June 10, 2010

Allendale, Mich. - Grand Valley State third-year head swimming and diving coach, Andy Boyce, announced the signing of 11 student-athletes to attend and compete for Grand Valley State beginning in the fall of 2010. The Grand Valley State men's and women's swimming & diving teams are coming off their best-ever finishes at NCAA DII Championships. The Laker men turned in a fourth-place finish with 314 points, while the women finished eighth with 180 points.

Erik Aakesson (Loddekopinge, Sweden), Jason Bergsma (Grandville, