The Lakers traveled to Georgia with eight fighters, six men and two women. Rebekah DeBoer was the champion in the 132-pound beginner class and Jason Murray was the champion in the 225-pound novice class. Both DeBoer and Murray brought home two national championship belts. With these wins, GVSU boxing now holds nine belts. Samantha Swafford, sophomore Tanner “TJ” Gardner and Lucas Malloy were runners-up in their classes, securing themselves each a medal. Both DeBoer and Swafford made history for the team, as they were the first Laker women to place in nationals.

Last year, GVSU competed in the USIBA with nine boxers, seven men and two women. The 2024 team won 16 matches, had two champion runner-ups and secured three championship belts. Going into this year’s competition, the Lakers set goals to retain more boxers entering the match, have more women competitors, earn another championship belt and win USIBA team awards. 

Gardner touched on his experience competing at USIBA and the value of his team’s support. 

“All the people here will support you no matter what happens, even if you lose a national championship fight,” said Gardner. “(The team) was ultimately proud of me and it was really nice just getting picked up by everybody. I’ve only been (a part of the team) for five months, and we treat each other like family.” 

Freshman Maxwell Gohsman, junior Ashton Kamps and Kristopher “Diego” Krepps ultimately lost their bouts, but were supported by the team for achieving tournament placement.

Gohsman provided insight into the most important lesson he’s learned through boxing and competing. 

“You cannot fight through emotion,” said Gohsman. “If you are emotional when you are either sparring or hitting the bag or doing anything, it is not going to go well. You actually want to be the calmest when you are fighting.”

Club boxing offers two opportunities for students to become involved in the program: recreational sparring and competitive training. Recreational sparring allows students to work out with the team, but doesn’t offer the opportunity to compete. All members start as recreational players, but can transition to a serious spot on the competitive team. Members of the competitive squad train to represent GVSU in tournaments and shows.  

Kamps pitched the boxing club as a great opportunity to get into shape, make friends and train with coaches.

“The people I’ve met in boxing are some of the best people I’ve met in my entire life,” Kamps said. “The types of coaches and facilities that we have access to, anywhere from coaches that have trained world champions to pros and even Olympians, is amazing.”

GVSU entered the GLCHL playoffs with a matchup versus the Davenport University Panthers at Griff’s Georgetown Ice Arena, having just beaten No. 2 ranked Adrian College on Feb. 9. With a lot of confidence coming into the game, the Lakers struggled early and attempted to come back from a 2-0 deficit, losing 2-1.

“We’ve won the GLCHL before and being the best in our conference would be a sweet title, especially going into nationals,” said senior Nick Sommerfield. “Having that confidence and swagger going in there (we felt) that we can beat these top teams and compete at the highest level.” 

In the first period, both sides had solid opportunities in the opposing zones but weren’t able to generate points.

GVSU had a 2-on-1 break that seemed destined for a score until Panthers goaltender Kyler Lowden made a great save to turn away the Lakers.

Lowden was busy working through traffic in the first period as there were several massive collisions in front of Davenport’s net. One hit led to

Lowden getting knocked over and another hit caused minor penalties that were assessed to a player on each team.

During the shorthanded play, the puck hardly left Davenport’s zone, making it a near-power play for GVSU. The Lakers got multiple chances to bury the first goal of the game but still were left empty-handed at the end of the period. With a 0-0 score entering the first intermission, both teams hit the locker room to adjust.

Coming out of the second period, GVSU was able to generate some shots on goal after forcing turnovers in Davenport’s end but still were unable to put the puck in the back of the net. 

The first goal of the game was finally scored after four minutes had gone by in the second period. Panthers forward Brendan Bauler was able to knock it in after a fight for the puck on the boards led to a shot.

GVSU has struggled for much of this season with allowing the first goal and found themselves in the same scenario yet again, this time down 1-0 going into the third period.

For much of the third, the Lakers also struggled to score, getting more offensive pressure than in the first and second periods, but failing to convert on any shots.

“We came out in the third and I thought we were better than the first two periods but still just couldn’t formulate as a group in terms of offensive opportunities,” said GVSU head coach Matthew Sekosan. “I’d say our effort trying to do the right things was correct, we just couldn’t put it together as a five-man unit.” 

The first goal of the third period came late in the session from Davenport with a little over six minutes remaining in the game. The score was now 2-0 and time was working against the Lakers.

