Category: Sports

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Men’s LAX is Back (and Officially Varsity)

Just last year, Grove City College announced exciting news that the Men’s Lacrosse team would transition from a club to a varsity sport during the 2017-2018 year. Previously a volunteer assistant coach at Duke University, coach Alec Jernstedt was hired as Grove City’s head coach last spring, along with assistant coaches Zack Jew, Bill Sigmund, and Luke Toburen. The new varsity team has a roster of 25 players, including three senior captains. Those captains are Sam Calhoun, Ben Dumm, and Nate Sprunk.

Calhoun has experienced a tasking, yet exciting experience during this new season as he states, “The transition to varsity from club has been very exciting for everyone involved. Coach Jernstedt is incredibly knowledgeable and is an incredible leader. We also have many rising stars in the freshman class who will make an impact for four years here. Although we had a team before, a lot of what we do is still new and a challenge for us is creating a team culture and expectations that are sustainable over time and will allow the team to be successful in the future.”

Sprunk has had a similar experience to Calhoun, and he is also thankful for all of the College’s facilities and staff to make this varsity team happen. “Transitioning to varsity has so far been both a challenging and rewarding experience for me. It took time for me to adjust to the physical demand of having practice and workouts almost every day, but the payoff is worth it. The resources the school has provided us with have also been a huge blessing. Having a full coaching staff has helped to improve the focus and organization of our team as a whole. I am really excited for this season because it is the start of a new chapter for Grove City Lacrosse and we have the opportunity to do something really great.”

Dumm has also enjoyed the transition and feels that the team has worked hard to deserve this varsity spot. He states, “Our lacrosse team is a special group of guys.  We have a bunch of great lacrosse players, especially in the upperclassmen, that could have gone to play varsity at other places, but chose to come to Grove City and play club lacrosse because they loved the team and the mission and vision of being a Christian lacrosse team. To our whole team, but to these guys especially, going varsity is something that they deserved, and it is an incredible blessing. The transition has been difficult. We have a lot more responsibility and commitment. Whether it be for lifting, practice, or chalk talks, we are devoting more time to lacrosse than we ever have before. For those of us that love lacrosse, this has been the best part! Coach J has also been a huge addition to our team. His knowledge of the game and his energy have made practices more fun and challenging than ever. Just this week seeing Coach J game-plan for our first game, and seeing him draw up new plays and new strategies against each team has been so cool because he has a lot of knowledge. All in all, there have been so many challenges that have come with being a varsity team, but at the end of the day, the ability to play the game at a higher level is exciting and fun for all of us!”

All in all, these players have appreciated their chance to play as a varsity team and see a successful future for the Grove City College Men’s Lacrosse program. The team has high hopes for this season as they compete in the Ohio River Lacrosse Conference (ORLC), which combines the President’s Athletic Conference and the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. They will play a total of 15 in-season games, 10 of which are conference games. The schedule can be found on http://athletics.gcc.edu. Grove City College wishes the lacrosse team good luck on their inaugural varsity season!

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Student Spotlight: Anne Shirley Dassow, All-American

Anne Shirley Dassow

Class of 2020

Double Major Biology: Health and Spanish

Campus Involvement:

  • Varsity Women’s Swim team
  • Pre-Health Society
  • Vice-President of Crown and Sceptre
  • Spanish Club

How do you manage to balance academics and a varsity sport?

Honestly, the balance comes through really careful planning of how to use my time with clear and strict organization. Last year after a class I decided to not do homework on Sundays as a challenge from my Bib Rev class, so it’s been really strict on my time.

 

How was it to get to be named a multiple All-American as a freshman? Tell us about your NCAA experience?

Sophomore year of high school I swam really fast times. I was really surprised and I was really excited for how things were going in high school. Junior and senior year I went slower so I thought I peaked in high school. I didn’t expect to get faster in college at all. I was surprised when I qualified in two events for NCAAs. The NCAAs were a week long meet in Shenandoah, Texas. The Grove City team had a couple provisional qualifiers, but I was the only one invited to come to the meet. I was allowed to bring another teammate who was super supportive in a very hands-on way. I competed three days in a row, ended up getting 7th in the 100 butterfly, 6th in the 200 butterfly and 35th in the 200 backstroke. It was crazy because NCAAs were on my radar since high school and being a multiple All American hasn’t changed much in my life. I planned on swimming all four years. I didn’t expect to get faster. I loved swimming. Everything was fun last year and it turned out to be a little bit extra, but didn’t change my viewpoint on swimming. I’ll stay positive and this was just a reward for my hard work.

