GVSports Monthly Magazine

The Meadows Golf Course to Host the NCAA Women’s Golf Championships May 11-14

May/June 2011

Tara Hayes

Darylann Trout

#1 Singles

#1 Doubles

Chelsea Johnston #1 Doubles

Niki Shipman #2 Singles

The GVSU Women’s Tennis Team Completed its First-Ever Undefeated Regular Season

2011 Football Schedule Western Oregon Sept. 10 at Hillsdale Sept. 17 at Indianapolis Sept. 24 Findlay Oct. 1 Tiffin Oct. 8 at Northern Michigan Oct. 15 at Lake Erie Oct. 22 Ferris State Oct. 29 Michigan Tech Nov. 5 at Northwood Nov. 12 Saginaw Valley State

Sept. 1

7:00 pm 7:00 pm 6:00 pm 7:00 pm 7:00 pm 1:00 pm 7:00 pm 7:00 pm 7:00 pm 12:00 pm 1:00 pm

SEASON TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW STARTING AT JUST $60 FOR SIX GAMES

IN thIS ISSue 5

GOLF The Meadows to host the NCAA Championships.

11

SOCCER Men’s and Women’s Golf, plus The Meadows.

and Answer 4 Question with Doug Woods

6 NEWS IN BRIEF the Spotlight 6 In with Nick McDonald 7 Sunday Driving

12

SOFTBALL Emily Holt organizes shoe and clothing drive.

10 The Green Zone PROFILES 13 PLAYER Donny Stifler & Torre Aguirre

Undefeated Regular Season

14

BASEBALL GVSU looks forward to playing in the postseason.

pg. 8

women’s tennis

15 16 SANDRA’S SNAPSHOT

Women’s Tennis records its first undefeated regular season in 2010-11.

Kyle Schwerin staff writer FREE MONTHLY MAGAZINE

Volume 2 Number 10

edItoR IN chIeF Tim Nott

eXecutIVe edItoR Doug Witte

MaNaGING edItoR Doug Lipinski

adVeRtISING dIRectoR Charlie Read

PRINteR Jenison Printing StaFF WRIteRS DJ Foster Kelsey Deacon Kyle Schwerin

•1

coNtRIbutoRS Janine Freeman Adam Ingraham Sandra Jennings Sharon Kowalczyk GV Sports Marketing GVSU Sports Information

GV Sports Monthly Magazine is a magazine that focuses on athletics at Grand Valley State University. Copies of the magazine are free to the community and located on news stands in the greater Grand Rapids area. Copies of the magazine are also distributed in Allendale by the Advance Newspaper.

GV Sports Monthly Magazine GVSU, 192 Fieldhouse

Ryan Garman threw GVSU’s seventh no-hitter on Apr. 3, 2011. The Lakers beat rival Ashland 7-0 in the game.

Photo courtesy Chris Maple

Freshman Miranda Cleary (22) celebrates after a home run against LSSU on Apr. 9, 2011. The Lakers hit a total of eight homers on the day.

Photo courtesy Doug Witte

QUESTION & ANSWER

Doug Wood s head softball coach -QWhen did you decide to pursue a head coaching position at GVSU? -AI had been the head athletic trainer since 1976 and also the Director of our Athletic Training Curriculum and I had the desire to do some coaching after many summers of coaching youth baseball and softball. In 1991, I decided to pursue other activities at GVSU and the head softball coaching position was available. The timing was right and I was supposed to be just a part-time fill-in for one year. This is now my 21st year of coaching.

-QWhat do you enjoy most about being the GVSU head softball coach?

-AI really enjoy watching the skill development of the players in our program. I also get to see their confidence and maturity levels increase during the four years they are involved with softball. Our players have also had a great deal of academic success and that is very rewarding because that will serve them well after they graduate.

-QExplain how you got where you are today.

-AI’ve always had a great interest in athletics and am very competitive by nature. In high school, I played baseball and also worked as a student athletic trainer, which led to me receiving a partial scholarship for athletic training at the University of Toledo. After graduating from Toledo, I was hired as the assistant athletic trainer there, where I worked for five years.

In 1976, I was hired as the first full-time athletic trainer at Grand Valley State. We then developed an Athletic Training Curriculum, which was approved in 1978 and was, at that time, only the second approved Athletic Training Curriculum in Michigan. After beginning my softball coaching career in 1991 on a part-time basis, I became the full-time head softball coach in 1998. At that point, I relinquished the head athletic trainer position, but I still teach within our Athletic Training Curriculum.

-QWhat is your fondest memory as GVSU’s head softball coach?

-AOur 2002 team finished as the national tournament runnerup, so that memory is right there at the top. We had a very good team, but what made that team stand out was their team spirit. They truly embodied the word ‘team’. There were no egos and everybody only cared about their teammates doing well. In this day and age, that is getting harder to find.

