Nov. 14, 2008

New Orleans, La. - One week after being crowned regional champions, the Grand Valley State cross country teams received a few more awards to add to the collection. Senior Chris Hammer was named the Midwest Region Men's Athlete of the Year, while head coach Jerry Baltes was honored as the Midwest Region Men's and Women's Coach of the Year.

Hammer (Troy, Mich./Athens), who also won the GLIAC Runner of the Year by finishing first at the conference championships, took home the individual title at the Midwest Region Championships on Nov. 8. The victory by Hammer, coupled with four other top-15 finishes, helped lead the Lakers to their seventh straight regional title. In last year's NCAA Outdoor Track Championships, Hammer finished sixth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

The senior finished the 10K course in Big Rapids, Mich. last Saturday in a time of 31:52. That performance came on the heels of the GLIAC Championships, in which Hammer crossed the finish line of the 8K run in 25:00.

Baltes was honored as the regional coach of the year for both fall teams. He helped guide the Laker men's team to its seventh straight regional title and seventh consecutive GLIAC championship. On the women's side, GVSU placed seven runners in the top-10 to win the conference title for the eighth straight season. The Lakers followed that up by totaling five top-10 finishers in claiming an eighth consecutive regional championship.

In nine years at Grand Valley State, Baltes has combined to win 48 out of a possible 54 conference championships in men's and women's cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field. The women's cross country team has swept all three league championships every year from 2001-2008. On the men's side, the Lakers had a five year streak (2003-2007) in which they won all three conference titles.

Both teams head to the NCAA Division II National Championships in Slippery Rock, Pa. on Nov. 22. The women's team is ranked second in the country, while the men are ranked ninth in the nation.