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Women’s Soccer: Lindsay Hutton

Lindsay Hutton

Class of 2018

Biology Major, Spanish Minor

What has been your favorite soccer team memory?

The bus rides that we take, we’ve gotten to travel to Kentucky to Massachusetts to Texas. We spend a lot of time not on the field  but in travel. It goes to show that our relationships carry out on all aspects. We were going to Thomas More which is a six hour bus ride and the sound system was broken. We spent about an hour configuring tape job to get a movie to work so we could watch a High School Musical marathon.

What would you say is unique about Grove City College’s Women’s Soccer team?

The main difference is that we play for an audience of one. We play to bring glory to God. I’ve never thought of athletics as a place of worship, but it is. That’s the main focus, and our team is growing our relationship with Christ through how we play.

What is something a prospective soccer player should know?

It will change your life. After freshman year, I debated leaving the school, but I stayed because I couldn’t think about leaving the team. Just because of the relationship and the impact they had on my life even just after one season. And it was a great decision because I’ve had some of the best four years being a part of this team.

How was the women’s soccer program different from what you thought it would be coming in as a prospective athlete?

It was different from any team I’ve been on, from day one everyone was trying to meet you and get to know not just your name, but your story and try to start to build a relationship with you. It was a definitely a super supportive and encouraging environment, it wasn’t just to start or have an important part on the team.

What has your soccer experience been like over the past four years and how did soccer affect your collegiate experience?

For me, it has given me the majority of my best friends, not to say that we don’t have other friends in sororities. But they really do become your best friends, even in the off seasons when you don’t get to see them everyday. Physically, we’ve been looking for the best for each player. We all have our own role on the team and your roles on the team change. Freshman year was definitely hard to transition, coach is very lenient in putting academics first, and the team is super willing to help you, and the teachers are very understanding when we need to miss class.

What would you tell a prospective soccer player that is debating playing soccer at Grove City College?

I would say do it! I was on the fence, I wasn’t sure I’d play college soccer. I decided last minute to try out for the team and it was great. There’s been people who didn’t make it their first year but come back because of what close a relationship we’ve had … and they want to be a part of that.

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Women’s Soccer: Megan Van Kirk

Megan Van Kirk

Biology Secondary Education

May 2018

Position: Right-wing defender

What has been your favorite women’s soccer memory?

Beating Washington and Jefferson on my birthday last November 2nd. We beat them 1-0 in regular time and they are one of our absolute rivals and are a very physical team. We’ve beat them once in the normal season and then once in the PAC semi-finals so it was a big game.

What makes Grove City’s Women’s Soccer team unique to other programs?

Our coaching staff is one. Our focus is on glorifying God and growing individually in our faith and how we can grow as soccer player and as individuals. Bringing out the best in our teammates and play the best kind of soccer that we can is very important to us as a team.

What is something a prospective soccer player should know?

It was more challenging than I thought it would be because it focuses on well-rounded individuals, not just soccer. In terms of spirituality and challenging us mentally, it was a bigger challenge than I expected it to be, but in a good way.

How was the program different from what you thought it would be coming in as a prospective student?

I think that soccer takes up a lot of time, but it is so worth it. It grew me as a student because it helped me on my time management, and gave me friends I’ve never had, and it gave me mentors with my coaches and teammates.

How was your soccer experience been like over the past four years and how did soccer affect your collegiate experience?

Spirituality it is the biggest. In the team, was have small groups that meet during the season led by upperclassmen. The first year I was an underclassman learning from the upperclassmen and in the past years, I led those and helped the younger girls. Plus, it was a lot of responsibility from my coaches. It was good learning from the girls and then pass that on to the next group behind me .

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Staying Fit on Campus: Athletic Facilities

Grove City College Athletic Facilities

A common concern for any college student is how to maintain fitness amidst a busy schedule. I have gone through various fitness phases in my time at Grove City College, and because of this I have made use of almost all of Grove City’s athletic facilities. On your tour you probably heard all of the benefits of our facilities, but are they really all that they are cracked up to be?