-QWhere do you get your passion for softball?

-AAs I mentioned earlier, I am a competitive person and I truly enjoy the strategies and skill involved in collegiate softball.

There are so many different situations that occur in any given game and you have to stay one step ahead in planning substitutions, pitching changes, and offensive and defensive strategies.

-QWhat goals did you and your team set for yourselves heading into this season?

-AFirst and foremost, our main goal is to improve on last season’s overall record and league record. We would also definitely like to return to the NCAA regional tournament. We had made the tournament eight years in a row, but did not make it either of the past two years. Qualifying for the regional tournament is definitely a goal for our team.

G V S U AT H L E T I C F U N D

YouR SuPPoRt MaKeS the dIFFeReNce to become a member of the irwin club call (616) 331-2330 or download the brochure on gvsulakers.com •4

by DJ Foster staff writer

Men’s Golf Aims for the NCAA Championships

W

henever the Grand Valley State football team makes it to the Division II National Championship game, Laker fans put the song “Sweet Home Alabama” on repeat during that week, as the title game is held in Florence, Alabama.

Hopefully, the GVSU men’s golfers are fans of Lynyrd Skynyrd and will also have the song constantly playing on their iPods, as the men’s golf national championship is being held this year in Florence.

The Division II Men’s Golf Championships will be played from May 18-21, but to qualify for nationals, the Lakers will need to play well at the NCAA Super Regional Tournament held two weeks earlier in a course they are familiar with.

On May 3-5, Grand Valley State will compete in the Midwest/South Central Super Regional at Cherry Blossom Golf Course in Georgetown, Kentucky. This tour-

nament combines the top-10 teams from both the Midwest Region and the South Central Region for a difficult 20-team field.

The top five teams from the Super Regional will advance to Alabama for the National Championships a few weeks later.

In early April when GVSU traveled to Cherry Blossom Golf Course for a regional invitational tournament, the Lakers finished 13th out of 25 teams and had a few strong performances. Junior Nick Gunthorpe tied for fifth place with a 145 (+1), as he shot 71-74. Gunthorpe was joined in the top-20 by senior Josh Burt, who scored 78-71 for a 149 (+5) and a tie for 17th place.

Grand Valley State has finished in the top-five schools at the regional tournament six times since 2000, the most recent time being in 2008 when GVSU placed third.

In the latest regional rankings before press time, the Lakers were in good

standing among their regional foes. Three placing outside the top-20 just once in eight schools from the GLVC (Great Lakes Valley tournaments. Burt, one of the team’s two senConference) lead the way, as Indianapolis iors, has recorded four top-20 finishes and an (first), Missouri-St. Louis (second), and eighth-place tally at the NKU Spring Classic Drury (third) sit atop the standings. Grand in mid-March.

Valley State is ranked fourth and is the highest-seeded team from Grand Valley State has finished in the the GLIAC (Great Lakes Intercol- top-five schools at the regional legiate Athletic Conference), tournament six times since 2000 while Wayne State and Ashland Grand Valley State has received are fifth and sixth, respectively. Traditional powers from the South Central Region like solid play from freshmen Chris Cunningham Abilene Christian, Central Oklahoma, and (seven top-25 outings) and Alex Willnow Cameron will also be stiff competition at the (three top-20 finishes) and still has the reignregional tournament. ing GLIAC Freshman of the Year in Chase Laker head coach Don Underwood Olsen. If the group can put together a strong will hope for strong performances from Gun- three days in early May at the Super Rethorpe, Burt, and a few others to advance to gional, that familiar Lynyrd Skynyrd song the national level of play. Gunthorpe has may get even more airplay in Allendale. been the team’s most consistent player this season, owning three top-10 finishes and

NCAA Tournaments at the Meadows 2011 NCAA Women’s National Championships 2007 NCAA Men’s National Championships 2006 NCAA Women’s National Championships 2002 NCAA Women’s National Championships 2001 NCAA Men’s National Championships 1998 NCAA Women’s National Championships 1996 NCAA Women’s National Championships

Women’s Golf Hopes to Make Nationals and Play on Their Home Course

I

t would seem that simply making the Division II Women’s Golf National Championships this May would be a tremendous accomplishment. The achievement would be even more special for the Laker women’s golf team when it is taken into effect that the National Championships will be held at The Meadows in Allendale from May 11-14.

I feel honored and proud to be a part of the host institution,” Mailloux explained. “I think we have a great venue and an amazing staff that has worked really hard to make this a special event for the golfers that will be competing.”

