May 29, 2011
Final Results
Turlock, Calif. - The Grand Valley State women's outdoor track and field team captured the school's first ever Division II National Championship on Saturday (May 28) by winning the 2011 Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Turlock, Calif. In doing so, GVSU became the first NCAA women's program in history (Division I, II, or III) to win the cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field national championships in the same academic year. The Lakers' point total of 82.5 points was 14.5 better than second-place Lincoln.
On Saturday's final day of competition on the campus of Cal State Stanislaus, Grand Valley State scored points in seven events, improving on its comfortable lead from Friday, when the Lakers were ahead of Central Missouri, 47.5 to 24. GVSU cleaned up in the 1500 meter run, taking home second, third, and fourth place, while also earning a third-place finish (800 meter run), a fourth-place tally (4x400 meter relay), and a fifth-place mark (discus throw).
The Lakers' overall team score of 82.5 points gave them the team title over Lincoln, who placed second with 68 points. Adams State finished third with 51 points, while Johnson C. Smith (36) and UC-San Diego (35) rounded out the top five schools.
"I am really proud of our student-athletes, our coaches, and our entire program," said GVSU head coach Jerry Baltes. "This was a total team effort today and a battle with the weather. It was raining, windy, and cold, but our student-athletes stayed focused all the way through the final day."
On Dec. 4 in Louisville, the Laker cross country team captured the national championship, as all five GVSU runners placed in the top-30 and a pair of student-athletes finished in the top-10. The Lakers finished 29 points ahead of second-place Western State. The Grand Valley State women then won its second national championship of the academic year on Mar. 12 in Albuquerque, N.M., as three Lakers won individual national titles. GVSU won the competition by 32 points, again over second-place Lincoln. That set the stage for this weekend's result, with Grand Valley State claiming a wire-to-wire victory by leading after all three days of the meet.
"To win one championship in a year is simply amazing," Baltes explained. "To be the first Division II program to ever win all three and one of a select few NCAA programs at any level is incredible. It is truly a tribute to all the hard work that our coaches and student-athletes have put in over the course of the year and their careers. As the head coach, I am proud and thankful for everyone who has helped us reach our goals!"
GVSU was fantastic in the 1500 meter run, as three of its four runners finished in the top-four of the event. Junior Monica Kinney placed second with a time of 4:29.96, giving the Lakers eight points. She was followed closely by senior Katherine McCarthy, whose time of 4:30.03 was good for a third-place mark and six more points. Senior Eileen Creutz notched a fourth-place finish for five points with a time of 4:30.06 to give the Lakers the second, third, and fourth finishers in the event. Freshman Madie Rodts was 11th at 4:37.61.
The Lakers had just one runner in the 800 meter run, but junior Chanelle Caldwell put together a strong run and placed third in the race. Caldwell's time of 2:15.29 gave GVSU six more points towards the team total.
Caldwell then teamed up with the 4x400 meter relay squad for another great performance. The team of Caldwell, seniors Adrienne Chandler and Kayla Vallar, and sophomore Aileen Lemanski placed eighth in the prelims, qualifying with the last spot (out of eight teams) for the finals on Saturday night. But the foursome crossed the finish line fourth on Saturday with a time of 3:45.29, giving the Lakers five points.
"Winning this national championship is a true blessing," Vallar described. "All of the accomplishments made today were not from having the strongest, fastest, or tallest athletes, but by those with the biggest hearts and most powerful minds. As my last championship, it was one of the most memorable moments of my life."
Grand Valley State had a pair of sophomores compete in the discus throw, with Jamie Smith racking up a fifth-place tally. Smith's throw of 145-5 feet (44.33m) was fifth-best on the day and earned the Lakers four points. Classmate Sam Lockhart, who finished third in the shot put on Friday night, placed 12th in the discus with a throw of 130-9 (39.86m).
In the 5000 meter run, Creutz picked up a point with an eighth-place finish, as she crossed the line in 16:48.05. Junior Julia Nowak was 12th with a time of 16:55.86, while Kinney finished 15th at 17:02.54.
The Lakers also earned points on Thursday night with Liz Murphy's national championship in the hammer throw (10 points) and Alyssa Zokoe's fifth-place finish in the same event (four points). On Friday, GVSU won another individual national championship with Lauren Buresh's shot put throw for 10 points. But Grand Valley State also scored eight points from Kristen Hixson in the pole vault, six points from Lockhart in the shot put, 4.5 points from Jocelyn Kuksa's pole vault effort, three points from Rebecca Winchester and two points from Karie McDonald, both in the 3000 meter steeplechase.
"Winning a triple threat," said Vallar, "has so much to say about the athletes, coaches, staff, and parents of GVSU who have pushed us to this great achievement and the many to come."
