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GVSU Men's Club Rugby defeats Miami of Ohio

GVSU Men's Club Rugby defeats Miami of Ohio

GVSU Men's Club Rugby defeats Miami of Ohio 35-22 in play-in NCR D2 Playoff game.

Nov 17, 2023

GVSU Men's Club D3 Ice Hockey Takes Top Spot in 1st ACHA M3 Rankings

GVSU Men's Club D3 Ice Hockey Takes Top Spot in 1st ACHA M3 Rankings

Your Grand Valley State University Lakers Men's D3 Club Ice Hockey team takes the #1 spot in the first ACHA M3 Rankings! Check it out on the ACHA's website.

Nov 3, 2023

Men's Club Lacrosse Sweeps Doubleheader

Men's Club Lacrosse Sweeps Doubleheader

Men's Club Lacrosse hosted Central Michigan University and Siena Heights University in a doubleheader.

Oct 22, 2023

Men's Club Rugby Defeats Ferris State 54-12

Men's Club Rugby Defeats Ferris State 54-12

The Men's Club Rugby team takes care of business at Ferris State

Oct 21, 2023

GVSU Laker Dance Team is 12x National Champions!

GVSU Laker Dance Team is 12x National Champions!

The Laker Dance Team earned their 11th and 12th National Championship Titles from The College Classic in Orlando, Florida this weekend!

Apr 10, 2023

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Grand Valley State University Wrestling Club Shines at 2024 NCWA Great Lakes Conference Championship

The wrestling warriors of Grand Valley State University Wrestling Club etched their legacy into the annals of the 2024 NCWA Great Lakes Conference Championship, a riveting spectacle hosted on March 2 at the hallowed grounds of Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky. The GVSUWC Lakers unleashed their determination on the rugged mat, earning themselves coveted spots in the upcoming NCWA National Championships in Shreveport, Louisiana, slated for March 14.

GVSUWC's femme fatales, 18th-ranked Isobel Wharff and 13th-ranked Maria Potrero ascended the podium with uncontested conference titles in their weight classes: Wharff in the 116-pound category and Potrero commanding at 143 pounds. Their triumph set an unyielding precedent, casting a formidable shadow over the competition.

On the men's battlefield, the journey through the tournament was a tapestry woven with intense clashes and unyielding competition. 16th-ranked Zack Koenig, grappling in the 125-pound weight class, fought valiantly to secure a 4th-place finish, showcasing a resilience that echoed through each pulse-pounding match.

Koenig's odyssey included a quarterfinal conquest over Alex Needham from the University of Dubuque, followed by a hard-fought semifinal duel with Damian Ryan from Bellarmine University. Ultimately, Koenig clinched fourth after a nail-biting third-place skirmish against Dominic Ciolli from The Ohio State University.

Climbing the ladder, number one ranked Jack Sherman, the undisputed ruler of the 157-pound category, showcased his mat mastery. Despite putting up Herculean battles every round, Sherman finished fourth after facing a gauntlet of formidable opponents. His saga featured a commanding triumph over Logan Brown from Thomas More University in the championship's opening round, only to be met with a quarterfinal setback against Jake Gooding from Ohio State University.

Though he rallied with victories in the consolation bracket, a fierce third-place match against Gooding ended in a brutal defeat for Sherman. Anthony Coleman and Brandon Khnanisho, GVSUWC's representatives in the 235-pound class, personified determination and skill. Coleman grappled his way to a commendable 4th place finish, while Khnanisho, despite finishing 8th, showcased unwavering grit and commitment.

Coleman's quest included a swift triumph over Ethan Hrynkow from Ohio State University in the quarterfinals, followed by a semifinal tussle with Joseph Pineda from the University of Dubuque. A triumphant rebound in the consolation bracket against Gavin Wurm from Ohio State University preceded a fourth-place finish after a closely contested third-place showdown against Jacob Meek from the University of Toledo.

Khnanisho faced an uphill battle, losing in the quarterfinals to Pineda from the University of Dubuque and then to Hrynkow from Ohio State University in the consolation bracket. Despite the challenges, Khnanisho's journey illuminated his unwavering determination on the mat.

Head coach Ryan Lancaster beamed with pride: "We're incredibly proud of our wrestler's performances at the Great Lakes Conference. The caliber of competition, with teams like Bellarmine and Thomas More, speaks volumes. Despite the challenges, our athletes showcased skill, determination, and resilience. Qualifying all six wrestlers for the NCWA National Championships is a testament to their hard work and dedication. We're excited to continue our journey and prepare for the upcoming competition."