Before worrying about competing at the national level, Grand Valley State must place highly in the regional tournament to continue its season. On May 1-3 “Aside from wanting a chance to compete in Belle Vernon, Pa., GVSU will against the best in the country, qualifying for play at Cedarbrook Golf Course, nationals would be extra special if we could the home course for California compete on our home course.” -Rebecca Mailloux (PA). If the course seems familiar Led by third-year head coach Re- to the Lakers, it should - the team took home becca Mailloux, senior Allie Tyler, and junior a second-place finish at the Vulcan InvitaSarah Hoffman, the Lakers are looking to ad- tional on April 3-4, finishing two strokes out vance to nationals for the 10th time in the last of first.

Grand Valley State had four golfers 11 years and the fourth straight year in a row.

“This is my first time being a part finish in the top-15 of that tournament and its of hosting a national championship event and final round score of 322 was nine shots better

than any other team in the field. Hoffman finished third, freshman Veronica Ryan carded her best tournament at GVSU with a fourthplace tally, and Tyler tied for 10th place, giving the golfers some strong confidence heading towards their second trip to the course.

At the regional tournament, GVSU will need to finish in either first, second, or third place to advance to nationals. There is an opportunity for Laker individuals to advance if the team does not make nationals, but that is not Mailloux’s focus.

“Aside from wanting a chance to compete against the best in the country, qualifying for nationals would be extra special if we could compete on our home course,” Mailloux describred. “No one knows The Meadows better than my girls and I know they would love a chance to compete against the best in the nation right here on their own

•5

by DJ Foster staff writer

turf.”

In the latest regional rankings before press time, Grand Valley State was the second-ranked team in the Midwest Region.

Conference foe Ashland was ranked first, while Drury (third), California (PA) (fourth), Indianapolis (fifth), and Ferris State (sixth) rounded out the top half dozen teams in the region.

GVSU hosted and played in the Division II National Tournament in 2002 and 2006, finishing fifth in 2002 and fourth in 2006. A Florida school has won the national championship every year since 2000, but hopefully Michigan’s colder temperatures give the Lakers an advantage.

“The northern schools are always trying to battle the elements in the spring,” said Mailloux. “I know we’re all looking forward to bringing the southern and western schools up to our climate to compete.”

NEWS IN BRIEF Season Tickets are on Sale GVSU Football season tickets are on now on sale. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.gvsutickets.com or by calling 616-3313200. Packages start at just $60 for six games.

Single game tickets will go on sale July 1, 2011.

GLIAC Standings The Spring season has been a strong one for Laker Athletics. The baseball team is currently in first place with a 24-1 GLIAC record, 35-3 overall. Softball is in first place in the North Division with an 21-5 conference record, 35-8 overall.

Women’s Basketball Inks Recruit Grand Valley State head coach Janel Burgess has announced the signing of Daina Grazulis as the second member of the Lakers' 2011-12 recruiting class. A 6'3" post player from Marquette, Mich., Grazulis nearly averaged a double-double during her senior season and will become part of the Laker women's basketball program starting in the 2011-12 season.

Website Redesign The official website for Grand Valley State Athletics will be undergoing a redesign over the summer. Make sure you check out www.gvsulakers.com for the latest updates and to check out the new look. The redesign is expected to launch sometime in mid-June.

Murphy Sets Record for Hammer Throw Liz Murphy set a new school record for the hammer throw at the Miami (OH) Invitational on April 9th. Her throw of 200 feet and 10 inches earned her a first place finish at the meet and automatically qualifies for the NCAA Outdoor National Championships.

Laker Alerts Would you like to receive GVSports Magazine in your email box each month? Get a copy of GVSports sent directly to you by signing up for Laker Alerts. Go to www.gvsulakers.com and click on the Laker Alert icon on the main page and you’ll get a digital copy of the mag sent your email.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT How did you end up playing football at GVSU? I had a couple offers from other schools, but I sat down with the head coach from my high school and met with the coaches at Grand Valley. I really liked what they were showing me and went to visit the campus. They had a very good football program and good academics so I decided to go there.

Tell us a little about your time at Grand Valley State University?

It was good, but it definitely had its ups and downs.

Initially I had a few problems academically, but I eventually ended up getting my act together and being able to get my grades up and was able to get my degree. During my time at GVSU we won 2 national championships. I was a lot smaller when I first got to Grand Valley, but I spent a lot of time in the weight room and worked really hard to get better which has gotten me where I am today.

What has it been like being a part of the Green Bay Packers?

Its been quite amazing, and it’s been a dream come true. I grew up watching football and the super bowl at my aunt and uncles every year. When I was a kid I always had a dream of being in the NFL some day.

Green Bay is amazing, it has so much tradition, the city is great and the fans are so loyal.

Nick McDonald

Can you describe your experience leading up to From the Super Bowl Champion the Super Bowl, and how it felt to win the Super Bowl your rookie year?

