OXFORD, Ohio /TAMPA, Fla. – The Grand Valley State men's and women's track and field team opened their 2023 Outdoor Season in Oxford, Ohio at the Miami of Ohio Blizzard Buster on Friday, March 17^th, as well as in Tampa, Florida at the USF Bulls Invitational on March 17^th-18^th. 
 
The men's throws team dominated at the Miami of Ohio Blizzard Buster as Grand Valley State swept the men's hammer throw with all three Lakers surpassing the Division II provisional mark of 56.77m. Jacob Urban finished first on the day with a new personal-best throw of 65.76m, Shane Byrne in second with a new personal-best throw of 59.62m and Matt Thomas in third with a distance of 57.76m. Bryce Reynolds placed fifth for the Lakers with a throw of 53.80m.
 
On the women's throws team, Shelby Ulven led the Lakers in the women's hammer throw with a second-place finish throwing a new personal-best distance of 47.29m. Margaret Stevenson and Kelsi Hulit finished back-to-back in the discus, Stevenson in second with a throw of 47.03m and Hulit in third with a distance of 45.15m. 
 
On the track, Brooke Barkocy and Destini Dorkins finished in the Top 5 for Grand Valley State in the women's 100m hurdles. Barkocy placed third with a time of 14.66 and Dorkins in fifth recording a time of 15.21. Hannah Bodine finished sixth in the 800m with a time of 2:26.78, Ashtyn Gluck placed sixth in 400m hurdles crossing the line at 1:09.97.
 
For the men, Antonio Passarelli and Quinton Bauer led Grand Valley State as they claimed third place in their respective events. Passarelli finished third in the 100m with a time of 10.88 while Bauer placed third in the 800m with a time of 1:58.83.
 
At the USF Bulls Invitational in Tampa, Florida, Kassidie Stimmel finished fourth in the women's pole vault clearing a height of 4.00m and Kaylee Koch in ninth clearing 3.65m. In the men's pole vault, Colton Emeott and James Nutt tied for ninth both clearing a height of 4.75m.
 
Eli Kosiba and Jonathan Rankins-James finished back-to-back in the men's high jump taking home first (Kosiba) and second (Rankins-James). Kosiba cleared a height of 2.20m while Rankins-James cleared 2.15m. Lindsey Strutz and Jenna Doyle tied for seventh in the women's high jump, both clearing a height of 1.60m.
 
The Lakers head to the Raleigh Relays in Raleigh, North Carolina on March 23^rd-25^th and the EIU Big Blue Classic in Charleston, Illinois on March 25^th.