Lacrosse drops one spot in latest poll

Grand Valley State’s lacrosse team dropped one spot to ninth in the latest IWLCA coaches’ poll, despite winning its last four games.

The Lakers (6-3, 4-0 GLIAC) received 250 points, and are just two points behind Florida Southern, (8-3) which jumped to eighth after being 11th in last week’s poll.

West Chester (10-1) leapfrogged the Lakers with 260 points and now rank seventh, after a ninth-place ranking last week. New Haven (7-2) is 28 points behind the Lakers at No. 10.

GVSU also dropped in the Nike/Lacrosse Magazine media poll to No. 10.

The Lakers will hit the road this weekend to take on Walsh on April 8 and Lake Erie College on April 9.

Tarter named pitcher of the week

Grand Valley State pitcher Tim Tarter has been named the GLIAC North Pitcher of the Week after his performances in a start against Saginaw Valley State (March 29) and a relief appearance against Ashland (April 3).

Tarter, a senior, pitched seven scoreless innings against SVSU on the way to a 4-1 win. Tarter allowed just four hits and struck four batters out, but walked four batters as well.

Against Ashland, he pitched 1.2 innings and was part of an 8-5 Laker victory. He finished the week with a 1.04 ERA and allowed only eight hits.

Tarter is now 3-1 and boasts a 4.23 ERA in 11 appearances on the year.

Shipley nabs second consecutive golfer of the week award

Grand Valley State’s Gabrielle Shipley has been named the GLIAC Women’s Golf Athlete of the Week for the second straight week after her performance in the Lakers’ first-place finish at the NC4K Classic in Columbus, Ohio from April 3-4.

Shipley, a senior, had a team-best score of 150 through 36 holes on the weekend in a dominant 30-stroke victory for the Lakers at the Jefferson Country Club. She posted a score of 72 in the first round and finished the weekend in the second round with a score of 78.

The finish marked the Lakers’ sixth first-place finish on the season. Next up, Shipley and the Lakers will travel to North Canton, Ohio for the 2016 JBMF Cavalier Classic from April 16-17.

Two Lakers receive track and field weekly awards

Grand Valley State’s Lawson Bright-Mitchell and Denzel Graham both received the GLIAC Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week honors after their performances at the 2016 EIU Big Blue Classic on April 1 and 2.