The Grand Valley State University Wrestling Club, focusing on growth, displayed grit and resilience over the weekend as the men's and women's teams took to the mats for early-season tests. The men competed in the Ben McMullen Open at Muskegon Community College, while the women headed to the Tiffin University Women's Open in Ohio. Although the competitions were tough, the Lakers walked away with valuable experience, showcasing a season of growth and hard work.

In the 125-pound division, freshman Zach Koenig made a notable impression with a fiery start. Koenig opened with a fall over Liam Castricone from Niagara CC, followed by an impressive 41-second pin against Mott Community College's Keenan Pake. His aggressive style propelled him into the semifinals, where he met Muskegon CC's Jack Guerrero. Despite a valiant effort, Koenig fell to Guerrero by a technical fall. In the consolation semis, Koenig was pinned by Ayden Downing of Niagara CC, rounding out a hard-fought day.

At 141 pounds, Jacob Bathas won his opening about in a close 9-7 decision over Muskegon CC's Owen Cruden. Batha's journey was cut short by a technical fall loss to Dylan Phelps of Olivet College in the quarterfinals, and his day ended with a loss in the consolation rounds against Brennan Bolen from Western Michigan's club.

Ellery Smith, competing at 165 pounds, began his day with a pin over Sonny Gilbert from Marian University Ancilla. Smith advanced to the quarterfinals but was stopped by Alma College's Carter Melonio. In a close consolation about, Smith fell to Calvin Huggler from Alma College with a 7-2 decision.

Heavyweight Jason Smith led the men's team with a fourth-place finish. After a first-round bye, Smith advanced due to an injury default by Olivet College's George Daniel. He was defeated by Jayson Roy from the University of Michigan's club in the semifinals but bounced back in the consolation semis with a major decision win over Dennis Weston of Marian University Ancilla. In the third-place match, Smith was pinned by Brody Miskimon from Alma College.

Head Coach Ryan Lancaster praised the men's team's determination and relentless effort. "Every match, every minute on the mat, these young men are learning and growing," Lancaster remarked. "Wins and losses don't just measure success; it's about the fight, the resilience, and the constant pursuit of improvement. I'm proud of the grit they showed out there and excited to see how this experience shapes them for the rest of the season."

The women's team competed intensely at the Tiffin University Women's Open, with wrestlers Ayla Lipscomb, Krysta Luce, and Sophia Sunior stepping onto the mats against tough opponents.

Despite the early exits, Lipscomb's determination underscored her potential as she took away valuable lessons to fuel her future growth.

In the 180-pound division, Luce faced Jordan Torres-Carrillo from Tiffin University in a closely contested match, ultimately falling 8-6. In the consolation rounds, Luce met Mia Gaetjens from Adrian College, who secured a technical fall. Luce's performance demonstrated her resilience and promise as she continued to build her skill set in collegiate competition.

Sophia Sunior, competing at 207 pounds, faced a formidable first-round opponent in Mount Union's Lyndsee Young, who claimed a 10-0 technical fall. In the consolation rounds, Sunior advanced with a bye but was defeated by Kiley McClain from Bluefield State, who won by fall. Sunior's performance highlighted her willingness to compete and grind it out against strong opponents.

Reflecting on the women's performance, Coach Lancaster noted, "Every time these women step on the mat, they gain critical experience to fuel their growth as wrestlers. The Tiffin Open was a reminder that while the scoreboard may not always reflect the effort and heart these athletes put in, each match is a building block in their journey. We're not just looking for winsýwe're building resilience, grit, and skills that will pay off in the long run."

Both the men's and women's teams showed flashes of potential and moments of growth that will set the stage for the season ahead. The Ben McMullen Open and Tiffin Open gave the GVSU Wrestling Club a glimpse of their strengths and areas for improvement, laying a solid foundation. These teams are ready to push their limits and bring intensity to each upcoming tournament, leaving the audience hopeful for future performances.

