GVSU club sports weekend recap

Autumn Burin

Men’s Rugby Team

The GVSU men’s rugby team has two more stunning victories under their belts.

The club managed to defeat Eastern Michigan University and Ferris State University, 76-0 and 75-0.
The team still awaits stiffer competition down the road.

With the crisp early fall air came the strength and determination of the team’s less experienced, but
no less motivated, newer recruits.

Experienced player Dave Giese had nothing but praise for the newbie’s skills.

“Our rookies played great and are learning very quickly,” he said. “The other teams were very
unstructured so it was important to us to stay structured and keep a cool head.”

Women’s Rugby

The GVSU women’s rugby team faced Eastern Illinois University last Saturday and came away with a
solid victory.

With the final score 25-11, the Lakers stood their ground through a shaky start and kept the hope
alive throughout the match.

“[The game] kind of started off a little hectic,” explained Kristin Barzart. “They scored a free kick at the
beginning of the game, causing them to have the lead. But rather than that letting us bring us down
we didn’t let the kick effect how we played we just adjusted in played as a team.”

GVSU was able to recover and was able to make a quick turn around from the slow start, which
allowed them to secure the victory.

Running Club

The GVSU group of runners took third in the opening National Intercollegiate Running Club
Association (NIRCA) Invitational.

Just as the past two years, the club managed to secure a third place spot.

“The course was challenging but the last two years set the tone for what we expected to achieve,” said
Angel Garmon.

With competition such as the University of Michigan and Michigan State University running clubs, the
competition was present, but so was a friendly, enjoyable atmosphere.

“We came in like a wrecking ball,” said new club member Joshua Wehr after completing his first NIRCA
race.

Men’s Hockey (Division III)

There may not be snow on the ground yet, but the GVSU Division III men’s hockey team was tearing up
ice this weekend.

The trip to Kankakee Illinois was worth the travel, as GVSU secured 5-2 and 15-2 wins against Purdue
University.

This strong start for the team has left them with hopeful ambitions for this season’s future
competition.

“We had a great weekend,” said senior Nate Dykstra “(We) swept the Boilermakers with two wins.
Today was a chippy game and everyone was contributing.”

Recognizing how important team unity is to success, Dykstra hopes the team will only improve their
communication on the ice and bond through future success and grow stronger through unsuccessful
games.