Quick hits: GVSU club hockey fundraising game, women’s cross-country award, swimming competition

GVSU men’s club hockey (DIII) to host fundraising event for cancer research

The Grand Valley State men’s Division III hockey team is hosting their third annual Hockey Fights Cancer Event on Saturday, Jan. 27. The team will take on Hope College at 4:30 p.m. at the Georgetown Ice Arena. 

Money will be raised through the ticket sales, T-shirts, bracelets and online fundraising with all of the proceeds going to the Van Andel Institute Cancer Research Facility. GVSU will be wearing purple jerseys and are also using the game as a senior night to celebrate the team’s seniors. 

GVSU has had a strong season so far. The team went into the winter break with a record of 23-3. They went on an impressive streak in which the team reeled off 16 wins in a row. This streak started in October and didn’t end until Dec. 16. 

The team will travel to Michigan State on Friday, Jan. 12, and then return back home to take on Michigan State on Saturday, Jan. 13, in a rival weekend series.

GVSU women’s cross-country captures USTFCCCA Program of the Year award, men finish second

The Jerry Baltes Division II Women’s Program of the Year award has come back to Grand Valley State this season for the seventh time in nine years.

The GVSU women’s cross-country team won its fifth national title in the program’s history in 2016. The track and field teams (indoor and outdoor) finished second in both Division II and the Outdoor Track and Field Championships, locking the women’s program’s first place for the Jerry Baltes award.

On the other hand, the GVSU men’s team finished second for the fourth consecutive season, earning second place at the cross-country championships and a disappointing eighth place at the indoor track and field championships.

The men’s program finished 3 points shy of winning the Program of the Year award, ending their season second to Adams State.

GVSU men’s, women’s swim and dive compete at Nova Southeastern double dual

The Grand Valley State men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams wrapped up their holiday training in a double dual dynasty at Nova Southeastern on Tuesday, Jan. 2.

The Lakers had their fair share of competition on this day. GVSU men swept Williams Jewell College in a 174-115 final score but couldn’t get passed Nova, and in the end fell to a 173-89 final score against the Sharks.

The 12th-ranked Laker women fell short 190-72 to sixth-ranked Nova Southeastern but not before dominating with a final score of 201.50-60.50 against Williams Jewell.

One could argue that GVSU swimming and diving teams put up a tough fight in the double dual, managing to have more than half the Lakers finish as one of the top five finishers.

Watch the Lakers live in action as they take on the University of Findlay in an afternoon matchup this Saturday, Jan. 13, in the GVSU Fieldhouse pool.