After we won the NFC championship game we had a week off, it was pretty surreal and it doesn’t really hit you until you get down there. Once you get down there, there’s a bunch of media, picture taking, and hanging out. We were very busy, but the best part was spending time with the guys because we went through so much together. There were so many weeks we were banging heads and getting after each other so being able to just spend time with them was the best. I can’t really put into words how it felt to win the Super Bowl but it was an unforgettable experience. No one thought we were going to make it that far and to actually win was amazing, it still hasn’t really sank in yet, I’m sure it will once I get older and I’ll be able to appreciate it more, but it was definitely unforgettable.

Green Bay Packers

What have you been up to since winning the Super Bowl?

A few days after we got back, a few of the guys and myself volunteered to go overseas and travel to different sights and go on aircraft carriers. We went and spoke to different men over seas and got the chance to thank them for what they are doing for our country. Since I got back from over seas I’ve just been back in Michigan hanging out with family, working out, and spending time with my friends waiting around for the lock out to be over with.

How did playing for GVSU prepare you for the NFL? Being a guy coming from a DII program you have something to prove you don’t get a lot of respect. Sometimes you just have to work a lot harder to gain the respect that the other guys from DI programs have from just simply coming from DI. My o-line coach, George Barnett the last 2 years was a big help and really turned my game around. And again, being a DII guy you really have to work a lot harder and be nasty and that is really what prepared me to make the team.

What is your favorite memory of GVSU football?

My favorite memory would probably be my senior year going to the national championship game and just being there. We didn’t really know how it was going to turn out because we had lost to Hillsdale that year in a huge upset. After we won the semi final game there was a reception and I’ll never forget that. The Athletic Director came down and talked to us, they were recognizing all the seniors and there were tears in everyone’s eyes. We were realizing we weren’t going to be playing with each other for very much longer. And graduating of course was a huge accomplishment because I had been through so much academically initially, but that doesn’t really have anything to do with football.

•6

SUNDAY DRIVING

On April 17, 2011 the GVSU baseball and softball teams drove in 55 total runs over the course of two doubleheaders to tie the second highest single day mark in school history.

GVSu laKeR baSeball Game 1

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

R

H

E

GVSU Tiffin

1 0

3 0

3 3

4 2

4 0

3 0

0 0

18 5

21 9

1 4

Game 2

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

R

H

E

GVSU Tiffin

7 0

0 0

5 0

0 1

0 0

1 0

1 0

14 1

10 7

2 2 Photo provided by Chris Maple

GVSu laKeR SoFtball Game 1

1

2

3

4

5

FINDLAY GVSU

1 0

0 9

1 3

0 2

0 x

Game 2

1

2

3

4

5

6

GVSU FINDLAY

2 0

0 0

0 1

1 0

1 0

5 0

•7

6

7

7

R

H

E

2 14

8 19

2 1

R

H

E

9 1

13 5

0 3

Written by Kyle Schwerin

WOMEN’S TENNIS COMPLETES FIRST-EVER UNDEFEATED REGULAR SEASON The Grand Valley State University women’s tennis team is one of only two undefeated teams in NCAA Division II tennis, but the rankings wouldn’t show that. Despite their 300 record, the Lakers are 16th in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association national rankings.

“The top programs year in and year out have been located in the south and out west,” said head coach John Black of the national rankings.

“Most likely it will take us beating one or more of them to get more respect in the national polls. I feel we have the potential to beat top 10 ranked teams but have not played any yet this season.” The Laker tennis squad is hoping that they’ll get their chance to knock off those top programs in the national tournament slated to begin on May 1st with the regional rounds. Don’t expect the team to be too bent out of shape about the low national ranking, however.

“The women aren’t too concerned with our national ranking. They’re more focused on getting ready for our

next matches and preparing for the regional tournament,” said Black of the mentality of his team.

GVSU is currently ranked first in the Midwest region, putting the team in a position to host two rounds of matches once the national tournament begins. With the traditional powers in women’s tennis being located in other parts of the country, does the team feel like their regional opponents have prepared them for the national tournament?

“We’ve played and beaten almost every ranked in the Midwest region this season. We’ve also played several nationally ranked out of region opponents,” said Black. “There are a lot of strong teams in our region but I feel that if we play our games and avoid distractions, we have the talent to beat any team we face.”

If the Lakers were to make it through the regional rounds unscathed, a trip to Altamonte Springs, Florida awaits them as one of the final 16 teams remaining in the tournament. The team advanced to the

Seniors Chelsea Johnston and Darylann Trout won the doubles portion of the ITA Regional Tournament in the fall.

