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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!
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Coed Sports
Men's Sports
Rowing
Women's Sports
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Permanent link for GVSU Rowing - Return to the Water on April 6, 2021.
Permanent link for Athlete Spotlight: Emily Dascenzo on March 19, 2021
Emily Dascenzo is a sixth year here at GVSU studying health and physical education. Teammates call Emily by her nickname, Scoobs. Emily is from Howell, Michigan, and is very well respected by her teammates. Teammates say "Emily will be the first one to correct you in a positive way and it really increases the team's skill level and we work better on the field with her". Scoobs leads her team with enthusiasm on and off the field!
How did you become a part of the GVSU Women's Rugby Team?
I became a part of the women's rugby team here at Grand Valley because at the time I wasn't doing anything on campus, but I had a friend who was a part of the team and she was always with the rugby team. So I needed to know what that was about. So I went to one practice and I did not stop."
What is the best part about competing?
"The best part about competing at least with rugby is that while you're on the field you're tackling each other and you're hitting each other as hard as possible but as soon as that last whistle blows you're walking up to everyone saying like "Yo nice hit or can't wait to see you after the game" and you meet up and you have pizza and it's a lot of fun. So that's kind of the fun part about competing at least with rugby. But I also just really like to be competitive and trying my best."
Do you have a pre-competition routine?
Personally, before a game, my pregame routine is bumpin' "Broadway" in my car and I sing as loud as I can and I scream it out, and then once we get there, we warm up, and then we have a cheer called kemosabe. And that's my favorite part is kemosabe."
What will you miss most about being on the GVSU Women's Rugby Team?
"I've been on the team for about five years and seeing the talent that comes and goes which is crazy because most of the people who join the team don't even know how to play rugby and then by the end of their four years, they're able to play a full game of rugby. I think that's going to be what I'm going to miss the most is just seeing people coming in and out and learning the game as they go."
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Athlete Feature
Women's Rugby
Women's Sports
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Permanent link for Athlete Spotlight: Emily Dascenzo on March 19, 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."
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Athlete Feature
Men's Sports
Roller Hockey
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Permanent link for Athlete Spotlight: Dominic Stankiewicz on March 5, 2021.
Permanent link for Athlete Spotlight: Mackenzie Biediger on February 19, 2021
Mackenzie Biediger is a Junior studying social studies education. Mackenzie, or Mack, is from Wolverine Lake, MI where she was a part of the equestrian team. Now, Mack leads the GVSU Stock Team as a captain and focuses heavily on the inclusion of all teammates. Fellow teammate and co-captain Gabi Smith says "Mack is very on top of things as her first year as captain. Even though we cannot compete, she has kept the team very engaged in weekly zoom meetings and has encouraged participation in fundraising and club sport events. This year has been tough and Mack has been a great leader!"
What will you miss most about the GVSU Stock Team Equestrian Club?
"How friendly and welcoming everyone is and how many friends I've made over the past three and going to be four years and how exciting and new all of our competitions always are".
Do you have a pre-competition routine?
"My pre-competition routine is something I have two pairs of lucky socks that I wear and a lucky necklace and I always hum a little song to myself while I'm competing to make sure I'm in the right headspace".
What is the best part about competing?
"You always get a different experience and nothing's ever the same. It's always changing so it's always exciting and new and your teammates are always super supportive and it's a really fun day to have with everyone".
What is your favorite memory of being on the GVSU Stock Team Equestrian Club?
"When I won my first class my sophomore year and it happened to be on my dad's birthday and he had driven out to watch me".
How did you become a part of the GVSU Stock Team Equestrian Club?
"I became a part after being on my high school team for four years and I was looking for a way to continue riding and competing. So I found the team after Campus Life night and then I joined".
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Athlete Feature
Coed Sports
Equestrian
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Permanent link for Athlete Spotlight: Mackenzie Biediger on February 19, 2021.
Permanent link for Rifle Club Wins International University Air Rifle Match on December 14, 2020
WYOMING, MICHIGAN – The Grand Valley State University Rifle Club participated in the 10th Annual International University Air Rifle Match in early November. The match was a postal match. A postal match is a competition in which competitors fire separately on their home ranges and exchange scores. The match consisted of 40 total shots fired from the standing position at 10 meters. In total, Lakers made up six of the 21 individual entries and one of the four-team entries. COVID-19 likely limited entries, which were 59 individuals and 12 teams in 2019. Competitors hailed from multiple states and Switzerland.
