Permanent link for Rifle Earns Pair of Team Wins on October 6, 2021

WYOMING, MI – The Grand Valley State University Rifle Club participated in three Orion Scoring System Monthly Virtual Matches in September. Orion's Monthly Virtual Matches are a fun way for users to compare scores with other teams and shooters from across the country. The air pistol match consisted of 40 shots at 10 meters, the air rifle competition consisted of 60 shots also at 10 meters, and the smallbore competition consisted of 60 shots fired in prone, standing, and kneeling position at 50 feet.

Five Lakers participated in the air pistol event. Leading the way was John Martin (Holly, Michigan). Martin posted a top stage of 83 (out of 100) on his way to a 303 (out of 400). His score was good for 13^th place overall. Close on Martin’s heels was Tristan Bruizeman (West Olive, Michigan). Bruizeman finished in 14^th place with a 298. His three center shots were tops amongst the team. In the team event, Martin and Bruizeman were join by Jacob Schorr (Grand Rapids, Michigan) to post an 884 (out of 1200), good for fifth place.

Air Pistol Results: https://www.orionresults.com/team/MatchPage.aspx?MatchID=1.1.1059982198.1

Leading the way in the air rifle event was Cassie Coulston-Gerigk (Wayne, Michigan). She posted a score of 583.9 (out of 654), good for first place overall. She was joined by Alexander Straith (West Bloomfield, Michigan), and Kathryn Karas (Carleton, Michigan), in posting a team score of 1670.1, good for first place overall.  Straith finished third individually with a score of 569.5. A first-year shooter, Karas, posted a score of 516.7 good for fifth place.

Air Rifle Results: https://www.orionresults.com/team/MatchPage.aspx?MatchID=1.1.1059982071.1

In smallbore, Straith led the Lakers with a score of 533 (out of 600). The score was good for second place. Coulston-Gergik finished third, with a score of 531. Martin displayed his versality in rounding out the team score with a tally of 475, finishing fifth. Together, they finished first place as a team with 1539 (out of 1800).

Smallbore Results: https://www.orionresults.com/team/MatchPage.aspx?MatchID=1.1.1059982398.1

The mission of the GVSU Rifle & Pistol Club is to provide all students with the opportunity to participate in shooting sports, with an emphasis in three-position smallbore rifle, international air rifle, and air pistol. Regardless of skill or ability, all members can have a safe and enjoyable time interacting with fellow students and engaging in marksmanship. All equipment is provided, including guns, ammunition, and targets. The club meets Tuesdays from 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM and Thursdays 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM during the school year at the Grand Rapids Rifle & Pistol Club (1331 Nagel Ave SW, Wyoming). Practice attendance is not mandatory to be a member of the club; however, regular practice attendance is expected.

Please consider supporting the GVSU Rifle Club through a tax-deductible charitable contribution: https://www.gvsu.edu/giving/give-online2.htm?fundId=80818

Categories: Coed Sports Men's Sports Rifle Women's Sports
Posted on Permanent link for Rifle Earns Pair of Team Wins on October 6, 2021.

Permanent link for Rifle Team Competes in State Championship on October 5, 2021

DORR, MICHIGAN – Unseasonably warm temperatures and calm wind conditions greeted 13 shooters, including seven current members of the GVSU Rifle & Pistol Club, who competed in the Michigan Rifle & Pistol Association’s 3-Position Conventional Smallbore State Championship at the South Kent Sportsman’s Club on October 3, 2021. The match consisted of 120 total shots fired from the prone, standing, and kneeling positions at 50 yards. The Michigan resident with the highest aggregate score is declared the State Champion.

The top Laker shooter was Alexander Straith (West Bloomfield, Michigan). He posted a score of 1158-38x for fifth place. He had a 388-14x in prone, 382-10x in standing, and 388-14x in kneeling. Straith was the second highest collegiate shooter, one place behind conference rival Brian Aliventi from the Zips Rifle Club. “Alex has been a top shooter for us his entire collegiate career. Given the inexperience of our current team, Alex’s leadership will be invaluable this season,” remarked Head Coach Cameron Zwart.