FLINT, MI ý The GVSU-WC entered the 2024 Fall Brawl Open at Mott Community College with a determined spirit and a point to prove. Despite the fierce competition, the Lakers displayed remarkable resilience, delivering promising performances in a day filled with challenges and triumphs.

At 133 lbs, sophomore Zach Koenig turned in a gritty effort to snag a fourth-place finish. It wasn't an easy road, as Koenig was caught in the second round by Vicente Navarro of Henry Ford College, losing by fall at 6:30. Undeterred, he bounced back. He delivered a 29-second pin over Keenan Pake from Mott Community College, giving GVSU a big lift. Despite dropping his other two matches, Koenig's persistence shone through.

"Zach's got that scrapper mentality," head coach Ryan Lancaster said. "He took his lumps but came back and showed what he's made of with that lightning-fast pin."

Unattached wrestler Zach Egan had a rollercoaster ride at 157 lbs, but his win was hard-earned. Egan got off to a rough start, getting caught by Dayveon Rupert of Southwest Michigan Community College in 3:51. He bounced back strong, putting Alex Daniel of the Michigan Club on his back in just 40 seconds in the consolation bracket. Egan's day ended with a loss to Carter Simota of Henry Ford College, who scored the fall at 3:28.

"There's no quit in Zach," Lancaster remarked. "He got right back up after a tough loss and took care of business. He's got the potential to be a real force for us."

In a remarkable women's folkstyle exhibition match, Krysta Luce made quick work of Alex Anguina from Michigan, pinning her in the first period and electrifying the GVSU bench. The exhibition might have been outside the official bracket, but Luce did not doubt her talent.

"Krysta went out there and dominated," said Lancaster. "She's setting the tone for our women's program, and I can't wait to see where she goes from here."

Freshman Jacob Batha had his work cut out in the 141 lb bracket. He started against Henry Ford's Daniel Gonzalez-Cancel, who took the match via technical fall, 15-0. Batha received a consolation bye but fell short in the semi against John Hurley, losing by a major decision (15-7).

"Jacob's day didn't go as planned, but he kept swinging," Lancaster said. "He's learning with each match, and that's what matters."

The day's highlight for GVSU came from Luke Lyons, who took second place in the 197 lb division. Lyons narrowly lost his opening match to Lionel Baldwin of Michigan, 2-1, but came back with a vengeance, pinning NCWA National Qualifier Anthony Janowski of Akron in 3:50 to secure the runner-up spot.

"Luke's a warrior," Lancaster said proudly. "He didn't let that one-point loss rattle him. He regrouped and delivered a statement pin."

At heavyweight, Blake Wilson's first taste of collegiate competition didn't come with a win, but it did provide plenty of learning opportunities. In the opening round, he dropped a tight 13-8 decision to Lance Gray of Henry Ford. After a consolation bye, Wilson's day ended with a fall to DeAngelo Williams at 1:27.

"Blake showed flashes of what he's capable of," Lancaster said. "He's got the tools; with more experience, he'll be a difference-maker."

Coach Ryan Lancaster, while acknowledging the difficulties faced at the Fall Brawl, saw plenty of reasons to be hopeful. "It was a challenging day, no doubt, but we showed heart and glimpses of our potential. Our team fought hard, and that's what I'm excited to see."

As the Lakers look forward to the rest of the season, Lancaster and his squad will sharpen their skills, focus on conditioning, and fine-tune their techniques. The results may not have gone their way yet, but GVSU is ready to grind.

"We're laying the foundation for something bigger," Lancaster said. "Every match, win or lose, brings us closer to where we want to be. The important thing is to keep pushing and growing as a team."

The Fall Brawl may not have ended with the Lakers at the top of the podium, but their grit and determination suggest brighter days ahead for the Grand Valley State University Wrestling Club.

EAST LANSING, MI - It was a successful day for 30 students on the GVSU Swim Club team who traveled to Michigan State University on October 5th, 2024 to attend the Spooky Spartan Invitational where they placed 5th overall against 9 different teams from Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio. 

