May 6, 2003

Allendale, Mich. - Grand Valley State won the 2003 GLIAC Championship and the team was rewarded as eight different players received postseason recognition. Included in the awards was Jennifer Mackson, who earned the GLIAC Player of the Year award for the second straight season, along with being placed on the All-GLIAC First Team. SS Kerri Jonas, 1B Sara Vroegindewey, 2B Jennifer Goldschmeding, and CF Tara Marsh also received First Team All-GLIAC plaudits. RF Rachel Blain was a member of the all-conference second team, and C Bobbi Conner and LF Erin Ballinger earned honorable mention plaudits.

Mackson has compiled a 25-2 record with a 0.65 earned run average in 36 appearances. Mackson's nine saves leads the country and is third in NCAA Division II softball history. Mackson has pitched 193.1 innings, only allowing 18 earned runs, while recording 279 strikeouts in 2003.

Jonas, the lone senior among the first-team recipients, ranks in Grand Valley's career top 10 in hits (181), triples (14), home runs (15), walks (68), and RBI (94). In 2003, Jonas is second on the squad with a .355 batting average and led the conference with 36 walks.

Vroegindewey and Goldschmeding are both part of the Lakers great junior class. Vroegindewey is hitting .343 on the year with 10 doubles, and a GLIAC leading five triples. Sara is also second on the team with 32 RBI. Goldschmeding has a batting average of .335 and leads GVSU with 36 runs, 54 hits, 14 doubles, seven home runs, and 34 RBI. Jen ranks fourth on GVSU's single season list in both doubles and home runs.

Marsh is the lone freshman representative in the postseason awards. Tara is leading GVSU with a .368 batting average in the leadoff spot, is third on the team with 26 runs, and leads the Lakers with 10 steals.

The Lakers tallied a 46-4 overall record and won the GLIAC regular season with a 17-1 mark this season. The Lakers also set a single-season winning streak with 29 (Mar. 1-Apr. 4). They enter this weekend's NCAA Great Lakes Regional tournament ranked #6 in the NFCA Top 25 poll.