The Weight Room/Aerobic Room

This is actually two different rooms, but they are connected to one another and as such go together. The weight room is stocked with free weights, weight lifting platforms, cable machines, and various other free weight machines. The school is constantly updating this room with new tools for students to use – for instance, this year there were two new lifting platforms added to the room.

The aerobic room is filled with treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bicycles, recumbent bicycles, rowing machines, and machine weights. This room is also well supplied and has plenty of room to move around.

Both rooms have mats for stretching and floor exercises as well as various accessories to use in your workouts.

These rooms are both great to stay fit – they are easy to move back and forth between, as there is a door that connects them, and they are open late at night. Everyone is kind in these rooms – I have worked out with people who I had only met in passing before and people who come separately are always willing to spot one another in the weight room. As a woman, I was concerned to enter the weight room at first because it has a reputation as the male gym and the aerobic room has a reputation as the female gym – the testosterzone and the estro-gym. These reputations are absolutely false. I have never felt overwhelmingly outnumbered in the weight room and there are always several males in the aerobic room – I honestly do not know where those reputations came from, because they are not at all true.

The one con to these rooms is that their hours are limited compared to several of the other facilities on campus. They are open early in the morning for various lengths of time depending on the day, and again from 3 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. The late mornings and early afternoons are reserved for class use and faculty use. Typically I am in classes while these rooms are closed, however, so it is not usually an issue.

The Indoor Running Track

This is a gem that I did not discover until the second semester of my junior year (I think I was a bit late on the uptake, though). We have an indoor running track that is above the back half of our IM room (Intramural room, basically a big open gym for basketball, soccer, and other recreational sports). The track is smaller than a typical outdoor track, so each lane is a slightly different distance than the other lanes. Twelve laps around the outside lane is equivalent to one mile, however. The track is open all day.

This is one of my favorite places on campus – it tends to be slightly colder than the rest of the building and is a great place to walk or run. I particularly enjoy going on walks with friends on this track in the winter, when it is too cold to walk outside for recreation.

The only con that I have found with the track is that due to its short size there can be a lot of pressure on your joints if you run many laps in a row in the same direction – I definitely recommend switching directions every couple of laps if you plan on running long distances there.

The Outdoor Track and Turf Field

We have an outdoor track and turf field in our stadium on lower campus. These are great facilities during nicer weather. Students will often use the field to play frisbee or other recreational sports, and the track is a great quality, quarter mile track.

Both of these facilities have been redone in the last two years. They are open from dawn until 11 p.m. in the non-winter months.

Recreation Pool

Our recreation pool is actually the old competition pool, and is a great option for anyone who enjoys swimming. The lane lines are often in the pool, but even when they’re not people are very respectful of one another’s space. Kickboards are also available for student use in the recreation pool area. There are two life guards on duty whenever the pool is open.

This is the most limited of our athletic facilities, but it is open for several hours each day.

Dance Studio and Multi-Purpose Room

These are open rooms on the second floor of the Physical Learning Center (the PLC). They can be reserved for student use, but are often available for use on a walk in basis. They are also used for classes. These are great spaces to exercise in groups and/or to do workout videos.

IM Room

The IM Room is one of the athletic facilities that I have not used much at all, but are a great resource. My brother is a sophomore on campus and often goes to the IM Room to play pickup basketball with his friends. This room has long hours and has basketballs that students can borrow. It is also used for sports practices and IM sports.

As you can see, the athletic facilities at Grove City College are extensive and very easy to use. The surrounding area also has great places to run, and it is easy to do exercise videos on one’s own dorm room. Happy exercising!

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Women’s Swimming: Hannah Shoemaker

Hannah Shoemaker

Backstroke and IM

Class of 2018

What had been your favorite swim team memory?

No particular moment has stood out because swim team has been a collection of fun moments. Being a part of a team that really cares about each other is really awesome and the friends that I found through it. It was sophomore year between fall and spring semester and one of the girls on the team got married so a bunch of us carpooled down to Maryland. We got to go to the wedding together and we also had time to visit each others family on the way back.

What is unique about Grove City College’s swim team?

I think one of the things that makes us unique is that we realize we are a Christ-centered team. Each year, we are not only swimming to win championships , but are also swimming to glorify God and we are using the abilities He has given us to do our best.

What is something a prospective swimmer should know?

As soon as their name gets put on our potential roster list we are already thinking about them and praying for them. And by joining the team you kinda get a second family and people that care about you. And also that ability to have interactions and connects with upperclassmen that you wouldn’t normally get helps with car rides and books in the future.