With all six Grand Valley State University Wrestling Club warriors clinching spots at the NCWA National Championships, the team now sets its sights on an arduous preparation regimen. As they hone their skills and devise strategies for the national stage, the GVSUWC wrestlers aspire to carve their names into the wrestling pantheon, bringing glory and honor to their university.

March 13, 2024

Friday's Spring Break Blogs at Clemson

Amelia Paulin

Today was the last day of our training trip in Clemson! It was a little cloudy with some rain, which was a nice break from the hot weather all week. Today, practice was in some small boats. This was our first time doing small boats all of break, so it was a much needed change of pace! I was in the Marco, a pair, and bow coxed. Other boats that were in our fleet were 2 other pairs, a double, and a single! Practice started off pretty chill as I took us across one of the race courses doing our warmup in order to get to the correct side of the lake. Then, we were notified that our coach’s launch was broken so we had to go with a women’s 8 for a bit! We followed the 8 into a little cove/island area that was around 6k away. At this fun little new spot, we did some drills in order to work on balance and togetherness. To start off, we did 3 bobs for timing, 3 bobs at arms away for balance, and 3 bobs at the pivot point for more balance. We successfully completed those, and it was time to turn around and row back in order to load the trailer. 

On the way back I had to play a little bit of minefield, as I had to dodge huge trees left and right. Then, to end practice off we did a 30 stroke burst at a high rate and took it then. After taking it in, we loaded the trailer. And to end the week off, the coaches got the whole team pizza. Yum!!

 

Josh Scotto

Hello! My name is Josh Scotto and today was the final day of our spring break training trip! We started off with an early morning at 5:50-6am after pressing snooze a couple times. After getting dressed for the day and going downstairs to stretch and walk on the treadmill I had a sizable breakfast of a plate of eggs and potatoes, double portion of oatmeal, a banana muffin, and two slices of toast. 

Moving to the water, while I had rowed the past couple days I decided to give my lower back a break and stay on land and de-rig/clean up the beach with a fellow teammate Reilly Forbes so the team could leave earlier. Taking about 2 hours to pack everything up onto the trailer after everyone docked we finally got on the road for home!

While most of the ride home was uneventful, there were a few fun moments. After about 13-15 hours on the road, shotgunning roughly 6 hours, and driving roughly 6 hours, we finally made it to Lot J where we unpacked the van and said our goodbyes while I waited for some of the other vans to get back to the lot. Unfortunately with limited sleep the next morning we went to return the lovely vans to Enterprise, then I went home and slept for another 6 hours and am just now finishing this blog!

 

Nikolai Stroemme

To start the day, I woke up to the sound of the favorite apple alarm. I proceeded to pack up everything I didn't need for the day then went down for the hotel breakfast. There was very little food as Temple ate most of it. We then packed up the vans and made our way down to the boat dock. once we arrived, me, Robbie, Tyler, Ryan, and Valley set up our 4 and made our way to the race course to start our AT day. It was 3 split up 2ks and we had tons of fun doing a proper start and racing the course. After we finished the AT, we came into the dock to de rig the boats and load up the trailer. Once that was done we had a pizza party on the beach then took a group photo to commemorate this spring break. Now we are doing the 15 hour drive back to the campus to sleep and eat.

March 11, 2024

Thursday's Spring Break Blogs at Clemson

Ellie Mulder

Hello laker nation! Today is Thursday, March 7 and I started my day bright and early around 7:30am. After a delicious hotel breakfast consisting of yogurt, granola, and many muffins, we headed to Lake Hartwell for our morning practice. I sat port 5 in our new varsity women’s 8 called the Laker Legacy. This boat is easily the most comfortable boat I’ve ever rowed in my 7 years with this sport! This morning, we focused on finding a consistent balance throughout all 8 seats to glide through the water. We also focused on timing on the back end with arm and back swing in time with stroke seat. I had some strong improvements on my shoulder placement and “arms-out” timing. After practice, we freshened up and headed to downtown Clemson for a pizza lunch and smoothie bowl dessert! With satisfied stomachs, we headed to Clemson University’s geology museum. We had loads of fun checking out the luminescent minerals exhibit and taking pictures outside in the flower-filled fields. After we returned to the hotel and grabbed a quick nap, it was time for evening practice! Tonight we scrimmaged head-to-head against Clemson University’s club team. Though we suffered a pretty tough defeat, we learned a lot about how we can improve and what we need to focus on next. Personally, I’m gonna focus on maintaining a strong and tall posture even when I’m tired. Ice cream at Andees’s ice cream shop in downtown Clemson rounded out my last full day here in South Carolina! Tomorrow’s our last practice and I hope it goes well! Thanks for reading!