GVSU did seem to get a bit of momentum after killing a slashing penalty just minutes after Davenport extended the lead to two. With the clock winding down, GVSU decided to pull their goalie to try and get a spark from an extra skater.

GVSU captain and forward, Zach Borchardt, scored with roughly 20 seconds to go. An opportunity opened up for the Lakers. With just seconds remaining, GVSU was able to generate another

scoring opportunity to tie the game, but the shot just missed and hit the side of the net. 

GVSU fell in the quarterfinals to Davenport with a 2-1 final. 

“An emotional game for our seniors,” said Sekosan. “Their last home game is a bitter taste in terms of going out with a 2-1 loss.”

However, Sekosan recognizes the Lakers’ season is likely not over. 

“We live to fight another day,” said Sekosan. “Our efforts throughout the regular season have put us in a position to compete for a national championship.” 

The American Collegiate Hockey Association National Championship Tournament begins on Thursday, March 7 in St. Louis, Missouri. The Lakers await the results of conference tournament action to find out who they will be playing.

Before the Feb. 8 game, the Bulldogs were announced as the Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League (GLCHL) Regular Season Champions with a record of 23-3-0. The Lakers, who shot up in the national rankings in the latter portion of the season, were tasked with playing in enemy territory against one of the best teams in the country.

After a tripping penalty at center ice, Adrian was given a man advantage with 11:50 to go in the first. GVSU struggled to kill the penalty as the puck never left the zone, leading to the first points of the game. After four good scoring chances, the Bulldogs’ David Dell was able to bury a power play goal. 

There was only one goal in the opening period– making the score 1-0 at the first intermission. 

Just three minutes into the second period, the Bulldogs’ Nash Hatcher made a silky smooth move to beat the GVSU defense and then backhanded it into the net. Hatcher’s incredible goal put the Lakers down 2-0, a deficit they were unable to surmount.

“I think our start was poor,” said GVSU head coach Matthew Sekosan. “We seemed like we were deer in the headlights.”

After the sluggish start, GVSU stole the puck in Bulldogs territory. After their first shot went behind the net, Lakers’ defenseman Bryan Clahassey was in a perfect spot to beat the Bulldogs’ goalie on the rebound. 

GVSU put the game right back in reach at 2-1. 

However, just two minutes later Adrian was able to extend the lead right back to two goals. After some solid pressure, they were able to score their own goal off of a favorable bounce. 

The third period didn’t contain any penalties, nor any goals, and the Lakers fell to the Bulldogs 3-1.

With another shot at the number two team in the nation the very next night, GVSU opened the game honoring nine seniors: Bryan Clahassey, Devin Naidow, Nick Sommerfield, Sam Lechel, Gage Thrall, Eric Holford, Josh Suzio, Josh Kego and Aidan Mcaleer.

Sommerfield admired the development of his team throughout the course of the season and his time at GVSU.

“It’s meant a lot seeing us grow,” Sommerfield said. “Beating teams we used to lose to and now actually being a household name in the national standings, it’s been really cool.”

The stagnant action in the first period of Friday’s game consisted of just one cross-checking penalty and no goals. It turned out to be the only penalty of the entire game, just a week after the Lakers’ matchup with Toledo University hovered near double-digits in total penalties.

Much of the second period was also rather uneventful until GVSU’s Jackson Collard was able to bury the first goal of the game just five minutes before the final intermission. 

Then just two minutes later, Adrian didn’t waste any time answering with a goal of their own. It was a tie game going into the third period of the final regular season game.

After both teams struggled to score early in the period yet again, a Lakers senior stepped up and made a game-changing play. 

With four minutes left in the game, Sommerfield buried the game-winning goal, giving his No. 15 ranked Lakers an enormous end-of-season win over the No. 2 ranked Bulldogs.

GVSU would officially put the game away with the help of an empty net goal scored by Chase Tallaire shortly thereafter. The final buzzer sounded to the tune of a 3-1 upset win on Senior Night.

The victory had Sommerfield reminiscing about what he will miss when the season ultimately comes to an end.

“Seeing the boys everyday,” said Sommerfield. “Knowing at the end of the night you’ll be hanging out with them and skating and having fun.”

GVSU and Sommerfield will now play in the GLCHL Playoffs Quarterfinal, which begins at home on Thursday, Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m. The Lakers moved to 20-7-2 to finish the regular season.