How was the program different from what you thought it would be coming in as a prospective athlete?

Coming as a mechanical engineer major, the professors stress that you don’t have time for a varsity sport or anything. It was overwhelming freshman year and I wasn’t anticipating swimming, but I got a letter from the captains over the summer and it was really kind and encouraging and they were looking forward to knowing me. Knowing that people were excited for me to come to campus was really cool. Right off the bat we start of with a Chipotle trip and the team sucks you in right away. The captains’ practices were one hour in the morning and were manageable and as soon as I knew it – the season started.

What has your swimming experience been like over the past four years and how did swimming affect your collegiate experience?

Being a part of the swim team is a time commitment and you have to really commit to it and understand that. Having my friends on the team made it feel like my social time for meals and practices. So when I go back to my room, I’ve had my social time and now its work time. Definitely enhanced it, being able to have those interactions with upperclassmen has encouraged me and helped get me through my harder class and having those people that I could lean on was very important.

What would you say to someone on the edge about swimming at Grove City College?

Number one thing is to try it, don’t be afraid to try it. If you are considering it at all, give it a try.

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Diving: Sam Archibald

Sam Archibald

History Major

Class of 2018

What is your favorite diving memory?
Going to Calvin junior year, it was an adventure because the bus broke down and we explored Lowes for a couple hours. We got to dive against some really great divers, it was a lot about enjoying the experience. I made friends but I smacked on my back 1½ .5 and became the most popular kid there.

What is unique about Grove City’s diving team?
We know how to have fun. We may not be the most competitive team, but we definitely enjoy the sport and reach out to the other dive teams and get to know them. We do hot tub talks, where we have random life discussions in the middle of practice. We do diving truth of dare which involves challenging other teammates to do crazy things to build camaraderie. It’s a weird relationship because diving brings out your fears and insecurities compared to other sports, but it takes your teammates be really supportive and you have a lot of fun.

What should a prospective diver know about the program?
If they are debating trying out for the team, definitely come! It is probably different from your diving team. The team is very relaxed and even more fun. You will be busy no matter what, but at least give it a try.

How was the program different from what you thought it would be coming in as a prospective athlete?
I didn’t know what to except because I didn’t dive until college, I thought it would be likes swimming. It is a very mental sport I enjoy it more than I thought.

What has your diving experience been like over the past four years and how did diving affect your collegiate experience?
Diving has taught me from practical relationships to faith. Diving is nice because it is a structured, forced break from studying, you get that energy out, and you get to hang out with a great group of people. It has taught me that some sacrifices are definitely worth it both in time and effort. I’ve learned relationships matter and that’s what you’ll remember in 20 years.

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Inside Look: Soccer Team Bus Rides

“I’ve never been to Florida, and I’ve been to Portugal.”

You can then hear confused laughter for the next 45 seconds.

These and countless other memories seem strange to the regular college student. However, as an athlete, those memories are the foundation in which team chemistry is molded.

All while on an away team bus trip.

You can go through a preseason together, which consists of two-a-day practices, three team meals, and countless other team activities, and that creates a unique bond with each team. However, it is the away team bus trips that solidify those relationships that last further than each year’s team.

So what is it like, being on a varsity team bus on the way to a game? Here are five inside scoops, using the men’s soccer team as an example.

Team Movies

The audio visual coordinator is one of the crucial roles on the team: responsible for picking a movie to watch on especially long bus rides. His choice is to the approval or dismay of the seniors and rest of the team.

Two Truths and a Lie

A men’s soccer staple at Grove City. During one of the first trips players fill out an index card with two truths and one lie. The rest of the team is attempting to determine (obviously) which statement is a lie. Followed by this is usually stories to accompany the bold claims made.

Euchre

 

The infamous card game also makes its way onto the list. Typically coach Dreves and his assistant will team up to duel any soccer guy duo towards the front of the bus, as a way to destress before focusing on the game. Have many been successful against coach? Many have tried, and few have succeeded.

 

 

Sleep

This one is more obvious, but of course athletes need their pregame rest and relaxation before the game. Whether with pillows or sprawling out onto multiple seats, each player has a unique way of getting that last bit of energy charged up. But, with that comes…

Shenanigans

Pranks while others are sleeping, tripping teammates on their way down the aisle, and various Snapchat “snipes” (when someone takes video of a teammate dancing to music, for example). You can expect there to be some fun memories made from messing with other teammates, all in good spirit and good fun, never any form of hazing. These in particular stay with the player as a memory, myself included, as I have recalled several instances of guys messing around and enjoying a good laugh on the bus.