 

Aiden Miller

Today started just like the others on spring break.  I woke up early to get a nice hotel breakfast in; consisting of a questionable omelet, cereal, a bagel with peanut butter and apple butter (a personal favorite of mine), and a banana.  After scarfing down breakfast and talking with President Eliot Van Pelt I went and got ready for practice.

Practice this morning was a nice little steady state which split us varsity men into a 4+ and an 8+.  I was placed in 3 seat of the 8+ and was coxed by the celebrity coxswain Valley who did amazing :) (shout out Valley).  The weather wasn’t quite what we expected today and it was a bit warmer and sunnier out.  So I decided to row without my shirt and this caused me to burn - a lot.

After returning to the hotel I went out with some of my friends (Joe, Miles, Michael, Amelia, and Anna) to get some Sully Steamers which is a bagel sandwich place in Clemson.  I got the blonde which is basically just a turkey sandwich on a bagel.  After eating that incredibly sauced up sandwich (in like -5 seconds) we went to some shops to get some Clemson gear.  Although we settled on a Goodwill for some of the best deals around.  I got 4 shirts for $6 so that’s a huge success in my book.  

Once back to the hotel the PM practice was a bit weird since the women had to leave later because of a scrimmage.  So the men all got stuffed into vans and went off to practice.  Once again we were joined by Valley in the experimental 2V lineup and also joining us were amazing novices Connor, Sean, and Riley.  The row started off rough, but ended up turning around and ended as a better row.  So I’m looking forward to rowing with this lineup :).

Afterwards the men sped off to the dining hall to eat some pork, mashed potatoes, and mixed veggies.  Also had some ice cream and two cookies for dessert.  There was also this Oreo pudding that everyone was going crazy for, but I didn’t see the hype.  Also at dinner the winner of the talent show was announced and that was Ellie (Lil E) and her sick rap of Intergalactic by the Beastie Boys (rightfully so, that was pretty sick).

We then returned to the hotel and I played some Yukre with some teammates (I blundered that game hard).  Then I went off to Cookout with the same group as before but minus Miles.  Overall a very good day.  Loving everyday I get to spend with my friends and teammates.  Have a great day everyone :)

March 11, 2024

Mastering the rowing stroke and a hike to a waterfall with an afternoon off

Reilly Forbes

Welcome back to day 5 in Clemson! I started off my day with morning practice in the cold and rainy weather, but we made the most of it. I was coxing the varsity women in the Ring,4+, and we took it out for a long steady state row. We were working on stationary drills to really nail down our catch timings and overall boat set. We then took it for a long row, adding in pauses throughout the stroke to match up body positions. We wrapped up our rainy morning practice with some rate work, working on shifting to higher or lower rates efficiently. Overall, a very productive practice. 

Today was our afternoon off day so the team took advantage of our free time from rowing to partake in another physical activity, a hike! A large portion of the team made a trip to Yellow Branch Falls and hiked to a large waterfall that we got to climb around on and swim in. The hike wasn’t too hard but because of the rain, it was very slick and muddy making it a little more difficult but entertaining to watch everyone try and navigate the trails in the mud. 

We came back from the hike and relaxed for a few hours before heading to Southern Wesleyan University where we had dinner. Tonight's dinner was brisket and mac n’ cheese and it really hit the spot after a long day full of a large variety of activities. My day began to come to an end with an eboard meeting at the hotel after dinner where the executive board had their monthly meeting going through everything that they had been working on and what their next projects were. I hung out with some of my teammates in the lobby after the meeting before heading up to my room to wind down for bed and watching part of a movie before heading off to bed to get some much needed rest for another exciting day in Clemson tomorrow. 