In a home game at Griff’s Georgetown Ice Arena on Friday, Feb. 2, GVSU came out very aggressive and it paid off. Early on, the Lakers got a ton of great scoring opportunities and kept the puck on the Rockets’ end of the ice for much of the game.

GVSU scored two quick goals in the first 10 minutes of the first period, one from forward Carson Wood and another shortly after by forward Nick Sommerfield.

With about three minutes to go in the first, Toledo had a chance to get back in the game with a power play. GVSU was whistled for a high stick, the first penalty of the game on both sides, and the Lakers killed it with ease.

Shortly thereafter, GVSU captain Zach Borchardt was set up by Carson Korte for a missile of a one timer, making it three unanswered goals in the first period.

Lakers junior forward Braeden Fouchea emphasized the importance of scoring early in games, which has not been easy for the Lakers.

“We’ve had a tough time this year getting off to good starts,” Fouchea said. “A lot of games we didn’t get the first goal and we have to come back. (It) felt really good to get a good start.”

After a relatively clean third period with just one penalty against GVSU, things got really chippy in the second period. Several violent collisions led to eight combined penalties between the two teams. Between a couple GVSU slashing penalties and a Laker throwing an opponent’s stick, Toledo had plenty of opportunities to get back in the game, but failed to score on any of their four power play advantages.

As the second period progressed, Toledo was able to find multiple high quality scoring chances on the Lakers’ goaltender, Devin Naidow. To no avail, Naidow stopped every opportunity for the Rockets, including an open-ice breakaway. Then with just under 12 minutes left in the second period, GVSU forward and captain Shane Haggerty buried another goal, making it 4-0. The Lakers were dominating before heading into the second intermission.

After a slow start, Toledo came out and looked like an entirely different team in the third period, finishing on multiple scoring opportunities and owning the time of possession.

Toledo was finally able to get on the board with just under 15 minutes left to make it a 4-1 game, when just seven minutes later, they punched in another one. The score was now 4-2 with eight minutes to play in the game. The momentum had swung in the opposite direction and then four minutes later, the Rockets buried another goal to make it a one-score game.

GVSU then was helped by a power play with two minutes left, which helped to stave off the comeback and seal the dicey 4-3 win. 

“We got the ‘W’ and we’re happy with that,” said Fouchea.

The second game of the matchups with the Rockets was a night game in Toledo, Ohio. There the Lakers found themselves playing from behind early, something Fouchea had mentioned was an issue for the team in other games.

Toledo carried over their strong finish to the previous night’s matchup, now on their home ice. Just two minutes into the game, GVSU was whistled for a penalty. Toledo, who struggled to score on the power play the night before, capitalized on their first opportunity, making the score 1-0. However, GVSU remained aggressive and after some solid pressure they were able to get a goal of their own on a deflection to tie it up at 1-1.

GVSU defensive pressure remained a common factor the rest of the period leading to another goal off of a turnover, this time by forward Gage Thrall.

After taking a 2-1 lead to close out the first period, GVSU extended it to 3-1 after a goal by Haggerty just three minutes into the second.

Still, Toledo was able to answer GVSU’s three straight goals to make it a 3-2 game.

As displayed by the several penalties in both matchups, tempers flared on both sides. In fact, one collision was so hard that it even shattered the glass, causing the game to be delayed to make repairs.

After the delay, the scoring stalled out until about nine minutes to go in the third period. Toledo tied the game at 3-3, ultimately sending it to overtime. After just two minutes of overtime, Sommerfield stole the puck in the Lakers’ own end and got a breakaway opportunity. He beat the Rockets’ goaltender between the legs for the win. 

The Lakers’ head coach Matthew Sekosan was excited about the crucial win for better potential postseason seeding.

“We earned two league points with the OT win,” Sekosan said. “That helps us in pursuit of moving up the league standings.”

GVSU moves to 19-6-2 on the season and will play one of two games against Adrian College, first at home on Friday at 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, Feb. 8, they will travel to Adrian, Michigam for their final game of the regular season at 7:30 p.m. the following day– the team’s Senior Night.

The women’s ice hockey team allows players to compete at the D1 level in the American Collegiate Hockey Association and are members of the Central Collegiate Women’s Hockey Association. The team began its season in early October and will finish its season in February, giving the team to build their love of the sport on and off the ice. 