One can then look at the ITA final 16 last season before falling to California (Pa.) in a 5-0 match, the rankings, where number one singles first time the team has advanced that player, junior Tara Hayes, who went far in the national tournament. When 10-15 in dual-meet action this season, asked if the experience of advancing is ranked the 10th-best singles player deep into the tournament last season in the Midwest region, but was only has helped with this year’s success, an All-GLIAC Second-Team honBlack was sure to point out that it has oree. kept the team “The experience and success last season has given grounded in tough sit- us a lot of confidence this year. We’ve been behind uations. “The experi- a few times this year but have remained calm and ence and success last focused.” -John Black season has given us a In addition to that, senior lot of confidence this year. We’ve been behind a few times this year but Chelsea Johnston, who was 25-4 in have remained calm and focused. singles play this season at number When the pressure has been on us, three singles was an All-GLIAC Secwe’re ready because we’ve been ond-Teamer and true freshman Lexi Rice, who played mostly at number there before and are used to it.”

One would think that with the four singles and notched a 26-1 great success the Laker women’s ten- record, was only All-GLIAC Honornis team is having, there has to be able Mention.

To add to the confusion, some of the most dominating players in the country on the team. That Johnston and fellow senior Darylann wouldn’t be the case with how Black Trout, who split time between numhas put together his team, though. ber four and number five singles, “Our team is built quite a bit different paired together for the fourth consecfrom most teams. Most teams there is utive season and ended up claiming a clear-cut order to their line-up the USTA/ITA Midwest Regional where the ability of their players de- Doubles Championship on Septemcreases significantly as you move ber 19th. They are ranked the seconddown the line-up. A team might have best doubles team in the Midwest one or two very strong players, then region.

On most collegiate tennis a drop in ability to the next few players. On our team, there is almost no teams, you would usually find that difference between our top player and the number one doubles team is made up of the number one singles player our No. 11 player,” said Black.

This is clearly obvious by looking at and the number two singles player. the All-GLIAC honorees from the fall However, the Lakers have one of the season, where true freshman Niki best doubles pairings in the country Shipman, who played the number from their number three and number two spot in singles most of the year, four singles players. Johnston and was the only Laker to be honored on Trout went 28-9 this season in douthe All-GLIAC First-Team. Despite bles action, with a 9-2 mark in the undefeated record, the first regu- GLIAC play. When asked why his lar season conference title since 1973 team’s top doubles pair is so successand the first GLIAC Tournament ful, Black noted that experience and championship in school history; familiarity is the key. “Chelsea and Shipman was the only player to find Darylann have played as a doubles team since their freshman year. They herself on the first-team list.

•8

moved up from number three doubles as freshmen to number one doubles as juniors and seniors. After playing together for four years, they seem to be able to communicate without talking. They are so familiar with each other’s games and play that one will know where the other is hitting the ball before it is hit.”

This was no more evident than back in September when the pair claimed the regional doubles championship at Jenison High School. The duo defeated Wayne State’s top pair of Sharon Gill, GLIAC Player of the Year and Kristina Goranskaya, AllGLIAC First-Teamer, in an 8-3 match to claim the championship. Despite the victory, Gill/Goranskaya are still ranked above Johnston/Trout in the Midwest regional rankings. After claiming the regional title, Johnston/Trout went to Mobile, Alabama for the USTA/ITA Division II Doubles Finals and finished in seventh place, going 1-2 against three of the top doubles teams in the country.

One of the opponents that Johnston and Trout faced was Armstrong Atlantic’s duo of Muller-Wehlau and

Kritckova, ranked third in the country. If the Lakers are to make a deep run in the national tournament, Johnston and Trout will be sure to see them again, as Armstrong Atlantic is currently the number one team in the country. Over the last four years, the pair is 109-29 together in doubles action, by far the most productive duo in GVSU tennis history.

As for Hayes, the team’s number one singles player, it’s simply a game of numbers that has pushed her Tara Hayes plays the best opposing player every match at No. 1 singles. out of doubles play this season. “Tara started at number two doubles her sophomore year and season, it appears Hayes may have to went 18-11, winning a key match in be ready to jump back in to doubles the second round of regionals. This action for her senior season.

While the team might be losseason, with a strong group of freshing Johnston and Trout after this year men and transfers, she dropped down to number four doubles. Even though due to graduation, it’s not just the two she is not starting in our doubles line- seniors leading the charge for the up, she would easily start in doubles squad. The Lakers have gotten huge for almost any other team in the re- contributions from three true freshgion,” said Black. With the top dou- men. Rice is 26-1 in singles play, the bles team graduating after this best record on the team. Shipman is

•9

22-8 in singles play and Anne Marie Morin is 14-1 in singles action. On top of that, the pair of Rice and Shipman has teamed up to go 23-2 this season in number three doubles play.

“Anne Marie, Lexi and Niki all had strong high school and junior rankings. I felt that coming in they had the talent to compete with our top upperclassmen,” said Black, “All three have adjusted extremely well to college and the tennis program and are having great initial seasons.” Enough so that Rice won the “B” singles USTA/ITA Regional Championship in September.