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All in all, athletes have their unique pregame routines. They would be remiss though if they said they had no fun whatsoever with their team on the ride to their match, and that it has stuck with them more so than even in-game memories.

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Diving: Bri Darnell

Brianna Darnell

May 2018

Psychology major w/ Biology and Spanish minors

What has been your favorite diving memory?

Most recently, it would be the Allegheny, it showed how the diving community is really an open community to be in. The divers are super nice, and it isn’t like the competitiveness gets between you and the divers, you actually get to get close when with them.

What is unique about Grove City’s diving team?

I would say that it is sort of a strange mix of people because we take walk-ons and you don’t have to have experience, you get a variety of people that are athletes in different areas and they come together to learn a new sport. It not only brings new people in the group, but new perspective into the group. New attitudes and new faces come onto the team.

What should a prospective diver know?

Never assume it’s too much of a time commitment, it’s always better to try than to count it out. You don’t wanna regret not doing something you’re passionate about in college. And even though it is a competitive sport, coming onto the team, you’re making a family and you don’t have to worry about it being cutthroat and having to reach theses standards  because you have support no matter what.

How was the diving program different from what you thought it would be coming in as a prospective student?

I thought that it was going to be a lot more stressful than what it is. I originally said I wouldn’t dive in college because it would be too much stress and too much of a time commitment,  but the time commitment has helped me balance my time more and learn not to procrastinate. The team in general and Tammy our coach has made it just a enjoyable experience that diving will always take away from the stress of school by how the team encourages you and how Tammy encourages me.

What has your diving experience been like over the past four years and how did diving affect your collegiate experience?

Diving had placed me in contact with people that  I would have not been put in contact to, even with the swim team. It has extended my friends on campus. There’s always someone that I can get a meal with or sit next to at chapel. Mentally it is been a “dumping” group, it’s where I can dump my school work and my stress and the bad things in the day and be surrounded by people that love me and encourage me and helps take my mind of things that bother me.  Spiritually, it’s been helpful to see that diving isn’t about what glory can I gain, but at this school we focus my energy on God and that He gives me the talent to do what I can do. And if I’m not focusing on God, I’m not diving to the best of my ability and when I focus on Him I’m diving to my full ability.

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Baseball Spotlight: John Bini

John Bini

Elementary Education Major

Class of 2020
Position: Pitcher

What has been your favorite baseball memory?
The trip every year in the spring to Florida. It’s a long bus ride, about 15 hours, so being able to hang out with the guys on the bus, watching movies, making jokes, and playing games. When we get down there we stay in a condo or a house. It’s a great experience to get away from school with the guys on the team.

What is unique about Grove City’s baseball team?
Our coach is unique, Coach Royer has been coaching for a long time, he coached both DI and DII. He knows a lot about baseball and to get someone with that knowledge with a Division III program is unique, and how much he wants to teach the human being not just the athlete, he focused on character, respect, and responsibility.

What should a perspective baseball player know?
It’s more important choosing the school over the sport. Choosing a solid school that’s not going to make you a better athletes but a better person overall is very important. Look into the school itself and not just the baseball team.

How was the program different from what you thought it would be coming in as a prospective athlete?
We had a coaching change freshman year, and he [Coach Royer] turned the whole program around. I thought it would be fun and not too serious and I’d be here to get a good education. We are a team that’s about getting better at the sport and putting the time in.

What has your baseball experience been like over the past four years and how did baseball affect your collegiate experience?
It is a time commitment, so with any sport you will have time you can dedicate to your friends, socially it has helped them a lot because you met different people, in your classes you’ll meet people from your same major. With baseball you have that commonality but you meet different people in different majors and with different perspectives. I’m better structured during baseball season, so I can keep my class schedule and my study schedule. It’s helped me be more responsible

What advice would you give to someone who is on the edge of playing baseball at GCC?

The most important thing for a prospective student is to not get stuck on the DIII tag that they are a joke. Come to the school, see how we play, talk to the coach. The team as a whole is really committed to baseball, everyone on the team loves baseball and loves to play, and the knowledge you get isn’t something to can get anywhere else.