Aliah Lloyd (Kalamazoo, Michigan) led all Lakers with a score of 374 (out of 400). She posted target scores of 96 (out of 100), 95, 92, and 91. Her efforts resulted in a first-place finish overall. Lloyd finished second in 2019 with a score of 381.
Lloyd was joined by Cassie Coulston-Gerigk (Livonia, Michigan), Collin Fox (Grand Ledge, Michigan), and Alexander Straith (Birmingham, Michigan) in posting a team score of 1476 (out of 1600). The score was best among all entries for the second consecutive season. The State University of New York at Plattsburgh finished in second, 116 points behind. The University of Fribourg (Switzerland) was third.
All Lakers landed in the top 10. Coulston-Gerigk was second with 368, Fox was third with 367, Straith was fourth with 367, Mark VanEvery (White Lake, Michigan) with seventh with 350, and John Martin (Holly, Michigan) was ninth with 338.
The mission of the GVSU Rifle Club is to provide students with the opportunity to participate in shooting sports, with an emphasis in smallbore rifle and precision air rifle. Students with all levels of skill are able to have a safe and enjoyable time at the shooting range while interacting with other students and shooting. All equipment, including rifles and ammunition, is provided. The club will resume in-person meetings at the Grand Rapids Rifle & Pistol Club (1331 Nagel Ave SW, Wyoming, MI 49509) on February 2, 2021, at 3:00 p.m. New members are welcome year-round.
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Coed Sports
Rifle
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Permanent link for Rifle Club Wins International University Air Rifle Match on December 14, 2020.
Permanent link for November Orion Monthly Virtual Matches Recap on November 30, 2020
WYOMING, MI – In a month shortened by COVID-19 restrictions, athletes from the Grand Valley State University Rifle Club participated in three Orion Scoring System Monthly Virtual Matches in November. 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 rifle competition consisted of 60 shots fired from the standing position at 10 meters. The smallbore competition consisted of 60 shots fired in prone, standing, and kneeling position at 50 feet. The air pistol competition consisted of 40 shots fired in the international standing position at 10 meters.
Leading the way in the air rifle event was senior Alexander Straith (Birmingham, Michigan). He posted a score of 573.1 (out of 654), good for tenth place overall. Straith was joined by senior Collin Fox (Grand Ledge, Michigan) in posting a team score of 1145.4, good for seventh place overall, despite being down a team member. Fox's 572.3 was good for 11th place overall.
In smallbore, Straith led the Lakers with a score of 535 (out of 600). The score was good for first place. Fox finished third, with a score of 532. Together, they held on for a first-place team finish, besting Grand Rapids Rifle and Pistol Club 1067-978.
Full Smallbore Results
Fox was one of only three competitors, and the only Laker, to shoot in the air pistol event. He posted a personal-best 263 (out of 400).
Full Air Pistol Results
The mission of the GVSU Rifle Club is to provide students with the opportunity to participate in shooting sports, with an emphasis in smallbore rifle and precision air rifle. Students with all levels of skill are able to have a safe and enjoyable time at the shooting range while interacting with other students and shooting. All equipment, including rifles and ammunition, is provided. The club will resume in-person meetings at the Grand Rapids Rifle & Pistol Club (1331 Nagel Ave SW, Wyoming, MI 49509) on February 2, 2021, at 3:00 p.m. New members are welcome year-round.
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Coed Sports
Rifle
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Permanent link for November Orion Monthly Virtual Matches Recap on November 30, 2020.
Permanent link for Club Sport Feature: Quidditch on November 6, 2020
The Club Sports program at Grand Valley consists of a very diverse selection of sports, ranging from the most well-known sports to some hidden gems that you may have never heard of. One of these lesser-known sports provides one of the most unique experiences that Grand Valley can offer. Based on the fictional game created by J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, the sport of Quidditch blends elements of Rugby, Dodgeball, and Tag to create an increasingly popular sport being played around the world.
Quidditch is a mixed-gender sport that involves teams of seven members, with brooms between their legs, tasked with certain roles trying to outscore the opposing team. The roles on the team are one Seeker, three Chasers, two Beaters, and one Keeper. The Seeker is attempting to grab the Snitch, a valuable task worth 30 points that also signals the end of the game. The Chasers are attempting to score goals worth 10 points by sending the quaffle through any of the three hoops on the opposing team's side. On the defensive side, the Beaters are attempting to use balls called bludgers to disrupt the other team. Finally, the Keeper is defending the hoops, trying to deter the Chasers from scoring. Quidditch is a contact sport, bringing aggressive and exciting play throughout each game, making it equally thrilling to play and to watch.
