AZUSA, Calif. - The Grand Valley State men's and women's track team top the NCAA DII qualifying list for Nationals with Allie Ludge ranked first in the 5000m and Taryn Chapko third in the 800m.  Ludge ran a personal-best time of 16:01.50 in the 5000m placing second in her heat. Chapko finished 32nd in the 800m with a personal-best time of 2:07.24. The Lakers distance squad recorded 11 personal-best times at Azusa resulting in 10 athletes moving up in the top-10 DII rankings and the distance team adding 17 qualifying marks for Nationals. 

Jessica Gockley ran behind Ludge in the 5000m finishing 10th in the heat with a personal-best time of 16:14.86. Crossing the line next to her was Klaudia O'Malley in 11th with a personal-best time of 16:14.89. Gockley and O'Malley are currently ranked fourth and fifth in the nation in the 5000m.  Ludge, O'Malley, and Chapko are also rank within the top-10 in the 1500m with Ludge leading the way at third. Ludge ran a season-best time of 4:22.95 at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, Calif. placing 48th. O'Malley finished 59th with a season-best time of 4:24.15, followed by Chapko in 73rd with a personal-best time of 4:25.65. Gockley also ran a personal-best time of 4:27.58 finishing 88th, Kayce Rympa clocked in a personal-best time of 4:30.42 placing 108th. 

For the men's team, Isaac Harding clocked in personal-best time of 3:46.21 in the men's 1500m finishing second. Tanner Chada placed 14th with a personal-best time of 3:48.47. Harding and Chada also ran personal-best times in the 5000m with Harding clocking in a time of 13:34.54, Chada clocked in at 13:37.81. Harding and Chada are ranked second and third in the 5000m, respectively. In the men's 800m, Jonathan Groendyk finished 27th with a season-best time of 1:49.53, ranking sixth in DII. 

In Walnut, Calif. at the Mt. SAC Relays, Hannah Becker placed ninth in the 3000m steeplechase with a season-best time of 10:19.04, Kayce Rypma finished 25th (10:33.97). Becker and Rypma moved up to second and fifth amongst the DII athletes. Running in the men's 10,000m, Andrew Hylen crossed the finished line with a provisional time of 29:58.96 finishing 27th. 

In Kennesaw, Ga., the Lakers throws team claimed first, second, and third in the women's discus, men's discus, and men's hammer throw events. Emma Richards led the Lakers in the women's discus finishing first with a distance of 49.18m. Elizabeth Pyles placed second (47.38) followed by Erika Beistle with a personal-best throw of 48.28m. Beistle joins Richards and Pyles in the top-10 qualifying list ranking ninth. In the men's discus, Nathan Spitzley finished first with a distance of 50.75m, Myles Kerner placed second (49.20m), and Matt Thomas placed third (48.82m). Hunter Harding recorded a distance of 59.81m in the hammer throw to finish first. Bryce Reynolds placed second with a distance of 56.89m, followed by Shane Bryne in third with a distance of 54.42m. Judith Essemiah won the women's hammer throw with a distance of 57.18m. Jenna Doyle tied for first clearing a personal-best height of 1.70m in the high jump and reaching her first national qualifying mark as a Laker. 

Sprinter Brandon Miller brought home the win in the men's 200m with a personal-best time of 20.81. Miller's time is the second-fastest time in school history. Jackson Blanchard finished second in the 400m hurdles with a time of 52.48. 

The Lakers wrap up the competitive weekend on Saturday, April 16 at the Kennesaw State Invitational.