Sean Denard has helmed the Grand Valley State University throws group and has been adjunct faculty member for the past five seasons; during this span of time nobody across all NCAA Divisions has coached more All-Americans in the throws. Denard has coached 45 All-Americans and several NCAA Champions that have also earned over 20 Academic All-American awards. His athletes have scored over 750 points at the conference championships, which have allowed the teams to win 26 team conference championships, 16 top-five team finishes at the NCAA Championships along with two NCAA Men's Program of Year award (Five second place finishes) and three NCAA Women's Program of the Year award (two second place finishes).
Despite the weight of the men's implements increasing from high school to college, on average, his top-five men’s and top-five women’s shot putters have added over seven feet to their high school bests, discus throwers gain over 20 feet, hammer throwers over 35 feet, both javelin throwers and weight throwers have added 15 feet to their personal bests. On Average his 40+ All-Americans improve over three positions past their seed at the NCAA Championships and on average throw within 98% of their lifetime best at the NCAA Championships meet. Denard has coached three different men with top-10 rankings in the world for the throwing events.
During the 2019 indoor season, Bobbie Goodwin won the NCAA Title in the Women’s Weight Throw, which led our women’s team to a NCAA Runner Up finish indoors, while Mary Hecksel finished fifth in the discus during the NCAA outdoor championships. At the conference level the men and women swept the team titles during both seasons bringing our grand total to 105 and 106 team conference championships since the year 2000 between indoor, outdoor and cross country.
In 2018, Bobbie Goodwin was named the Women’s GLIAC Field Athlete of the Year, winning the GLIAC Championship in the weight throw on the final attempt, leading our program to its 19th straight Conference Championship. Outdoors, Goodwin was named the GLIAC Women’s Field athlete of the Championship Meet, winning the GLIAC title in the discus on the way to scoring 22 points for the squad, leading our program to its 100th track and field and cross country conference title across both genders.
In 2017, Dajsha Avery swept the indoor and outdoor GLIAC titles in the women’s shot put on her way to indoor and outdoor All-American honors and leading the women’s team to its 18th straight indoor and outdoor GLIAC titles and second place team finish at both the indoor and outdoor NCAA championships. Mary Hecksel played a vital role in this as well, placing third in the women’s discus at the NCAA Championships; the women would go on to win their seventh NCAA Program of the year award in the ninth year of its existence. Justin Scavarda would also go onto compete at the USATF Junior National Championships in the boy’s shot put and discus, finishing seventh, representing the only DII program in all of the throwing disciplines.
In 2016, Darien Thornton won the NCAA title in the men’s hammer, surpassing the meet record by over two feet. He also won the indoor and outdoor GLIAC title, GLIAC indoor field athlete of the year and Mid-West Region Field Athlete of the Year honors for both the outdoor and indoor seasons, and qualified for the 2016 Olympic trials where he finished 10th.
In 2015, Laura Schroeder would win the GLIAC title in the hammer throw, while placing second at the NCAA championships, helping the women to their sixth NCAA program of the year award in the seventh year of its existence. Thornton also placed second at the NCAA championships in the men’s 35lb weight throw, helping the men’s squad to their highest finish ever as team national runner-ups during the 2015 indoor season.
In addition to his NCAA coaching experience Denard established the Laker Elite Training Group which serves as home to several of North America’s top Olympians and National Champions in the throws. Denard has spent time at both the Canadian and Olympic Training Centers and directs the GVSU Big Throws Clinic every December with his former Coach, Athlete and Olympian, Justin Rodhe, Dane Miller of Garage Strength and his hammer thrower, Sean Donnelly, the clinic also features the USATF Funded Indoor Discus and Wammer National Championships.
Information regarding the camps can be found here: www.grandvalleystatetrackcamps.com