The club at Grand Valley has been growing throughout the past few years. In the 2018-2019 season, they were the last remaining Great Lakes team at Nationals, showing the significant improvements the club has been making. The club continues to strive to improve, with the goal of making it to Nationals every year. The Quidditch club also has a growing reputation of being one of the most friendly and welcoming teams.
The president of the club said that "the sport might be based on Harry Potter, but we are so much more than that. This is a legitimate full-time commitment with an incredibly welcoming environment where you can make friends across the Great Lakes region." The Quidditch club is very welcoming, offering tryouts for people of any skill level, making it a sport that anyone can be a part of.
Quidditch is not a one size fits all sport. Whether you are looking for people with a similar interest to you, a new sport to try, or just want to be part of something new and unique, Quidditch will have something to offer you.
Written by Trent Barker, GVSU Student
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Club Sport Feature
Coed Sports
Quidditch
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Permanent link for Club Sport Feature: Quidditch on November 6, 2020.
Permanent link for Rifle Wins Pair of Orion Monthly Virtual Matches on November 4, 2020
WYOMING, MI – The Grand Valley State University Rifle Club participated in two Orion Scoring System Monthly Virtual Matches in October. 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 rifle competition consisted of 60 shots fired from the standing position at 10 meters. The smallbore competition consisted of 60 shots fired in prone, standing, and kneeling position at 50 feet.
Leading the way in the air rifle event was junior Aliah Lloyd (Kalamazoo, Michigan). She posted a score of 591.3 (out of 654), good for second place overall. Lloyd was joined by senior Alexander Straith (Birmingham, Michigan), and junior Cassie Coulston-Gerigk (Livonia, Michigan), in posting a team score of 1759.6, good for first place overall. Straith finished fourth with a score of 588.8 and Coulston-Gerigk posted a score of 579.5 good for fifth place.
Full Air Rifle Results
In smallbore, Lloyd led the Lakers with a score of 542 (out of 600). The score was good for first place. Straith finished second, with a score of 534. Collin Fox (Grand Ledge, Michigan) posted a score of 533, finishing third. Together, they finished first place as a team with 1609 (out of 1800).
The mission of the GVSU Rifle Club is to provide students with the opportunity to participate in shooting sports, with an emphasis in smallbore rifle and precision air rifle. Students with all levels of skill are able to have a safe and enjoyable time at the shooting range while interacting with other students and shooting. All equipment, including rifles and ammunition, is provided. The club meets Tuesdays from 5:00 p.m.– 7:00 p.m. and Thursdays 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. this semester at the Grand Rapids Rifle & Pistol Club (1331 Nagel Ave SW, Wyoming, MI 49509). New members are welcome year-round.
Up next, Laker shooters will be shooting in the Snow Country English Match Series postal match on November 5th.
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Coed Sports
Rifle
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Permanent link for Rifle Wins Pair of Orion Monthly Virtual Matches on November 4, 2020.
Permanent link for Western Intercollegiate Rifle Conference October Recap on November 2, 2020
WYOMING, MICHIGAN – The GVSU Rifle Club began the five-month Western Intercollegiate Rifle Conference season in October. The conference is currently composed of 14 teams from the Midwest and East Coast. Member schools include Bowling Green State University, Clemson University, Georgia Military College, Grand Valley State University, Hillsdale College, Liberty University, Michigan State University, Michigan Technological University, North Dakota State University, Purdue University, University of Akron, University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin-Superior, and Wabash College. In the regular season, the schools compete in monthly postal matches in three-position smallbore rifle and precision air rifle. A postal match is a competition in which competitors fire separately on their home ranges and exchange scores. Four predesignated shooters contribute towards the overall team score.
