ALLENDALE, Mich. – Erika Beistle and Dolan Gonzales have been named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division II National Athletes of the Week as announced by the USTFCCCA this afternoon. The honors follow their record-breaking performances at the GVSU Bill Clinger Classic.
 
This week, Beistle not only added another National Athlete of the Week honor to her collection, but also second NCAA Division II record. At Friday's GVSU Bill Clinger Classic, the redshirt senior found herself at the top of the NCAA DII all-time list with a 17.78m (58-4) shot put. The mark not only shattered the previous best and program record she posted last week (17.35m (56-11)) but also surpassed the 17.68m (58-0.25) NCAA Division II Women's Indoor Shot Put record set by West Texas A&M's Zaada Swoopes in 2022. In addition to holding the best women's indoor shot put mark NCAA DII has ever seen, the throw ranks third across all NCAA divisions and sixth in the world. 
 
Saline, Mich. native Gonzales earned the honor for the first time in his career after shattering the GVSU indoor men's pole vault record at this weekend's GVSU Bill Clinger Classic. The junior opened competition at 4.97m (16-3.5), a mark that many had few had reached. After clearing the height on his second attempt, Gonzales easily cleared 5.12m (16-9.5) and moved onto 5.22m (17-1.5). The mark was 0.75 inches shy of his personal-best, so when he cleared it on his second attempt, he knew he could conquer new heights (literally). After passing the next two heights, Gonzales attempted to break not only his personal-best, but the Grand Valley State program record, as well. On his third and final attempt at 5.35m (17-6.5), he soared over the bar, shattering GVSU's men's pole vault record (set in 2007) and became the new number one in NCAA DII.