Hall of Fame
?Ben Hirdes will go down as one of the top pole vaulters in Grand Valley State history. Hirdes concluded his career as the record holder in both the outdoor (17’0.25) and indoor (16’8.50) vaults. He dominated at the GLIAC Championships, scoring 31.5 points at the indoor championships and 24.0 points at the outdoor championships. A five-time All-American at the NCAA Championships, Hirdes recorded a podium finish every year he competed for the Lakers. Ben turned in one of the greatest outdoor campaigns in GVSU history when he captured first-place finishes at three of the premier outdoor meets in the country that included participants from all divisions in 2003. He won the Bill Sawyer Invitational at Arizona State with a vault of 16’6.0, the Florida State Snowbird Invitational (16’7.0) and the Miami (Florida) Invitational with a then school-record clearing height of 17’00.75.