Forward Marirose LeFevre began playing hockey after becoming interested in watching her brother play. She became a hockey player, learned the sport, and officially signed up for the women’s hockey club at GVSU. LeFevre said the team was welcoming and supportive, even before she got on the ice. 

“The hockey program made me feel like I was part of the team before I even officially signed and the team and coaches have been great ever since,” LeFevre said. “The opportunities the team has given me (have) helped me grow as a person in many ways and (have) given me a family of close friends the past few years.”

LeFevre said although she has a different perspective as a woman in hockey, facing some challenges, she said that women in the sport share the same love for it. To the team, representation matters a lot. 

“I do think it is important to represent women in hockey because of the common thought that only guys play the sport and the lack of supporters women’s hockey (has),” LeFevre said.

“I believe the game of hockey is what you make it and how you see (the sport) rather than the stereotypes that typically surround it.”

Megan Osborn, a freshman defense player said she feels inspired by other players in the hockey world as a woman in a male-dominated sport. 

“There are many people that say women can’t play hockey, but it is a very tough game that is awesome to play. The new professional women’s league is also very inspiring to look up to,” Osborn said. 

Aside from gameplay, Osborn said some of her best memories on the team include bus rides to away games and bonding time with teammates.

Similarly. LeFevre said playing hockey at GVSU has taught her what it means to be part of a team. 

“I have learned about the importance of leadership, dedication, respect, persistence, passion, teamwork and friendship,” LeFevre said. “I greatly value the opportunities that the sport has given me to grow in these areas throughout my time here.” The women’s Ice Jockey Team’s schedule for the remainder of the season can be found on the GVSU club sports website. The next Women’s Ice Hockey game will be hosted at Davenport University’s Patterson Ice Center on Jan. 19.

The team this year is led by captains Shane Haggerty, Gage Thrall and Zach Borchardt. The schedule is lengthy but according to the captains, the team is confident. Currently sitting on a 9-7 record, almost exactly halfway through the season, they seem to be taking the season one game at a time. 

“We have weekly goals of getting better each week and for each upcoming game,” Thrall said. 

To prepare the team for each game, the captains not only lead on the ice, but they also make an effort to lead by example by encouraging their peers off the ice as well. 

“I feel like this (leading by example) helps everyone else step up their game when it comes to the hard work they put in on the ice and to try and better themselves each and every practice,” Thrall said.

To all three captains, collaboration for them and the team is a must. 

“We have a lot of different leaders on the team and guys will speak up when they need to,” Haggerty said. 

Open communication is important to the team because it allows for a better playing environment and helps the team strengthen the bonds between players. For many of the people on the team, ice hockey has been an integral part of their lives from a young age. Players like this have had a lot of time to perfect their communication on and off the ice. 

Both Haggerty and Thrall have been playing hockey since they were three years old and did not want to lose the sport they loved with the transition into college. Thrall, who had his sights set on GVSU, reached out to the coach about an opportunity to try out. Haggerty, who played for the Metro Jets Hockey Club before coming to GVSU, came here to take advantage of the club hockey team and open doors for more educational opportunities.

Prospective players can either go through the formal recruitment process with the coaches or attend tryouts in the first couple weeks of the fall semester. It is important that players understand what they are signing themselves up for because the intense schedule can make it difficult to balance the time commitment of both school and practice.

Being able to handle the college curriculum, practice five nights a week, the team’s travel schedule and personal lives can be a challenge. Thrall said for him a typical day as a student athlete includes early classes downtown, work, other student organizations and homework.

Thrall then heads to the rink at 8 p.m. for the team’s practices. He is not the only one on the team with a packed schedule and it is typical of players on the team. 

During daily life, the team invests a lot of time working together at the rink and putting in effort to improve on the ice. Off the ice, many of the teammates live together and spend time outside of designated practice time hanging out or studying. One of Thrall’s favorite memories was from the team’s trip to Boston, Massachusetts for a tournament last season. 

“The bus ride was close to 20 hours- if not more. When we were about an hour out from the hotel, we hit a massive snowstorm that delayed our arrival by an extra two hours. I remember each time I checked Apple Maps, the time to the hotel kept growing,” Thrall said. “The guys on the team really got to hang out and have fun during this time (on the bus).” 

Although the team lost in the quarterfinals, they put in their best effort and had the opportunity to bond as a team, setting them up for even more success for their current 2023 season. This deep bond between players contributes to the team’s culture and atmosphere, which feeds back into the program and the players’ relationships.