One of the least experienced shooters in the match was the Lakers’ first year shooter Katheryn Karas (Carleton, Michigan). She began shooting smallbore in September. She finished ninth with a score of 1088-20x. The score is tops on the Laker’s all-time list for a shooter in their first month. “Kate looks to be a very talented shooter. We’re excited to see her abilities on display this season,” added Zwart.

The aggregate was won by Emme Walrath, a high schooler from Wisconsin. She tallied a total of 1192-59x with also earned her top rankings in the junior and woman category. GVSU Assistant Coach Timothy Schmeltzer, the top Michigan resident, posted a score of 1187-53, earning his second consecutive State Champion title.

In addition to the individual matches, there was a team competition as well. Teams were comprised of four individuals from the same local club or organization. A pair of teams from Grand Valley State Rifle & Pistol Club entered. The GVSU-Blue team, comprised of Tristan Bruizeman (West Olive, Michigan), Karas, John Martin (Holly, Michigan), and Straith posted a score of 4371-70x for second.

GVSU Rifle & Pistol Club would like to thank the South Kent Sportsman’s Club (https://www.sksc.org/) for generously allowing the match to be held at their facility.

Full Results: http://www.michrpa.org/resources/SiteUploads/39410186/2021%20MRPA%203-P%20State%20Championship.xlsx?token=628a32abd3c630c5d0774c38b666079

The mission of the GVSU Rifle & Pistol Club is to provide all students with the opportunity to participate in shooting sports, with an emphasis in three-position smallbore rifle, international air rifle, and air pistol. Regardless of skill or ability, all members can have a safe and enjoyable time interacting with fellow students and engaging in marksmanship. All equipment is provided, including guns, ammunition, and targets. The club meets Tuesdays from 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM and Thursdays 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM during the school year at the Grand Rapids Rifle & Pistol Club (1331 Nagel Ave SW, Wyoming). Practice attendance is not mandatory to be a member of the club; however, regular practice attendance is expected.

Please consider supporting the GVSU Rifle Club through a tax-deductible charitable contribution: https://www.gvsu.edu/giving/give-online2.htm?fundId=80818

Categories: Coed Sports Men's Sports Rifle Women's Sports
Posted on Permanent link for Rifle Team Competes in State Championship on October 5, 2021.

Permanent link for Rowing Season Conclusion on May 4, 2021

Written by Student-Athlete; Anna Foster.

With the winter semester winding down these past two weeks, the Laker Navy wrapped up their last few weeks of training and the end of the spring racing season. Along with retesting the 2k distance on the ergs in the last week of practice, the 4 squads competed for more points in a series of technical challenges! These challenges included: time to dock the boat, how quickly athletes could spin 180^o in the 4 and 8, time to de-rig and rig the 8, a steering challenge for the coxswains, how far the boats could glide without an oar touching the water, and the crowd favorite - coxie surfing! Each squad also got together to take a creative team photo. After a fun last week of practice at the boathouse, the Laker Navy was excited for one last race to conclude the spring season!

On Saturday, the 24th, athletes gathered for the final intersquad regatta. To best simulate what a typical regatta would be in a normal season, athletes raced over the standard 2000m distance and competed in heats, petite finals, and grand finals. The first races of the day were in the Novice 4+, with Team Haley and Team Melissa's crews both winning first in their heats. The next race of the day was the Men's 2x final, decisively won by juniors Eddie Pfannes and Will Van Houten of Team Eddie. Team Eddie also placed first in their heat for the Varsity 4+, preparing to face Team Melissa's crew in the grand final. Up next, the Women's 2x final was one exciting race to watch! Coming into the last 500 meters, Team Melissa's crew was leading the pack. But with one last burst of effort crossing the finish line, the powerhouse duo of senior Erin Vielbig and junior Emili Barth from Team Eddie took the lead to win the race! As Erin's last race as a GV rower, it was a special moment for these ladies and the rest of Team Eddie. Next up came the Novice 4+ finals, with Team Haley taking first for the third week in a row. The Varsity 4+ crews then raced once again, a thrilling finish that saw Team Melissa just taking first from Team Eddie by less than a second! In the final race of the season, Team Melissa's Mixed 8+ crossed the finish line first, followed by Team Haley, then Team Jaydon, then Team Eddie. With all racing completed, Team Melissa once again walked away as the winner of the day with 70 points, followed by Team Haley with 62, Team Eddie with 58, and Team Jaydon with 46. After a long season of dedication from the athletes, we are proud to announce Team Melissa as our spring champion with a total of 300 points! Team Haley finished in second place with 241.5 points. The battle for third place was a close one, with Team Eddie finishing with 222.5 points and Team Jaydon with 222 points. We are so proud of the hard work that all athletes demonstrated in this strange and unusual season!

