Women’s Golf dominates Gilda’s Club Laker Invite

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, the Grand Valley State University women’s golf team hosted the 12th Annual Gilda’s Club Laker Invite, winning first place overall with two Lakers taking first and second individually. Dressed in all pink, the team played on the Meadows Golf Course certainly working to their advantage during the weekend, as the team scored 300 in both first and second rounds, holding on to their lead throughout the entire day. With a final score of 600 (+24), followed by the University of Findlay in second with 611 (+35) and Wayne State University in third at 635 (+59).

On top of their first place win, all of the Lakers finished in the top 15 with freshmen Paula Badino in first and Julia Sanchez in second. With a score of +5 (149), Badino totaled 6 birdies during the day, and Sanchez hit 4 birdies with the lowest score in the second round. The Lakers continue their play into Monday, Sept. 27 at the Bulldog Fall Invite hosted by Ferris State University.

Women’s Softball welcomes back Ryan Schalk as assistant coach

Grand Valley State University alumnus, Ryan Schalk, returns for the 2022 season as a part-time assistant coach alongside head coach Rebecca Mailloux. Schalk graduated from GVSU in 2004 with a bachelor’s in physical education, continuing on to get his master’s at the University of Toledo. With 12 years of college softball coaching experience, he began at Muskegon Community College in 2009 as an assistant coach, moving up to head coach in 2014. In 2017, Schalk rejoined the Lakers to coach, and since then he has worked at the University of Toledo for three years and was the head coach at Alverno College for one season.

The Lakers are excited to be welcoming him back to the team for this upcoming season as they finish up their fall games.

Lakers fill up the GLIAC Player of the Week boards

Last week, Sept. 19-25, 6 Grand Valley State University student-athletes received the GLIAC Player of the Week honors. Starting with offensive player of the week, sophomore quarterback, Cade Peterson has helped lead his team to their undefeated record of 3-0. South division player of the week was junior Abby Graham on the women’s volleyball team as her second GLIAC player of the week honors of this season. The GVSU cost country team has two Lakers on the list this week; juniors Hannah Becker and Tanner Chada. Chada took first place overall in the Spartan Invite up against Division I runners with a time of 24.20.6 in the 8k, and Becker took sixth overall with a time of 22.06.4 in the 6k.

On the GVSU women’s soccer team, freshman goalkeeper, Callie Rich was GLIAC defensive player of the week in her first season on the Laker’s team. Finally, the GLIAC golfer of the week was taken by none other than redshirt freshman, Charles DeLong, who has already seen two GLIAC player of the week honors, as well as All-GLIAC First Team and GLIAC Freshman of the Year last season, and GLIAC All-Academic Excellence this year.