The women's had ended up placing 6th overall. Their top swims include the Women's A 200 free relay (Julia Dennof, Emma Buckler, and Tilly Oppett) and the Women's A 200 medley relay (Tilly Oppett, Molly Smith, Kaley Vansuch, and Emily Almas) which placed 7th. Molly Smith placed 7th in the 50 breast and 8th in the 100 IM (individual medley). Placing 4th in the 100 fly would be Kaley Vansuch. Victoria Weeden placed 7th in the 500 free and 5th in the 100 free.

The men placed 4th overall. The top swims for the men include the Men's A 200 free relay (Caden Sauve, Riley Greene, Nicholas Carlson, and Nick Klug) and the Men's A 200 medley relay (Mason Harding, Brandon Gardner, Nick Klug, and Caden Sauve) where they placed 2nd. Hunter Converse placed 5th in the 100 back, Matt Robinson placed 5th in the 500 free, Caden Suave placed 3rd in the 400 IM, and Chalmer Young placed 3rd in the 500 free. Not only did Brandon Gardner get nationals cut in the 50 breast (placed 3rd) and 200 IM (placed 3rd), but also got 5th in the 100 IM, and 4th in the 100 breast. Mason Harding, who got the national cut in the 50 back (placed 2nd), also placed 3rd in the 200 back and 4th in the 100 IM. The last nationals cut would be Nick Klug for the 50 free (placed 2nd) and ended up placing 2nd in the 100 IM.

During each event GVSU students were cheering each other on at the end of the lanes, helping to bring up the motivation for each participant! The Spooky Spartan Invitational was also a great opportunity for swimmers to reconnect with previous teammates and friends.

We look forward to seeing those in the GVSU Swim Club excel at the next meet! 

CONKLIN, MICHIGAN - GVSU's Waterski and Wakeboard Club had recently finished 1st place at this year's Allentucky Waterbowl on September 7th-8th. Grand Valley was joined by 5 other teams, such as Michigan State University and Ferris State University, but became victorious as a team and individually.

The Allentucky Waterbowl consists of 3 events; slalom, tricks, and jumps. Slalom is an event that takes 3 separate factors and implements them into the event. First is the amount of buoys that the competitor skis around, the speed at which you are taking these turns, and the rope length. The goal of this event is for one to ski around as many buoys as they possibly can while increasing their speed and shortening the amount of rope that you ski behind. For the tricks event, each participant is given 20 seconds to show off their skills by performing eligible tricks in front of the judges, but if one ends up falling, then your time is cut short. Lastly, the jump event is considered to be the most intriguing event. You are given specially designed skis, a helmet, and a padded jumpsuit. To start the event, one prepares themselves to jump over a 5ft ramp, with a speed between 24 mph-32 mph depending on your skill level, and then the participant that ends up with the most distance is the winner of this event.

The Waterski and Wakeboard Club had multiple participants who placed in these events and developed a new personal best jump distance, tricks, and more. Firstly, Megan Fischette placed in all 3 events; 1st in Slalom, 3rd in women's jumps, and 3 in women's tricks, which became a new personal best. Matt Freitag was another big winner placing 3rd in men's jumps with a new personal best of 95ft. Sydnie Lipski was another participant who had placed in all 3 events, those being 2nd in women's tricks, 4th in women's slalom, and 4th in women's jumps, all of these becoming a new personal best for her to top performances off! Placing 4th in women's trick and developing 2 new personal bests with slalom and tricks is Bri Baughman. Jackie Karemh also had a night with placing 5th in women's jumps, which had also become a jump personal best with a distance of 39ft. Lastly, Delaney Novach had placed 5th in women's slalom. 

Not only was it a great 2 days for those Lakers, but we cannot forget about these Lakers who had gained new personal bests to beat in the next tournament! Caroline De Roo and Joe Brock with their 1st jumps landed, Lex Bontemps with a new jump PB, Alex Underhill with slalom 1.5 at 28/trick 290, and Mario Dannunzio with trick 280 and 56ft in jumps!

Congratulations to the Lakers who showed up to their first tournament of this season and made anyone watching proud! We look forward to seeing what the next tournaments bring!