Air Rifle Individual:
11. Aliah Lloyd 563 (out of 600)
16. Alexander Straith 557
18. Cassie Coulston-Gerigk 555
20. Collin Fox 548
28. Mark VanEvery 525
34. John Martin 505
Air Rifle Team:
1.North Dakota State University 2285 (out of 2400)
2.University of Akron 2267
3.University of Michigan 2227
4.Grand Valley State University 2223
5.Liberty University 2147
6.Georgia Military College 2084
7.Hillsdale College 1634
T-8. Bowling Green State University DNF
T-8. Clemson University DNF
T-8. Michigan State University DNF
T-8. Michigan Technological University DNF
T-8. Purdue University DNF
T-8. University of Wisconsin-Superior DNF
T-8. Wabash College DNF
Smallbore Individual:
7. Alexander Striath 553 (out of 600)
10. Collin Fox 543
11. Aliah Lloyd 543
23. Cassie Coulston-Gerigk 506
25. John Martin 498
32. Mark VanEvery 441
Smallbore Team:
1.North Dakota State University 2222 (out of 2400)
2.Liberty University 2175
3.University of Akron 2167
4.Grand Valley State University 2145
5.University of Michigan 2106
6.Georgia Military College 1824
T-7. Bowling Green State University DNF
T-7. Clemson University DNF
T-7. Hillsdale College DNF
T-7. Michigan State University DNF
T-7. Michigan Technological University DNF
T-7. Purdue University DNF
T-7. University of Wisconsin-Superior DNF
T-7. Wabash College DNF
The mission of the GVSU Rifle Club is to provide students with the opportunity to participate in shooting sports, with an emphasis in smallbore rifle and precision air rifle. Students with all levels of skill are able to have a safe and enjoyable time at the shooting range while interacting with other students and shooting. All equipment, including rifles and ammunition, is provided. The club will resume in-person activities on February 1, 2021. New members will be accepted at that time.
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Coed Sports
Rifle
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Permanent link for Western Intercollegiate Rifle Conference October Recap on November 2, 2020.
Permanent link for GVSU Sweeps Suny Plattsburgh in Pair of Virtual Rifle Matches on October 28, 2020
WYOMING, MI – The Grand Valley State University Rifle Club participated in a postal match against the State University of New York at Plattsburgh Marksmanship Club in the month of October. A postal match is a competition in which the competitors fire separately on their home range and exchange scores. The teams faced off in three-position smallbore rifle (60 shots fired in the prone, standing, and kneeling positions) and precision air rifle (60 shots fired in the standing position).
In the smallbore team competition, the Lakers defeated the Cardinals by 196 points, 2131 to 1935 (out of 2400). In the air rifle team competition, the Lakers prevailed 2184 to 1963 (out of 2400). The aggregate team scores were calculated by the top four individual scores on each roster. Combined, the Lakers defeated the Cardinals by 387 points.
In the smallbore individual competition, the Lakers occupied the top two spots. The top shooter, Aliah Lloyd (Kalamazoo, Michigan), posted a score of 564 (out of 600), a personal best. Alexander Straith (Birmingham, Michigan) was the runner-up with a score of 538. Collin Fox (Grand Ledge, Michigan) finished fourth with a score of 519. Cassie Coulston-Gerigk (Livonia, Michigan) shot a 510 for fifth place. The top Cardinal shooter, Peter O'Donnell (Newcomb, New York), finished third with a score of 521.
Straith led all competitors in air rifle with a score of 558 (out of 600). Coulston-Gerigk finished second with a score of 556. Fox shot a 546 for third place. Rounded out the Laker team, John Martin (Howell, Michigan) shot a 524 for fourth place. The top Cardinal shooter, O'Donnell, finished fifth with a score of 518.
The Lakers are coached by Head Coach Cameron Zwart and Assistant Coach Timothy Schmeltzer. The Cardinals are coached by Head Coach Peter Visconti.
Full GVSU Results
The mission of the GVSU Rifle Club is to provide students with the opportunity to participate in shooting sports, with an emphasis in smallbore rifle and precision air rifle. Students with all levels of skill are able to have a safe and enjoyable time at the shooting range while interacting with other students and shooting. All equipment, including rifles and ammunition, is provided. The club meets Tuesdays from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. and Thursdays 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. this semester at the Grand Rapids Rifle & Pistol Club (1331 Nagel Ave SW, Wyoming, MI 49509). New members are welcome year-round.
Up next, the Lakers will be wrapping up the Western Intercollegiate Rifle Conference October postal matches.
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Coed Sports
Rifle
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Permanent link for GVSU Sweeps Suny Plattsburgh in Pair of Virtual Rifle Matches on October 28, 2020.