UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – Grand Valley State's men's and women's track and field squads clinched their 24^th and 26^th GLIAC Indoor Championship titles this past weekend, making the women's squad the winningest program in the GLIAC and Grand Valley State history. Both teams scored 256 points through the two days. The men outscored second place opponent Saginaw Valley State by 163 points and the women outscored runner-up Wayne State by 168.
 
FINAL RESULTS
WINNERS & MORE
 
In addition to their championship titles, Grand Valley added several other honors to their repertoire. Voted on by GLIAC head coaches, Myles Rhodes and Natalie Graber were named men's and women's track athletes of the meet, Myles Kerner was named men's field athlete of the meet and Addison Washler received women's freshman track athlete of the meet honors. Both coaching staffs were named coaching staff of the year.
 
Mason Floria started the day yet again with the final three events in the men's heptathlon: 60m hurdles, pole vault and 1000m. Once the results are posted and finalized, they may be found here.
 
Field events began at 10:30 a.m. with women's and men's high jump. The women's high jump stole the show, sweeping the podium and adding a new record to Grand Valley State program history.  Kaylee Diamond won gold with a 1.80m (5-7.5) mark, setting a GVSU program record, personal record and an all-time GLIAC record. Both Alexis Weber and Heidi Newhouse recorded marks of 1.65m (5-5) to place second and third in the event.
Braden Prielipp, Andrew Kraft and Caleb Taylor competed for the men. Prielipp grabbed a podium spot, clearing 2.04m (6-8.25) for third place. Kraft placed sixth in the event with a mark of 1.99m (6-6.25). In his first high jump appearance of the year, Taylor cleared 1.94m (6-4.25), placing eighth.
 
Women's shot put was next to compete and finished with a podium sweep. For the second year in a row, Erika Beistle was named GLIAC Champion. The junior threw for 16.95m (55-7.25) to win the title. Next was Mackenzie Bohrer who threw for 14.81m (48-7). Maggie Stevenson grabbed bronze with a 13.60m (44-7.5) mark.
 
Men's and women's triple jump competed side by side; just two athletes donned royal blue uniforms. Nolyn Johnson III recorded a mark of 13.95m (45-9.25), earning bronze. Nyla Reed competed in triple jump for the first time in her collegiate career after competing in the event just once in high school. She placed eighth with a distance of 10.31m (33-9.75).
 
Myles Kerner and Andrew Berryhill were next to compete in the field events, showcasing their talents in men's shot put. The two claimed the first two podium spots with impressive marks. Kerner placed first, throwing for a personal-best 19.72m (64-8.25). Berryhill also recorded a personal-best with a distance of 17.22m (56-6).
 
Brooke Bowers closed out the field events with women's pole vault and did so with a first place finish. She cleared 4.14m (13-7) on her first attempt at the height, which went down as her best mark of the day. Bowers' height was 0.45m higher than the second-place finisher's (3.69m, 12-1.25).
 
Running events began promptly at 12:15 p.m. with the women's and men's mile. Natalie Graber, Cara Newman, Maggie O'Malley and Landyn Howell all finished in the top 10. Graber and Newman grabbed podium finishes; Graber finished first at 4:47.51 and Newman grabbed second at 4:54.00. Patrick Lyell and Báhozhóni Church finished side by side in the mile, finishing at 4:04.72 and 4:04.75. Owen Westerkamp grabbed the next spot on the podium, finishing third at 4:08.23. Futter rounded out the GVSU lineup with a seventh place 4:13.91.
 
Next were the 60m hurdles finals, which Brooke Barkocy, Destini Dorkins and Joshua Hurt qualified for the day prior. Barkocy ran a personal-best 8.69 in the 60m hurdles to place second and move up to number seven in GVSU's all-time record book. Dorkins ran an 8.83 time to place fifth overall. Hurt was named GLIAC Champion in the 60m hurdles for his 8.05 finish time.
 
The 400m finals followed with performances from Claire Neumann and Catherine Guckenberger, as well as Zach Pray, Desmond Chapa and Myles Rhodes. The women started the event strong, placing first and second in the event. Guckenberger grabbed gold with a finish time of 55.33, and Neumann placed second at 55.66. The men's 400m resulted in yet another podium sweep for Grand Valley State. Rhodes and Pray finished nearly side-by-side at 47.42 and 47.72. Chapa placed third with a time of 48.38.
 
Second to last of the finals was the 60m dash. Taylor Kyle, Jayla Graham and Melia Williams competed in the event for the women and Michael McNeil ran for the men. Kyle finished third at 7.64, just ahead of Graham who finished at 7.69. Williams finished seventh in the event with a time of 7.85. As the sole Laker in the men's finals, McNeil made sure to show out. He finished third in the event with a 6.91 time.
 
The 800m saw appearances from Addison Washler, Megan Postma and Lilly Alberts in the women's event and Scott Spaanstra and Sam Allen for the men. Washler's impressive finish at 2:10.39 granted her gold. Postma was the other Laker to grab a spot on the podium, finishing third at 2:11.58. Spaanstra and Allen were the first two to finish in the men's event. Spaanstra finished first at 1:49.72 and Allen was close behind at 1:49.98.
 
The 200m finals featured Claire Neumann, Jayla Graham, Vincent Giuliano and Michael McNeil. The women finished third and fifth respectively at 24.83 and 25.18. The men swept the top two podium spots. Giuliano recorded a season-best 21.25 time to finish first ahead of McNeil, who crossed the finish line at 21.80.
 
Grand Valley's women started off the last individual event of the day. Lauren Kiley, Maria Mitchell, Natalie Graber, Allie Arnsman and Maria Widmann all placed in the top 10 of the event, sweeping the podium in the process. Kiley finished first at 9:26.76, just ahead of Mitchell's 9:27.48 time. Graber grabbed her second podium spot of the day with her third-place finish at 9:28.75. Arnsman was the next to finish, crossing the finish line fourth at 9:35.64. Widmann rounded out the Laker lineup with a seventh-place 9:55.44 finish.
Andre Richmond and John Nice competed yet again, alongside Koby Fraaza. Fraaza finished first by nearly three seconds in the event, finishing at 8:10.66. John Nice was the next Laker to finish, crossing the finish line sixth at a personal-best 8:21.09. Richmond rounded out the lineup with an 8:26.29 ninth place finish.
 
The Laker ladies began the end of the day with the 4x400. Catherine Guckenberger ran the first leg of the 400 before passing the baton to Claire Neumann. Addison Washler completed the third leg of the event before anchor Megan Postma closed out the relay with a strong, first place finish at 3:48.75. The men also finished first overall. Zach Pray ran the first 400m and passed the baton to Vincent Giuliano. Desmond Chapa was up next, running the third 400m prior to Myles Rhodes' impressive finish at 3:13.93.
 
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The Lakers will take a short hiatus before competing at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships at the NCAA DII Championships Festival. The Championships will span from Thursday, March 13 through Saturday March 15 in Indianapolis, Indiana. An official list of GVSU athletes competing in the event will be posted in the near future.