Add that to the return of Hayes, sophomore Allison Fecko, who went 15-3 in singles this year and the return of the number two doubles team of juniors Alyssa Lucas and Katelyn Schaffer who went 25-6 together and this year’s magical run doesn’t appear to be a one-time thing.

The national tournament will begin on May 1st, with the Lakers hosting the regional rounds of the NCAA tournament as the top seed in the region.

Women’s Soccer Competes Against Top Competition to

by Kelsey Deacon staff writer Prepare for Another Title Defense

T

coach David DiIanni said. “First, we had four-to-five players sitting out the entire spring due to injuries, which put us very short on numbers to train and play. Second, our schedule was very competitive, playing some of the top-division I schools in the midwest area.”

DiIanni and his staff incorporate a tough spring season to push their student-athletes to make the team better in areas they may not see when playing division II teams. “We try our best to put together a spring schedule that will allow us to have some success, but more importantly expose the areas where we need to get better and this spring season certainly did that,” DiIanni commented.

Grand Valley State won “We try to go into the spring portion of one game, while falling in our season looking to improve and find the other five. DiIanni was still very pleased with answers.” -Dave DiIanni the play of his student“This might have been the most athletes, along with the growth and valudifficult spring season our team has had able experience the team gained.

“We did not have as much sucin the eight years I have been at Grand Valley State for two reasons,” Head cess this spring in terms of wins and he NCAA Division II reigning back-to-back national champions women’s soccer team, completed one of their toughest spring seasons. The schedule consisted of all division I institutions, including two teams from the Big Ten Conference.

The tough spring schedule consisted of six games and included NCAA Division I tournament participants Michigan and Ohio State. The Wolverines competed in the first round of the tournament, while the Buckeyes lost in the semifinals. GVSU also traveled to Toledo, Oakland and Bowling Green State, while hosting Western Michigan in the months of March and April.

loses, as we are accustom to, but we showed growth throughout and improvements both as individuals and as a team.

I was most impressed with how we played against Ohio State, who finished fourth overall in division I last season.

They were our last spring game and we played them with a small roster. Instead of our student-athletes mailing it in, they competed and played with them for the majority of the game. It is those games that make our spring season so valuable.”

Along with gaining experience, GVSU also looks at its spring schedule to find their leaders for the 2011 season and for student-athletes to step up and find their place on the team.

“We always try to go into the spring portion of our season looking to improve everyday and to find answers.

This is not only the players that have shown a great deal of success at this level, but also for the players who have yet to establish themselves with playing time at the collegiate level. I think we did just that this spring schedule” stated Di-

• 11

Ianni. “We saw some girls who used the spring to grow as players and rise amongst our team with very valuable playing time. We also look to establish a core group of leaders that will help guide our team through not only the spring, but the summer when the team is on their own with workouts. That leadership is all we have to determine that each individual player is doing the little things to be ready for camp in August.”

Grand Valley State will take their spring season to make another run for a successful 2011 campaign. DiIanni will set the same expectations to make sure the Lakers are prepared to defend their back-to-back national championships, by simply being consistent. “We try and set the same expectations for ourselves every year, which results in being very consistent with the message to our players,” DiIanni said. “Focus on the little things we do within the journey, not the end result and we will get better.”

GVSU STUDENT-ATHLETE SOFTBALL PLAYER - EMILY HOLT

ORGANIZES SHOE AND CLOTHING DONATION TO HONDURAS

by DJ Foster staff writer

W

hen college students open their closet doors and take a glance at their shoe collection, they may see five pairs of shoes - or perhaps 10 or even 20 pairs for the most novice shoe collector. Grand Valley State softball player Emily Holt recently filled up the basement of her parents’ house with her accumulation of roughly 775 pairs of shoes - almost none of which actually belonged to Holt.

The shoes were the focal point, but far from the entire donation, of a clothing drive that Holt instituted at and through GVSU after a weeklong trip to Honduras around New Year’s Eve. “I’ve always been a person that has wanted to help,” said Holt, a sophomore catcher on the Laker softball team.

“Growing up, I had a good family life, so helping other people who don’t exactly have that...it is really big for me. I liked doing donations and I’ve always wanted to help underprivileged people. ” Holt did just that and far, far more after experiencing her nine-day trip to help the people of Comayagua, a city in Honduras with a population near 60,000. Oddly enough, Holt learned of the excursion through a simple campus flyer that she was handed while walking through Kirkhof Center last September. It intrigued her

enough to the point that she investigated the idea a little further and found that not only did she want to make the trip, but she actually could go.

“It worked out perfectly because we were leaving on December 30th and we’d get back January 9th, the day before school started on the 10th,” Holt explained. “I wasn’t going to miss any school and I wasn’t going to miss any softball. So that was important to me.”

