matchups against No. 1 Ashland and Tiffin. The Lakers will host the top-ranked Eagles on Thursday, Feb. 15, at 8 p.m. before a 3 p.m. matchup with Tiffin on Saturday, Feb. 17. Saturday’s game against the Dragons will act as Senior Day for the 2017-18 season as it is the last scheduled regular-season home contest.