After a successful day of racing from his squad, captain Eddie reflects on what he and his team have accomplished. He says, "April 24^th was a strange day for the team this year. All of our squads had finished up our last practice the previous day, signing up for their boats to take out on the water and preparing for our final race of the season. There were also far fewer races for the day, only five events in total, compared to the previous week's 13 events. Lastly, the team would be competing for 500 meters longer than the two previous regattas, 2000 meters from start to finish. Despite all the changes, the squad took it in stride. My squad did the best we could with what was given to us and put out our best effort on the water. While our scores may not have reflected the best outcome for our races, our team improved significantly over the course of the semester. Personally, I would like to acknowledge the hard work that our novices put in over the course of the semester. From the beginning to the end of the semester, you could feel the difference in skill level that was built with their hard work.

"I would like to acknowledge both our Men's double (Van Houten and Pfannes) and Women's double (Barth and Vielbig), that put on a wonderful show during the race, taking first place for both their events, as well as an honorable mention for our Varsity four (Van Houten, Pfannes, Groessl, Gilbert, and Bulow), which took second in the Grand Final for the event. However, these results are not everything. What matters is that everyone put in the effort and had fun out there. I am happy to see how everyone did during our last race day and look forward to seeing how the team will continue to grow with time.

"Of course, I must acknowledge a few members of my squad that will not be able to return next year: Erin Vielbig, Will Van Houten, and Audrey Bulow. I truly am glad that I was able to have known every single one of you, and as you go off on your own adventures from here on out, I hope you won't forget us in the time to come.

"To finish up, I would like to say that I truly enjoyed every moment with my squad together, from beginning to end, from taking a long steady state row to posing for our photo in our own rendition of the Last Supper. It truly has been an honor to be your captain and hope that you have enjoyed this season just as much as I enjoyed it with you."

Later in the afternoon on the 24th, the team once again gathered to celebrate their accomplishments at the annual GVSU Rowing Banquet. It was an exciting chance to see our athletes all dressed up instead of in their normal uniform of spandex and visors! While this banquet was different from past years where we have dined with friends and family joining our celebration, we are grateful for the opportunity to come together as one and recognize our accomplishments throughout the season and the year. Members of each squad had taken the time to vote for which of their teammates was the most valuable player and the most improved player. Most valuable players were those that, though not necessarily the fastest member, were always willing to go above and beyond for their team; whether filling seats at practice, volunteering for another race, or arriving early to practice to help prepare equipment, these athletes consistently contributed selflessly to the good of their squad. The MVP awards for this spring season were earned by McKenzie Sandel, Noah Lasky, Hailey Engvall, and Erin Vielbig. The most improved player awards were given to those athletes that had shown substantial improvement and growth throughout the year. These MIP awards were given to Sam Sommerdyke, Trey Zichterman, Zoe Kalleward, and Margaret Jastifer. We want to thank each of these athletes for their hard work and dedication to this program! Finally, the banquet gave us a chance to recognize our graduating seniors, Erin Vielbig, Melissa Frank, and Noah Lasky. Each had the opportunity to deliver a senior speech and address the team one last time. Through their words, you could see the ways that being a part of this team has changed them and how they will carry these lessons to continually improve themselves throughout the rest of their lives. The impact they have left on this program and their teammates throughout their 4 years of rowing is immeasurable; from the bottom of our hearts, we thank them for everything they have done and wish them the best of luck and all our support for their future adventures.

With another successful racing season and finals week under their belt, athletes welcome the reprieve of the summer! Over the next few months, they will take the time to reconnect with friends and family, work a summer job, maybe take a few summer classes, or even pick up a new hobby. Regardless of where life may take them over these next few months, our teammates will continue to train and look forward to our hopeful return to the water and racing come the fall season. Thank you to all of our athletes for your hard work these past months. Enjoy your well-earned rest and, as always, continue to pull for the Laker Navy!