“The guys really try to incorporate everyone and make sure everyone feels welcome in the program and that no one is left out,” Thrall said. “I believe that since we are such a close team, it relates to the play that we have and the success we have as a program as well.” 

The GVSU D1 men’s hockey team next matchup will be back-to-back games against Western Michigan University on Dec. 1 and 2. The remainder team’s competition schedule can be found on the GVSU club sports website.

Back-to-back Great Lakes Conference Champions, the men’s rugby club team currently sits at No. 11 in the DII ranking done by National Collegiate Rugby, up from #15 at the beginning of the season. This season alone, they defeated the University of Notre Dame’s B side 47-15, thrashed rivals Central Michigan University with a final score of 36-5 and faced off against Ferris State University to clinch a playoff spot after winning the game, 54-12.  

Boasting an organization of around 40 players and climbing quickly up the ranks of the DII division, the GVSU men’s rugby club team has its eyes set on the prize. The team is energized and determined under the direction of new Assistant Coach Sam Motari. 

A graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in cybersecurity, Motari joined the technical bench to coach the club team in the winter semester of 2023, working alongside head coach John Mullet and assistant coach Randy McGregor.

Motari is a lifelong rugby player, starting off young in his home country of Kenya. He represented Kenya on their national team multiple times, starting when he was in eighth grade playing for the under 19 team in 2011. Motari went on to play five international matches for the team and continued on, getting called up to play various times throughout 2011-2018.

Motari played crucial roles in several international tournaments, including the Kenya Sevens, Dubai Sevens and South Africa Sevens. The team Motari was a part of won the Singapore Sevens championship with the Kenya National Team in 2016. 

“Playing at the highest level in Kenya is good,” Motari said. “We have a good community, a great support system, and a lot of professionals in the field; you’ll always have a backbone to rest on, and a good network of professionals you can rely on in your career.”

During his time in school, Motari played with his college team and two club teams near his home. In late 2019, he sustained some injuries, and soon after, COVID-19 hit all over the globe. He decided to pursue his education and eventually came to the United States to obtain his master’s degree in cybersecurity at GVSU. Despite this life change, Motari said playing at that highest level in Kenya is an experience that will never be forgotten for him.

“It’s different going to international tournaments and facing actual professionals and realizing that their level of preparation is different from yours,” Motari said. “We always put our best foot forward, but it was always a challenge. It was always good to try and challenge ourselves to bring the best out of the little resources we had and play the best at that high level consistently.”

Motari started off as a player for the GVSU Men’s rugby club team. After the team dominated against CMU in a match in the fall of 2022, a formal complaint was submitted to National Collegiate Rugby by CMU about whether or not Motari could play. Following a lack of response from National Collegiate Rugby, he stepped down from his position on the field and looked toward how he could benefit the team in other ways by coaching. 

Being on the other side of the game has been a challenge for Motari.

“I swallowed my pride and started giving back,” Motari said. “I’ve had to take time and digest a lot of the knowledge that I have and think of the best ways to put it across to the students. Hats off to the boys, they’re really fast learners.” 

Despite this adjustment, Motari adapted quickly. He strongly believes that in order to bring out the best in players, a coach must understand that they are not tools, but people and that you have to connect to them in a person. Motari feels the biggest accomplishment as a coach comes from passing knowledge to the next generation. 

“It gives me the satisfaction of, even if I’m not playing, (that) I’m building someone else to be a good player or have the opportunity that I never had. Rugby is a fast-growing sport in the U.S., and there’s a lot of opportunities out there,” Motari said. 

It further trains and pushes the team in the sport, Motari held running practice sessions once a week. Additionally, he pushed them to work with local clubs in their home cities through the summer.

“When they came back in the fall, the entire team was transformed. They’re playing at a different level,” Motari said. “We’ve leveled up to D1 ability now, it’s just unfortunate that we’re not playing at that level (in conferences). If you look at all the games we played in our conference, we’re whooping all the teams easily, fifty-plus. This is because we have skilled players, good coaching and good tactics.” 

Nicolas Delibero, senior and president of club rugby this year, has been playing rugby for six years. He started playing in his senior year of high school and joined the rugby club team his freshman year after hearing that the team was going to play Notre Dame.

