Holland Reporter

Grand Valley State University's track and field teams will begin their outdoor season tomorrow with the GVSU Early Meet in Allendale, Michigan. The meet will run from Friday, April 4, to Saturday, April 5, at the GVSU Lacrosse/Track and Field Complex, following the university's lacrosse game at noon. Meanwhile, ten athletes from the university will also compete on Friday in the Michigan State Spartan Invitational in East Lansing.

At the Spartan Invitational, GVSU's pole vaulters, consisting of six men and four women, are set to participate. The men will compete from 11 a.m. in Jenison Fieldhouse, with the women expected to follow at 2 p.m. from the same venue. Among the male competitors are Camryn Battjes, Wyatt Alwine, Dolan Gonzales, and Colton Emeott. Gonzales notably finished fifth at the 2025 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships with a personal-best indoor height of 5.24m. Other entrants include David Conrad and Ray Weatherington.

On the female side, Brooke Bowers leads the group after a seventh-place finish at the indoor championships. Lily Renfrew, Ava Collier, and Giuliana Serapiglia will also represent the Lakers.

The GVSU Early Meet will feature sixty-one male athletes and forty-three female athletes from Grand Valley State. The event has attracted 26 teams. Most GVSU athletes will compete on Friday, with field events starting at 2:30 p.m. and running events at 3 p.m. Highlighted events include the women's hammer throw involving Shelby Ulven and Alaina Omonode, both ranked nationally, and the women's high jump featuring Kaylee Diamond, Heidi Newhouse, and Alexis Weber.

Running events begin with prelims for the hurdles and 100m dash, followed by various distance races. The men's team is ranked highly in Division II, with standout athletes like Josh Hurt and Tayshawn Bester. The day's schedule also includes finals for sprints and middle-distance races.

On Saturday, fifteen GVSU athletes will continue the competition starting at noon. Events include discus and javelin, with notable entries like Erika Beistle in the discus, and Will Gaston in the javelin.

Those interested can access live results from Fairchild Sports Timing and watch the meet on FloTrack. Updates will be available through Grand Valley State's social media channels.