Categories: Coed Sports Men's Sports Rowing Women's Sports
Posted on Permanent link for Rowing Season Conclusion on May 4, 2021.

Permanent link for Intersquad Regatta #3 on April 26, 2021

Written by Student-Athlete; Anna Foster.

This past weekend, the Laker Navy completed their 3rd installment of the intersquad regattas. Earlier in the week, athletes began with some racing on the ergs, retesting the 6k distance. Many athletes hit a season personal best, and some even set new personal records! After some tough work on-land, racers hit the water for an obstacle course to practice their steering in small boats. Even Coach Dan took a spin around the course to show the rest of us that he's still got it! Saturday's racing really saw this work pay off, with lots of improvements both in the small boat and big boat categories. 

Athletes woke up bright and early Saturday morning for a busy day of racing! With 13 events total, athletes showed off all their racing skills in both small and big boats over the longer 1500m distance and some 500m dashes! The first race of the day was the Men's pair, which saw Anthony Vrooman and Kyle Emerson of Team Haley take the gold by 20 seconds. Next came the Women's 4+. The powerful ladies of Team Eddie took the title for this race, followed by Team Melissa in second place. Team Eddie also finished first in the Men's 1x, a close race was taken by junior Will Van Houten. The women of team Melissa came back for another win, grabbing first place in the Women's 2-. Team Jaydon then took their first win of the season, with freshman Jo Patterson taking the title in the Women's 1x! Next came the Novice 4+, with Team Haley defending their title for the second weekend in a row. Team Melissa's Men's 2x then had a decisive victory, beating out their competition by an impressive 30 seconds. After that, the Varsity 4+ 500m sprint came up to the line, a close race that saw team Eddie crossing first followed by all other crews within 6 seconds. Next came the Women's 2x, again going to team Melissa. Team Melissa also took first place in the Mixed 8+, edging out team Haley by 2 seconds. Team Haley came back for a first-place finish in the Novice 2x 500m sprint. The last race of the day saw Team Melissa cruise across the finish line first in the Mixed 8+ 500m with a time of 1:44.1. After a successful regatta, team Melissa took the title for the day with 68 points. Team Haley totaled 57 points for the day, closely followed by Team Jaydon with 55.5, then team Eddie with 47. Team Melissa still stands in 1st place for the season at 166.5 points. Team Haley comes in second with 139, Team Jaydon in third place with 131.5, and team Eddie close behind with 124. 

With their first win under their belt, Captain Jaydon says, "This spring season, my crew mates have set a standard for years to come. Although we may not have finished at the top of many races, our victories are too plentiful to count. A boat finishing one place higher than before, cleanly racing such that all of our power could be applied, walking on another boat, and even earning a first-place finish are just a few of the countless victories that motivated us to work harder and focus in preparation. In hindsight, our failures were the most valuable gifts of all. Finishing a regatta feeling the need to improve oneself for the sake of the team is a recipe for exceptional gains in the following days. Not only has our racing improved, but our team dynamics and sportsmanship have become exemplary of the Laker Navy. With selfless mentorship by our varsity members, the inexperienced members — and our crew as a whole — showed serious growth across many areas. Progress has been made both as individuals and as a unified crew. Through the course of this strange season, our team has developed a closeness with each other that will never fade. The highest honor any one of us could receive is the opportunity to be strapped in a boat with our newfound family and driving to the utmost capacity for our crew mates. That's what it's all about." Athletes all across the board will be spending this next week with some technical challenges, looking to further refine their technique and continue building boat speed. We're all excited for our last regatta this upcoming weekend and to see who will be the Laker Navy Spring 2021 Champion!

Categories: Coed Sports Men's Sports Rowing Women's Sports
Posted on Permanent link for Intersquad Regatta #3 on April 26, 2021.

Permanent link for Busy Weekend for the Laker Navy on April 19, 2021

Written by Student-Athlete; Anna Foster.

This past weekend saw the GVSU Rowing Team accumulate a total of 68,000m on the water in two days! On Saturday, the second installment of the intersquad races was held at the proving grounds, a reservoir of still water located downstream of our boathouse. Still water allows for the truest measurement of rowing speed, and our team capitalized on that by showing off some great racing! Even after an intense day, many of our athletes still wanted to be on the water - so they took it upon themselves to make the trek following the river all the way to Grand Haven on Sunday morning!