As Holt mentioned, she learned of the trip in September and by the end of December, she was in Honduras with 11 other students (eight of which were from GVSU) and being escorted by Bryan Kamstra, the group leader of the trip. Kamstra works with RP-48 (out of 48 West), which is affiliated with Ridgepoint Community Church in Holland, Mich. He has traveled to Honduras for the last 25 years, many times making four trips each year.

Despite Kamstra’s guidance and leadership and the nearly dozen other students, Holt said the first night was not easy.

“I cried that first night,” she described. “We were on a plane for something like 12 hours and the first meal we were served, I couldn’t eat. I started wondering to myself,

Holt has been able to collect shoes and clothing items from other GVSU student-athletes to donate to Honduras.

‘Why am I here?’ But it obviously worked out for the best because I just fell in love with it.”

Holt explained that one of the big problems the first night was that they weren’t able to help the residents or visit with the children, but once they were able to serve their purpose and get acclimated to the surroundings, the trip went much better.

“I was always more comfortable during the day when we were at the HIV clinic or at the children’s daycare or building the classroom we built,” Holt pointed out. “I was actually more comfortable when we were there doing what we had gone to do.”

One of the final days, Holt and her group had some clothing and less than 20 pairs of shoes that were being donated to a tiny community in Comayagua. The small town numbered roughly 300 residents, which meant that most people received little, if anything.

“We had to line the people up and try to give out clothes and we didn’t have enough. That was probably the hardest part of the entire trip for me,” explained Holt.

“I couldn’t stand to say ‘no mas’ (no more) to these people and have them not get anything.”

After returning home from the trip, Holt talked with her parents and they tried to figure out a way to help even more.

The idea of a clothing and shoe donation started with apparel from the Holt household and quickly grew to be much more.

When she realized that she could ask her softball teammates to help donate - and soon the rest of the GVSU athletic teams the idea took off.

Holt figured if she could just get one pair of shoes from every athlete on campus, they could put together a tremendous donation. The initial thought was to just donate shoes, but the various Laker teams, athletes, and community members asked if they could donate clothing as well.

Holt was not going to turn them down, despite how much it filled up her parents’

• 12

basement.

“All of the teams here donated.

The football team gave a bunch, women’s soccer kept coming to me with bags of things and the same with track and field,” said Holt. “Then it turned into accepting anything people would give. I took earrings, necklaces, socks, clothing...I’d take anything. And soon enough, we couldn’t walk through my basement. It honestly looked like a Goodwill store.”

When all was said and done, it would take multiple calculators to determine how much clothing was collected.

Holt’s best estimate is 775 pairs of shoes (475 adult shoes, 300 for children) and enough clothing and accessories that they were able to completely fill up an entire 20foot trailer with their donations.

“That was so awesome,” Holt commented, beaming with pride and joy. “I was really just so happy with the community, my friends, the Grand Valley athletes.

It was amazing to see what everybody would give.”

Although Holt was unable to go down to Honduras during spring break (the Lakers were down in Florida for the week, going 8-3 in their season-opening tournament) when Kamstra and Ridgepoint Community Church went and handed out most of the donated items, she was just happy to see everything go to good use. Since all of the donations could not be carried on the trip in March, some of the shoes and clothing went to homeless people throughout Michigan. Also, more trips back to Honduras are planned, including another one in May. In fact, Holt is already signed up to go back in December.

“The experience overall, the shoe drive and the trip, it all humbled me,” explained Holt. “I was so happy that I could have cried when we finally tallied everything up. To see how much everyone - students, adults, children - could just give and not even worry about knowing who they’re giving it to...they’re just giving because they know these people needed help. That’s just so amazing.”

PLAYER PROFILES I bleed black and blue, the winBecause I chose Division II. ning tradition, and Coach Lyon Why did you choose to And because of the coaching become a Laker? said all the right things. staff here.

My grandfather, Hank Aguirre.

Who has had the Cory Young, the coach I see alHe played Major League base- biggest impact on your most every day of the week. ball for 16 years. sports career?

Hopefully I’ll be done with Where do you see your- Hopefully I’ll be done with school. I want to be teaching school. I want to be teaching self in five years? and coaching. and coaching.

toRRe

aGuIRRe year

SENIOR

Neither, I stay away from deep Would you rather ski or I can’t do either. I weigh 290 water. wakeboard? pounds.

RV. I’m not much of an Would you rather camp An RV. outdoors kind-of-guy. in a tent or an RV? Pavel Datsyuk ... he snipes like Mark Wahlberg.

major

Troy, Mich. sport

BASEBALL

StIFFleR year

LeBron James

SOPHOMORE major

FAVORITE...

PHYSICAL EDUCATION hometown

Favorite Pro Athlete?

d o N N Y

MATH

Food Movie

Super Troopers

Webberville, Mich.

