Quick Hits: GVSU women’s athletics recognized

Rower earns gold at World University Games

GVSU’s Austin Gentry and his teammates won the gold medal at the World University Games in Chungju, South Korea. Gentry, a junior from Corona, California, combined with his teammates to top Ukraine and The Netherlands in the men’s eight team competition. The team is headed by University of Michigan rowing coach Gregg Hartsuff. The team finished the rest with a heat-best time of 5:37.30

GVSU women’s athletics ranked fifth-best in nation

Stack.com recently named Grand Valley State as the fifth-best college for female athletes. The Lakers finished ranked behind UCONN, UCLA, Notre Dame and Arizona to take home the fifth spot on the list. Some of the criteria used was based on NCAA championship appearances, percentage of female students participating in varsity sports and over 200,000 opinions from nearly 75,000 students. At GVSU, 1.9 percent of females are student athletes. GVSU women’s athletics were successful during the 2014-15 school year, winning two team national championships.

GVSU Swim & Dive recognized for academics

Fourteen GVSU swimming and diving student-athletes were named to the College Swimming Coaches Association of America Scholar All-America team. Lindenwood had the most student-athletes named All-American with 16, as GVSU finished second in the nation. Gianni Ferrero, Jared Gregory, Sven Kardol, Danny Abbott, Grant Borregard, Matt Stevens and Michael Hudson were honored on the men’s side by the CSCAA, while Kayla Marquardt, Taylor Wiercinski, Emily Toro, Hannah Deak, Nicole Gilbert, Olivia Schultz and Sarah Roeser earned the same plaudits on the women’s side. The men took sixth place in the NCAA Division II Championships, while the women finished 20th.

Hartigan, Shipley, Taylor compete in LPGA invitational

Three Lakers competed in the Meijer LPGA Collegiate Invitational in June. Senior Kelly Hartigan, junior Gabrielle Shipley and sophomore Alex Taylor participated in the event at Blythefield Country Club. This event was held for college women’s golfers to fill two sponsor exemption spots in the Meijer LPGA Classic. Hartigan was the top Laker finisher, shooting a 78, while Shipley shot a 79, and Taylor scored an 82. Michigan’s Cat Peters and Northwestern’s Kaitlin Park were the top two finishers in the event. Shipley was selected as the GLIAC’s Women’s Golf Athlete of the year this past season.

Former GVSU lax assistant moves to Alma

Alma College recently named former GVSU women’s lacrosse assistant coach Ashley Johnson as its head coach. Johnson spent the last three years at GVSU as a graduate assistant and helped lead the Lakers to a 41-14 overall record and a perfect 21-0 in the GLIAC during her tenure. The Scots are getting a coach who has also helped the Lakers to a No. 14 ranking in the final 2015 IWLCA Division II poll. Johnson played her collegiate lacrosse at Birmingham Southern College in Alabama where she was named an All-American as a senior. Prior to that, she was a USA Lacrosse High School All-American at Girls Preparatory School in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Gentry wins gold at World University Games

Grand Valley State junior Austin Gentry won the gold medal for men’s eight team rowing as part of the U.S team at the World University Games in Chungju, South Korea. Gentry is team captain of Grand Valley Rowing. The July 7 victory is the first time the U.S. team has won first place in this event since the World University Games began in 1923.