Saturday's racing saw some very close finishes and exciting results. After a brief fog delay in the morning, the sun broke through; with the springtime weather warming up the water, the coach has given the all-clear for athletes to row some smaller boats once again. A great variety of events were raced this weekend, including double and single sculls! Once launched, these crews rowed to the start buoy and lined up bow-to-bow for a 1500m sprint. At the sound of the coach's "Attention - Row!" athletes sprang into action, fighting tooth and nail to get their boat across the finish line first.

The first race of the day was taken by Team Haley's Varsity 4- with a time of 5:38.1, followed by team Eddie in second place. Team Haley's Novice 4+ also took first in the next race, with team Melissa coming in next about 15 seconds later. Team Melissa's crews went on to win the next few events: the men's 2x, women's 2x, and the women's 4+. Up next came the men's 4+, the closest race and highlight of the day! Team Melissa's crew made it to the finish line first, trailed by the others within 10 seconds. Team Jaydon, Eddie, and Haley were the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place crews respectively, all finishing within 3 seconds of each other and staying in contact with the other boats throughout the entire race. The mixed 8+ event came next, another very exciting race! Team Haley finished 2.5 seconds ahead of Team Melissa's crew who were closely followed by Team Jaydon's. Athletes from the 8+s said that the race was a tough but rewarding one - everyone gave their absolute best effort, and the top 3 crews were bowball to bowball during the majority of the race.

After the 1500m races came the real fun - 500m dashes! A shorter distance means the intensity gets increased that much more, really allowing the athletes to show off the speed they have worked so hard to build. Jasper Lee, a talented freshman from team Melissa, took first place in the men's 1x, closely followed by his competitors from the other teams. Team Melissa also took 1st place in the Varsity 2x, with the powerhouse upperclassmen duo of e-board members McKenzie Sandel and Jacob Stone. Sophomore Isabel Albaitis of team Melissa took the women's 1x by less than a second, with the rest of her opponents finishing within 5 seconds! The mixed 8+ dash was the last event of the afternoon, a close race between all 4 crews that went to team Jaydon. Total points from the day put Team Melissa with 55.5, Team Haley with 50, Team Jaydon with 45.5, and Team Eddie with 43. The running total for the spring season now stands at Team Melissa with 98.5, Team Haley with 82, Team Eddie with 77, and Team Jaydon with 76.5. 

With some tough first places under their belt, Team Haley had a good weekend. Captain Haley speaks about her team, saying "I am really proud of how we did at this weekend's intersquad race! The prior regatta was a little rough because we only had 85% of our team there. But this past weekend, despite having some equipment issues with our boats, we were able to pull through on a couple of races and win some first places. It just goes to show that determination and perseverance really play into this sport. I am feeling pretty confident in this group, and we are planning for another great regatta this next weekend!" 

On Sunday morning, 27 of our athletes rowed to Grand Haven. Launching from the boathouse, the three 8+'s rowed downstream, traveling past the proving grounds where we had raced the day prior, to Spring Lake, through the Grand Haven channel, and finally to the Lake Michigan pier. The journey took about 4.5 hours and totaled in at nearly 30 miles - over a marathon. Athletes spent the time enjoying the new scenery the river had to offer, listening to music as their coxswain DJ-ed, and even playing Family Feud! Afterward, the team went to get ice cream to refuel and celebrate their accomplishment. Proud of the athletes, Coach Dan states that there are not many people in the sport who can say they've done these types of things. After a long weekend full of rowing, the athletes went home to rest and recharge for our next day of racing on 4/17!

Categories: Coed Sports Men's Sports Rowing Women's Sports
Posted on Permanent link for Busy Weekend for the Laker Navy on April 19, 2021.

Permanent link for GVSU Rowing - Return to the Water on April 6, 2021

Written by Student-Athlete; Anna Foster.