 

Kyle Emerson

Today started as the past few have: wake up at 7:30am, go downstairs for breakfast, go back up to the room to get dressed for practice (my uni and rain jacket since it was drizzling this morning), then get to the practice site by 9:00am. I was in the pair (The Marco-Pitzer) with Mr. Aiden Miller and we went on to do quite a bit of steady state with drills in some rather wet conditions, but we made the most out of it anyway. At 11:00am, morning practice was done, and we returned to the hotel. Many of the varsity and novice men went to a pizza place across the street from the hotel called Your Pie. That was some of the best pizza for the price that I have ever had, and with the best company anyone could ask for. As someone who has experienced three spring breaks with the team, there is always one thing that I especially look forward to: the day hike. Two years ago I did this exact hike that took us to this incredible waterfall, but this time, I was able to explore up to the top and even further up the stream which the waterfall connected. Because of the rain, it was still muddy and if I had a dollar for everytime I nearly ate mud on my way to and from the waterfall, I could have paid off my dues, but that’s what makes you feel alive and was a good use of the rest of the day until dinner. It was BBQ at the Southern Wesleyan University dining hall which consisted of mac and cheese, pulled pork, mixed veggies, and french fries (finished with a little bit of ice cream). The rest of the night consisted of going to do laundry with a couple other rowers then heading to bed. Tomorrow we’ll be back on the water at 9:00am in the men’s Varsity 8+ (Featuring the Lubbers).



Tyler Jacobs

The day started off dark and rainy. I woke up pretty early to avoid the morning rush so that I could make myself a waffle and not have to wait in a 20 minute line for it. Like on other mornings. I was a little hesitant if we would still be able to go on a hike later in the day due to all the rain, but the forecast showed the weather clearing up around noon so I tried not to worry about it too much. 

When practice rolled around it was still rainey, but the good news was that it was our only practice for the day. The novice men took out an 8 with one seat empty. We mostly just did drill work. Towards the end of practice Coach Trevor came up with a friendly competition for us novices. Whoever could keep their blade in the water for the longest would win and I was able to win. 

After practice I took off the wet clothes I had on and put on some dry clothes. I then ran across the street to Subway for lunch. I’ve gone there so many times on this trip the lady behind the counter at this point knows who I am and what I'm going to order. 

There was some debate on what time we should leave for the hike so we eventually just decided as a team to split into two groups and leave at separate times. I decided to go with the first group. When we got to the park I was very impressed. We were the only ones there so we had the whole place to ourselves. The trail we walked on was muddy, but still a cool, neat long trail. I was the first one to make it to the waterfall and I thought it looked absolutely gorgeous. My brain immediately started to think of ways of how I could climb up it. I took off my shoes and began my journey to the top of the waterfall. Anytime I pulled myself up I made sure my hand had a good grip on whatever I was holding onto so that I wouldn't fall to my death. After about 10 to 20 minutes of climbing I was eventually happy with how high I was so I decided to climb back down. As I was getting ready to leave the 2nd group was arriving. At that moment I just decided to stay because I just loved the environment I was in and assumed that another van could take me home. Some of the varsity members started to go on a hidden path on the side of the waterfall. I was curious so I followed them and to my surprise it led to the top of the waterfall. When I got to the top I felt like the king of the world. The view was breathtaking. I climbed inside the waterfall and had a mini panic attack due to the water pressure and it being hard to breath for a couple seconds but I got over it. After hours of exploring we eventually had to head back. The trail back to the parking lot was about half an hour away, but me and some other people decided to run so we shaved at least 15 minutes off the time. I got put in a van with 6 other people so I was squeezed in there. The hike was definitely my favorite part of the trip so far. I just loved the location and scenery. It all felt so surreal. The only negative was all of my clothes were wet, muddy and cold. 

Once I got dropped off back at the hotel I took a quick shower and then quickly put whatever I had laying around on and headed towards my van to take me to the food place. I surprisingly wasn’t that hungry, but I still had a decent amount of food and made sure that I didn’t waste anything. 

When I got back to the hotel I took a proper shower because I wasn’t rushed. To close things out for the day, I relaxed in bed working on editing some videos on my computer and watching some youtube. Overall today was definitely my favorite day because I love exploring and wandering and when I was by the waterfall I got to take all of that to a whole new level.

 

March 7, 2024

Day 4 in Clemson filled with sunny skies, seat racing, scrimmage with Clemson, and a talent show!

Reece Thurston

Welcome back to Clemson! I woke up early around 7:30 and headed down to the hotel lobby for breakfast with the team before we headed out for our morning row. When we arrived at the water, we were met with perfectly flat water and sunny conditions perfect for rowing. I rowed in the single which I was super excited about because it’s been a couple years since I’ve been able to row one. Our morning workout consisted of steady state intertwined with some drills, focusing on a slow recovery and getting our oars in right away at the catch. I spent the drill time doing some bobs at the finish followed by catch placement. On our row back to the dock, we practiced some starting 5’s in anticipation for tonight's seat races.