Though he’s not yet sure if he’ll continue with rugby past graduation, it has been life-changing throughout his college career. 

“My favorite thing about being at GV is being on the rugby team. All the guys are great, the coaches are great too. It’s just the camaraderie of being on the team,” Delibero said. “We have a great player development system here at GV, we can turn anyone into a capable player, no matter what sports you played before. We’re always looking for more guys to join the team because that’s just more guys to play and hang out with.” 

Delibero said working under Motari has been a major game-changer for the team. He said Motari’s system for play strategies has the team playing “not just above the other teams in our conference but to the point where we now have a program instead of just having a team.”

“Having his experience at practice has shifted the landscape of the team,” Delibero said. “It’s very exciting to be a part of GV Rugby right now and one of the main reasons for that is Coach Sam (Motari).”

Currently, Motari is hoping to move from a club team into a varsity team at GVSU. 

“That’ll make the sport grow in leaps and bounds. At this point, we are beating teams in varsity programs, easy,” Motari said. 

It’s unknown how long it would take to transform the club team into a varsity team at GVSU, or even if it’s possible, but both the players and coaches are crossing their fingers. 

“We never know how far we’ll go, so we just keep going,” Motari says. “We never know who’s watching.”

The LDT plans to leave for The College Classic to compete against other college dance teams for the national championship in early April. The team has overcome many challenges during their preparation for the competition and in doing so are hoping to defend their title.

The team said they work both as a “well-oiled machine” and a “tight-knit family.” They attribute their success throughout the years to their team-first mentality.

“We work to build each other up while at practice and performances by yelling out encouraging words, reminders and congratulating those on a job well done,” Allen-Nyenbrink said.

Practices are held throughout the year but intensify closer to nationals. The team meets for hours at a time, six days a week during the winter semester to prepare for the competition.

Typical practices include cardio, stretching and gymnastics warm-ups. The dancers guide each other through routines, whether for nationals or GVSU sports games. They learn new dances, perfect old ones, try tricks on the hard floor and run new ideas. 

This year, the LDT hired Sienna Lalau from The Lab to choreograph a hip-hop routine. Karl Mundt and Bayleigh Peters were hired from Innovate Dance to create the jazz number. 

“To ensure a high caliber of choreography, we bring in top choreographers from the industry,” Allen-Nyenbrink said. “This helps us in putting our best foot forward on the national stage year after year.”

During their preparation for competition, the LDT dealt with unexpected setbacks. The teams had to “reblock” their hip-hop routine, meaning they learned new formations and choreography, three times due to injuries only a week before The College Classic. 

Allen-Nyenbrink said she is proud of the team’s ability to overcome these obstacles.

“The Laker Dance Team continues to use these challenges as motivation and as a reminder that we are capable of anything we put our minds to when hard work accompanies it,” Allen-Nyenbrink said.

The LDT has gained national recognition that has spread globally through viral videos and a strong internet presence. Last May, one of the team’s videos went viral on Tik Tok and received coverage from many news outlets. The video now has 2.3 million views. Over the past year alone the team has gained upwards of 28,000 followers on Instagram, surpassing nearly every other GVSU-affiliated account.

With such reach, the LDT has collaborated with large companies in sports media and recently with Fenty Beauty by Rihanna. 

Additionally, the LDT is associated with the Alzheimer’s Walk, Shake Your Tail Feather, Ovarian Cancer Walk, Relay for Life, Hand 2 Hand, Rally with the Rapids and Gilda’s House. They often host clinics for other schools. Currently, the LDT hosts the largest kids clinic to date, providing young dancers with a chance to perform at GVSU basketball games. 

The LDT aims to foster school spirit on campus, contributing to game day excitement and campus life events.

Throughout the year practices and events bring the team closer, but Caroll said the end-of-year national is the team’s most memorable experience with one another.

“All season long we are working in preparation for nationals and the feeling of walking off the stage proud of what we just shared is unmatched,” Caroll said.

The team will leave this week to compete for the national championship at The College Classic. Further coverage of the competition and videos from the team’s practice can be found on LDT’s Instagram and Tik Tok.

Grand Valley State University’s tennis teams are both in the win columns after successful outings on the road against Davenport University (March 31) and at home against Purdue Northwest the following evening.

The women’s team is now 11-5 with the men’s record improving to 10-6 after snapping their five-match losing streak and shaking off a rough March schedule that featured zero wins by the men’s side.