This spring has seen the GVSU Rowing Team return to the Grand River in full force after nearly a year-long hiatus from organized full-team practices! Following a brief 5 weeks of winter training at the GVSU Recreation Center, the docks were put in early this March and have been launching boats ever since. With some restrictions lifting across Michigan, the team has been able to safely resume daily practices in full-crew boats.  Every weeknight, we're seeing at least four 8+'s and multiple other 4-'s out on the water, carrying our team of 55 athletes. After spending the past year only being able to row singles, this has been a very welcome change, lifting spirits throughout the entire team and reinforcing the team dynamic that makes being part of GV Rowing so special. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing pandemic, we are still unable to travel or compete. But as any rower knows, when there's more than 1 boat on the water, it's a race!

Since we can't compete with other schools, it's up to us to make our own competition. Facilitated by head coach Dan Martin and alumni coach Brian Britz, 4 team captains were selected: Melissa Frank a 5th year senior and long-time member of the varsity women's squad, Eddie Pfannes a junior, and varsity man, and novices Haley Clark and Jaydon Dingman. These captains divided the rest of the team into 4 equal squads of varsity and novice rowers, men and women. Though the season isn't exactly what we had hoped, this has given the team a wonderful opportunity to come together as one, giving teammates the opportunity to row with people other than their normal pair partners. It's also greatly helped the novices with their introduction to sweep rowing by pairing them with some of their varsity teammates. Each of these squads has been practicing with each other, and throughout the spring season will be racing against the other squads! This spring will have 4 racing weekends with different events teams can enter. Every event will have certain point values - the team with the most points at the end of the season will be the Laker Navy's 2021 Spring Champion!

The last weekend of March saw the first installment of the inter-squad races! All athletes raced at least once in a 4k head race from the boathouse, upstream past the Grand River Ravines Park, then back to our home base. The first race of a sunny morning saw Team Eddie's Varsity 4- coming across the finish line first, just 1.7 seconds ahead of Team Melissa. Team Melissa's boats swept the rest of the well-fought races, taking first place in the Women's 4+, Men's 4+, Novice 4+, and Mixed 8+. After this first weekend of racing, the point totals stand at Team Melissa with 43, Team Eddie with 34, Team Haley with 32, and Team Jaydon with 31. Happy with her team's performance, captain Melissa states, "my squad, which we have jokingly named ourselves the 'soul crushers', have been one of the hardest working groups of people I've rowed with. Whether it's running hills before practice or adding an extra erg workout, they've been pushing themselves to get just a little bit better every day. We've been competing against each other every Wednesday as a squad to get the extra erg pieces done and using the idea of widening the gap to push us forward. I believe that's why we did well at our inter-squad regatta last Saturday. We weren't expecting to do as well as we did, and some races came as a complete surprise to us. I think there is a lot of work to be done, as always, but I think we're at a really strong starting point! I can't wait to see how fast we will go at the end of this month!" 

The Laker Navy excitedly anticipates lining up bow-to-bow for 3 more April weekends of sprint racing! Over these next few weeks of training, each athlete will be training hard and seeking ways to edge out their opponents and claim more points for their respective team. We're all looking forward to our next bout of races on 4/11 to see how much more speed we can gain over the course of this spring!

Categories: Coed Sports Men's Sports Rowing Women's Sports
Posted on Permanent link for GVSU Rowing - Return to the Water on April 6, 2021.

Permanent link for Athlete Spotlight: Dominic Stankiewicz on March 5, 2021

Dominic Stankiewicz is a junior here at GVSU from Dearborn Heights, Michigan.  Dominic is studying film and photography and plays for the Club Roller Hockey team as a goalie.  He is also a part of another club, the Club Ice Hockey team.  

What do you enjoy most about the Roller Hockey Club?

"I enjoy the tight-knit community that we have for being such a small team."

What is the best part about competing?

"The best part about playing is the competition that we play. We play a ton of big-name schools such as Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan Tech.  They're all pretty good teams so beating them and moving on to national championships is probably the best part about competing in our league and club."

Do you have a pre-competition routine?

"Usually before a competition or a game I'm eating pasta.  It's always the pregame meal and then once I get to the rink, we're usually working out as a team stretching, doing hand warm-ups. Just to stay warm before the game."

What is your proudest moment in being a part of the Roller Hockey team?

"The proudest moment of my first season was beating Michigan State division one.  We were the underdogs going into both games, actually, when we played them we ended up coming out on top.  So overall it was a great win for the team."