After our morning row, the women’s team ventured into downtown Clemson for lunch and some sightseeing. We got steamed bagel sandwiches and smoothies to fuel ourselves for our afternoon practice. We finished our downtown trip with souvenir shopping where I bought a shirt and a sticker to put on my car.

We got back to the hotel and it was then time to begin getting ready for afternoon practice. Today was our first seat racing practice of the spring to begin making racing lineups. The women’s squad loaded up into two 8+’s and hit the water. Our workout was 6x1000, and we switched two people in each after every piece. Considering the short amount of time we’ve been able to spend working at a higher intensity on the water, the pieces went really well! The women’s team is making progress each day and it was evident in today’s practice that everyone is giving these spring break sessions their 100% effort.

As our day drew to a close, the whole team retreated back to the hotel where we participated in a team talent show! Whoever had a talent they wished to share with the team had the opportunity to show it off. The talent show rounded out the night and I spent the rest of my time relaxing in my room getting ready to get back at it tomorrow morning!


 

Michael Jeromsky

My morning started at the ripe hour of 4 o'clock. I awoke from my slumber to pounding on my hotel room door. It was Aiden Miller. He informed us that Nikolai had just landed in South Carolina, and we needed to go pick him up from the airport. Aiden, Miles, and I took one of the rental vans and got Nikolai from the airport. Once we returned to the hotel, we ate our breakfast. The meal consisted of scrambled eggs, sausage, orange juice, banana nut muffins, and the most vile, gut wrenching, intestine killing, heart stopping, plague infected red skin potatoes that had ever been in my mouth. After breakfast, I changed and headed to the race course for practice.

Morning practice was steady state and we rowed by sixes and all 8 to mainly work on our technique. We also practiced our starts for the scrimmages that we had against Clemson and Villanova in the afternoon. Once practice was finished, Miles and I returned to the hotel room and ate 2 of our “Banquet Chicken Pot Pies”. This was by far the best financial decision Miles and I had ever made, being that the pies cost 1 dollar each. I then went with Amelia, Anna, and Joe to downtown Clemson to buy some souvenirs to take back home. Soon after, we headed to the afternoon practice where we raced Clemson and Villanova for three 1000-meter pieces. The pieces went very well as the GVSU men's varsity 8 won all 3 of the pieces. By the time the third piece started, the sun had already set, I was unable to see the man in front of me and was rowing purely out of instinct. I would like to commend Butters for not crashing into the shore or any of the other boats in those conditions, it was truly a miracle.

We headed to dinner directly after our scrimmages and dug into fresh tilapia, fried shrimp, hushpuppies, and tasty vegetables. The food review was an 8/10. Once we headed back to the hotel and showered, the team held its first ever talent show. Many people from the team showed their impressive and wide range of talents. Some notable acts were the Tik Tok dance, how to pog, how to get kicked out of practice, how to mew, how to griddy, how to start a pyramid scheme, types of rocks, and Ryan’s angelic voice.


 

Connor Wolfe

The day is Tuesday, March 5th- our 4th day on the water. After downing one chocolate chip waffle while making eye contact with Little Ryan, Van #5 took off for the beach. Today I was rowing with my fellow novice men in the Stoll, 8+, for our morning steady state before being joined by Nikolai and Sawyer later for evening AT. Starting off with some drills to fix out positioning and rush, we did two-part pauses in varying steps of the recovery Then, we continued onto our steady state where we were able to apply what we’ve learned. Practice concluded with a full-boat row back to the dock where we focused on set and timing as a boat. 

Today is laundry day so after stopping back at the hotel to grab clothes, van #5 once again departed for the laundromat where we pioneered the world’s first laundry basket race course (I was the fastest (credits to Jo Pat)). We then proceeded to head downtown where I purchased the world’s drippiest Clemson bucket hat and ate a french toast bagel for lunch. 

To wrap things up, we headed back to the water for our AT practice where Nikolai arrived just in time from his three hour flight. We made a ton of progress on set and rush during our 8x4’ pieces and ended the rowing day with a long steady state row back. 

Back at the hotel we had a talent show where I gave a presentation on Pogging and witnessed many feats of humorous strength before tending to my wounds and heading to bed. 

Gavin Smith
March 6, 2024



Page last modified July 14, 2021