Division II Meet Of The Week: Grand Valley State Takes Calvin Winter Invite

Photo Courtesy: Grand Valley State University Athletics

Both the Grand Valley State University men and women won the Calvin Winter Invitational last weekend, putting up some fast times throughout the weekend to make a statement within Division II. The Lakers won the meet with 1,587 points on the women’s side and 1,999.5 points on the men’s side. Fellow Division II school and conference rival Northern Michigan ended up second on both sides by the end of the meet, finishing more than 300 points back on the women’s side with 1,208.5 points and about 200 points back on the men’s side with 1,811.5 points.

The Grand Valley State women in particular were quite strong, again cementing their position to repeat as GLIAC conference champions at the end of the year. Northern Michigan was third last year on both the men and women’s sides of the meet. The highlight of the meet for GVSU had to be a return to form of Leonie Van Noort, who is the defending NCAA champion in the 200 free and 1,650 free. The senior won the 200 free (1:47.15), 500 free (4:47.80), and 1,650 free (16:50.36). Her time in the 500 places her first in the Division by nearly five seconds, while her 200 freestyle time puts her first by about a second and a half. Both of those times are faster than what she swam at NCAA’s last year, with the 200 free time being a lifetime personal best.

Van Noort also led off the winning 400 freestyle relay with a 51.34 and anchored the winning 200 free relay with a 23.47 split. The senior also added a time trial swim in the 200 backstroke, where she posted the fifth best time so far this season with a 2:00.95. That sets the senior up incredibly well for the end of the year and again brings in the prospect of multiple individual titles at NCAA’s.

Other notable performances from the meet included:

Junior Sam Postmus (GVSU) winning the 400 IM (4:24.40), good for third in the country and two seconds off her lifetime best.

Junior Gabriel Souza (GVSU) winning the 100 butterfly (46.85), good for an A cut, fastest time in the country, and just .04 off his lifetime best.

Freshman Rachel Helm (Northern Michigan) posting the fastest time in the country in the 100 back (54.38).

Sophomore Ryan Leonard (Northern Michigan), who won the 400 IM (3:54.53) to get the fourth fastest time in the country.

Both teams will be off of competition for the rest of the semester and will return to racing after their winter training. Full results of the meet can be found here.

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