Grand Valley student athletes delivered strong performances at their respective NCAA Division II national championships in Indianapolis over the weekend.
The men’s and women’s track and field teams secured top-three finishes at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships with the men earning national runner-up honors and the women placing third.
Four Lakers won individual national titles — Myles Kerner (shot put), Kaylee Diamond (high jump), Lauren Kiley (3,000 meters) and Eli Kosiba (high jump).
The Lakers dominated the men’s high jump, sweeping the top-three spots. Jaivon Harrison placed second and Jonathan Rankins-James took third to join Kosiba on the podium.
In the 3,000-meter run, Natalie Gruber finished as national runner-up behind Kiley.
At the NCAA Division II Men’s & Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships, the men’s team placed fourth while the women’s team finished eighth.
The men’s team brought home three national titles — the 200 freestyle relay, the 400 freestyle relay and the 100 freestyle.
Evan Scotto DiVetta, Esteban Nuñez Del Prado, Aaron Dies and Matthew Bosch took first place in the 200 freestyle relay and DiVetta, Dies, Bosch and Carsyn Cristoffel also won the 400 freestyle relay event.
Bosch’s remarkable weekend also included a national title in the 100 freestyle relay.
Women’s basketball
The Lakers advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Tournament, following its victory over Ashland in the Midwest Regional Championship on March 17.
Grand Valley, the tournament’s No. 1 seed, will face No. 8 seed Gannon in the Elite Eight at 6 p.m. on March 24 in Pittsburgh. It’s the Lakers’ second appearance in the national quarterfinals in four seasons.
Paige Vanstee was named the regional’s Most Outstanding Player while teammate Rylie Bisballe joined her on the All-Tournament team.
Tickets are available through the website of the site host, Duquesne University.
