INDIANAPOLIS – Grand Valley State will be well-represented at the 2016 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championships that are rapidly approaching, as a combined 40 student-athletes will be competing for the Lakers in Bradenton, Florida.
 
Representing Grand Valley State on the women's side will be 23 individual athletes and two relay teams, while 17 individuals and one relay team will compete for the Lakers in the men's events.
 
In the final USTFCCCA poll of the regular season, the Laker men rank third in Division II with 163.32 points and first in the Midwest Region with 562.16 points. For the women, they currently rank sixth nationally with 120.09 points and first regionally with 605.09 points.
 
At the 2015 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championships in Allendale, the Laker women finished in fourth with 41 team points, while the Laker men took 10th with 30 team points.
 
The complete list of GV student-athletes competing is listed below, as well as their event(s) and entry mark for the specific event.
 
Men
Ethan Barnes – 800m (1:50.01)
Bryce Bradley – 5000m (14:00.89)
Lawson Bright-Mitchell – 100m (10.48)
TJ Burnett – 400m Hurdles (51.69)
Blake Donson – Discus Throw (54.55m)
Denzel Graham – Discus Throw (56.03)
Chris May – 10000m (29:44.05), 5000m (14:05.86)
Mike Moon – Hammer Throw (61.58m)
Nate Orndorf – 10000m (29:38.89)
Zach Panning – 5000m (14:08.85)
Mike Prestigiacomo – Discus Throw (55.12m)
Chris Saikalis – Shot Put (18.43m)
Darien Thornton – Shot Put (17.12m), Hammer Throw (70.45m)
Hunter Weeks – High Jump (2.11m)
Sean Wells – 110m Hurdles (14.10)
4x400m Relay – TJ Burnett, Lawson Bright-Mitchell, Sean Wells, Thomas Capers (3:11.57)
 
Women
Dajsha Avery – Shot Put (14.54m), Discus Throw (47.46m)
Whitney Bice – Pole Vault (3.87m)
Jordan Chester – 3000m Steeplechase (10:40.69)
Amy Creutz – 1500m (4:27.61)
Amy Cymerman – 10000m (35:26.26), 5000m (16:42.78)
Alexis Duncan – Long Jump (5.90m)
Kendra Foley – 5000m (16:17.24)
Kyra Hull – Hammer Throw (56.65m)
Beatriz Indurain – 100m Hurdles (13.71)
Jessica Janecke – 10000m (35:38.12)
Kathryn Mills – High Jump (1.72m)
Krista Nauseda – Pole Vault (3.88m)
Jessica O'Connell – 400m Hurdles (1:00.53)
Gina Patterson – 1500m (4:25.74), 5000m (16:25.49)
Angela Ritter – 400m Dash (54.58), 200m Dash (23.87)
Jaime Roberts – Pole Vault (4.07m)
Skylar Schoen – Pole Vault (3.87m)
Sarah Talbott – Long Jump (6.07m)
Tiara Wiggins – 100m Hurdles (13.92)
4x100m Relay – Breanna Luba, Alexis Duncan, Beatriz Indurain, Angela Ritter (46.30)
4x400m Relay – Jessica O'Connell, Alexis Duncan, Breanna Luba, Angela Ritter (3:43.18)
 
Hosted by the University of Tampa and IMG Academy, the three-day championship meet will begin on Thursday, May 26, with the first half of the decathlon at 10:30 am. The first field event of the day will be the men's hammer throw at 12:30 pm, and the first running event will be the men's 4x100m relay preliminary.