Anything Eminem or Wiz Khalifa

Song

Down with the Sickness

by Disturbed

sport

Detroit Red Wings

Sports Team

Spaghetti

Field of Dreams

• 13

Sushi

Detroit Tigers

hometown

TRACK & FIELD

Laker Baseball Gets Ready for the Postseason

by Kyle Schwerin staff writer

T

and 8, with all games at the Laker Baseball Field.

The Lakers will then head to Chillicothe, Ohio for the GLIAC Tournament May 13-15. GVSU has won six of the last seven GLIAC Baseball Tournament Championships and holds a 19-3 record in the tournament since 2003. That record includes an 18-game tournament winning streak that GVSU has won six of the last seven GLIAC spanned from 2003 to Baseball Tournament Championships and 2010. holds a 19-3 record in the tournament With a numsince 2003. ber one ranking in the NCAA Division II GVSU will finish up their Midwest Region, the Lakers are in a regular season with a six-game home- position to host the regional tournastand in early May, starting with a ment at a site to be determined. The doubleheader against Northwood on NCAA Division II Midwest Regional May 4. The Lakers then wrap up the will run from May 19 through May regular season portion of their sched- 22 with the winner advancing to the ule with a pair of doubleheaders NCAA Division II College World Seagainst Ohio Dominican on May 7 ries. The Lakers have appeared in he Grand Valley State baseball team is poised for the postseason yet again under head coach Steve Lyon’s tutelage. With one of the best starts to a season in school history, the Lakers have put themselves in position for a top seed in both the GLIAC Tournament and the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional.

each of the last nine regional tournaments, making GVSU one of only two schools to accomplish that feat. The Lakers have also played in seven of the last eight Midwest Regional Championship games.

Last season the Lakers fell one win short of a world series appearance, falling to the eventual national champion in the Midwest Regional Championship game.

Cody Grice (L) and Steve Anderson (R) look to lead High hopes the baseball team into the postseason. abound for this year’s team, with the ultimate goal being the have advanced to the NCAA DiviNCAA Division II Baseball Champi- sion II College World Series four onships to be played in Cary, N.C. times, most recently in 2009. from May 28 to June 4. The Lakers

scale.

On a

Small classes. Big thinkers. Raise your hand if you prefer personal attention. At Grand Valley, we keep class sizes small to provide students with individual instruction from the highly qualified faculty who teach all of our classes. It’s just one of the reasons U.S. News & World Report has named us one of the “Best in the Midwest” three years in a row. gvsu.edu/GRAND | (616) 331-2025

• 14

M

ne u J / ay

Who is your sports hero?

Rock climbing or mountain biking?

What is your favorite memory about GV athletics?

What is your favorite summer activity?

Who will win the NBA Championship?

Brad Wallace

Don Underwood

Niki Shipman

Maggie Kopas

Athletic Rec. & Facilities Allendale, Mich.

Men’s Golf Coach Grand Rapids, Mich.

Women’s Tennis Saline, Mich.

Softball Homewood, Ill.

Lance Armstrong. Seven in a row after beating cancer, wow.

Al Owens. That guy can play golf seven days a week.

Rock climbing. Our rock wall in the Fieldhouse is amazing!

Shoveling a foot of snow off the football field in 2009, then watching the team send us to another national championship game

Camping with my family and visiting the local Dairy Queen

Da Bulls. Duh, Winning.

Mountain Bike

Roger Federer. Because he knows how to be a champion with a good attitude.

Rock Climbing

Jonathan Toews. He’s so young but has the confidence to be captain of an NHL team.

Rock Climbing

Our first GLIAC Championship in 1999

When we won conference

Getting drug tested, again, and again ... and again.

Fishing

Laying in the sun

Going to my lake house with my family

I don’t watch basketball, but ...

Pistons?

The Bulls! Derrick Rose is unstoppable

The what?

• 15

SANDRA’S SNAPSHOT

“Don’t bother me, I’m busy.”

Sandra Jennings is an Administrative Assistant in the athletic department.

IIff you you lo love ve GVSU, yyou you’ll ou’’ll lo ou love ve the R Randy andy Katerberg Katerberg A Agency gency As a llocal As ocal agent agent ffor or F Farm arm Bureau Bureau IInsurance, nsurance, R Randy andy K Katerberg aterberg ssupports upports G Grand rand V Valley alley S State tate U University niversity community.. In fact, if you’re a member of the GVSU Alumni Association, Randy and and the GVSU community Farm Bureau Insurance will give you a discount on your auto insurance.

Protect your life, home, auto, farm, business, retirement and more… with the agent that loves West W est Michigan as much as you do. today..

Call Randy today

Randy Randy Katerberg K aterberg 32-A 44th Street S. W. W. Grandville

616-667-9250

www.KaterbergInsurance.com www .KaterbergInsurance.com

Ask A sk about our auto insurance insurance discount for GVSU A Alumni lumni Association Association members!

• 16