Categories: Athlete Feature Men's Sports Roller Hockey
Posted on Permanent link for Athlete Spotlight: Dominic Stankiewicz on March 5, 2021.

Permanent link for Club Sport Feature: Men's Ice Hockey on October 7, 2020

The Men's Hockey Club team has had great success in the past. With eight Final Four appearances, finalist finishes in 2012, 2013, and 2018 with a National Championship in 2011, the team's ability to compete at the highest level is a staple of the program. Success is never met without challenge though. Earlier this year, it was announced that the Men's Hockey Club would be making the move up from ACHA Division 2 to ACHA Division 1 while continuing the ACHA Division 3 team as well. This challenge, however, is being met with open arms thanks to the team's commitment to building a great culture.

Coach Trosien believes that "you need great culture to get to the level our guys want to be at," which is why it has been such a big focus for the team. With goals of winning the conference, being regulars in the national tournament, and advancing in the tournament, work ethic has been a top priority. A dedication to working hard from each member of the team has been vital in the building of their culture. The team has built a sense of accountability between each other. The athletes work hard not only for their own success but for the good of each other and the whole team. That selfless commitment leads to everyone buying in, creating a culture that athletes dream of being a part of on such a high level. 

The determination being shown in training is instrumental to building their chemistry, but a second factor contributing to their growth is being shown off the ice. In recent years, the club has placed an emphasis on being engaged with local youth hockey by working in tournaments and coaching. It is a way for them to continue giving back to the game that they love. It is also helping the GV Hockey brand to grow into the community as they build up the program. The players and coaches have taken this opportunity to use their skills and platform to continue to try and build up the local hockey scene so that it will continue to grow for many years to come. 

Grand Valley's Men's Hockey Club is growing into something special. The commitment to culture within the team is showing huge dividends and will continue to do so. As the team continues to find new ways to improve themselves and the hockey community, the club will strive to set the bar higher and higher. With using their illustrious past to help them build a bright future in Division 1 and continuing the success of the Division 3 team, the Men's Hockey Club is the team collegiate hockey players should want to be on.

Written by Trent Barker, GVSU Student

This article has been edited. It was previously stated that they had gone to the national finals in 2019 when it was 2018. Our apologies for any confusion. 

Categories: Club Sport Feature Men's Ice Hockey Men's Sports
Posted on Permanent link for Club Sport Feature: Men's Ice Hockey on October 7, 2020.

Permanent link for Club Sport Feature: Rowing on September 29, 2020

Grand Valley State University's Club Sports teams have a long history of excellence. With a streak of at least one National Championship every year dating all the way back to 2004, winning has become a staple of the programs, but that is far from all they have to offer. 

Take for example the Rowing team. When asked what the team culture is like, the team's President said "Our team really is like a family, I have met all of my close friends in college through the club. We are a very upbeat and driven group of individuals, who strive to be not only the best athletes but the best teammates." That culture is what drives this multi-time National Championship program. The strong bonds of the team are a huge draw for people of any background. The team prides itself on welcoming anyone with open arms, striving to find a place for anyone who is interested whether they have experience or not. With this strong culture, they have also been able to experience one of the most unique opportunities Club Sports has to offer, with goals of reaching it again.

One of the main goals of the team is to get back to the Henley Royal Regatta. When they achieve this goal, members of the team embark on a trip to England to compete in the regatta, where they face off against some of the best teams in the world. The Henley Royal Regatta is the most well-known regatta in the world, making it an incredible event to be a part of. The team also strives to continue expanding its alumni network to open up more incredible and unique opportunities.

Along with the team's goals of reaching England again, they also get to experience some of the best areas West Michigan has to offer. With practice taking place on the Grand River, rowers get to explore incredible scenery and uncover some of the best-hidden gems the environment has to offer.

With over 40 sports available in total, Club Sports has something to offer for everyone. Whether you are looking to scratch that competitive itch, find a team with a rich background of success, create memories that last a lifetime, or anything in between, Grand Valley's Club Sports is the perfect place to look.

Written by Trent Barker, GVSU Student

Categories: Club Sport Feature Coed Sports Men's Sports Rowing Women's Sports
Posted on Permanent link for Club Sport Feature: Rowing on September 29, 2020.