March 31 consisted of both GVSU team’s defeating the Panthers 5-2, as the team’s beat PNW 6-1 (women’s) and 4-3 (men’s).

The women’s only loss against PNW last Saturday was the No. 2 doubles matchup for freshman Rachel Sam and sophomore Estefania Hernandez (5-7) as both players and their teammates cleaned house in the singles matchups (6-0) and wrapped up the remaining two doubles matchups in their favor (2-0).

For the men’s side, a much closer battle took place as the six singles matchups were split between the teams (3-3) with the overall match coming down to the Lakers taking two of the three doubles matchups (2-1) to take the victory.

Both teams will host Ferris State University at home April 8 starting at 5 p.m.

Track and field participate in long week of action

GVSU’s track and field program was on the road this past week as the teams split up to take on opponents in various meets, including the Texas Relays, Bobcat Invitational, the Spartan Invite and the Vert Klasse Meeting.

The first two of the four meets listed began March 30 and stretched into April 1, with the other two invites consisting of single day events on March 31 (Spartan Invite) and April 1 (Vert Klasse Meeting).

The full lists of results of the Laker performances can be located at gvsulakers.com

Women’s rugby back home next weekend

GVSU’s women’s rugby club will continue their spring campaign as they host the GVSU Classic next weekend.

The team will play Apr. 8 at Rec Field #1, with the GVSU Alumni Game a few weeks after on April 22 at the same field location.

More information relating to the club’s scheduled matches and more can be found on the club’s page at gvsu.edu/clubsports.

Softball doubleheader canceled after Midwest storm

Due to the inclement weather the Midwest region of the country experienced over the weekend, GVSU softball had their second doubleheader of the season canceled that was initially scheduled against Lewis University March 29.

Barring any other cancellations or postponements, the team is looking forward to getting back into action with a heavy slate ahead of them: a doubleheader at home against Ferris State (Apr. 3) starting at 3 p.m., on the road in a doubleheader against Davenport Apr. 7 starting at 3 p.m. and another road doubleheader against Saginaw Valley Apr. 8 with a 1 p.m. start time for the first of two games.

After an extensive break in coverage, many Grand Valley State University sports are finishing their seasons with high and lows while shaking off the rust of lengthy offseasons.

The men’s basketball team lost in the GLIAC Tournament semifinals to Michigan Tech (69-73) led by a near double-double from junior Marius Grazulis (19 points, nine rebounds), finishing their season 18-12 overall.

Both men’s and women’s golf secured invitational victories to begin spring action as the women’s team won the Augustana Spring Fling March 9-10 (+20 over par) and the men’s securing the Buccaneer Classic March 6-7 (-15 under par). Each team will participate in separate invites March 20-21 in the UF Spring Invite (women’s) and the Ralph Hargett Invite (men’s).

Women’s lacrosse is still finding their groove as they are 2-3 in their last five appearances and dropped both of their first two home games of the season against UIndy (12-13, March 12) and Maryville (12-15, March 17).

A huge battle for a national title saw both sides of the swim and dive program finish in the top-15 of the NCAA DII National Championships; men’s (sixth place, 239 points), women’s (14th place, 109 points). Although a disappointing end to the season, the teams were able to secure the GLIAC men’s and women’s titles this season.

The baseball team was almost perfect in the RussMatt Invite (9-1) March 6-12 to open up spring ball. The team’s most recent victory was against Salem University (7-3) March 17 followed by a canceled bout against Mercyhurst the same day.

Prior to two doubleheaders being canceled against Ohio Dominican (March 17) and Cedarville University (March 18), the softball team were also on fire to begin spring action as they finished 10-2 between March 5-11. The team has two doubleheaders scheduled March 25-26 against Parkside and Purdue Northwest respectively for their home opener.

GVSU’s DI hockey club finished their season in the semifinals of the ACHA Men’s 1 2023 National Championships against the No. 4 ranked University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV). The Lakers were defeated in a heartbreaking 3-4 overtime loss.

Men’s and women’s tennis have combined for a 1-7 record in a total of eight matches played (four each) between March 6-17 with the women’s team defeating St. Petersburg 4-3.

Last but not least, track and field competed in the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships with the men’s finishing in third place and the women’s sixth place overall. Both teams have started the outdoor season as the Raleigh Relays Invite is up next between March 23-25.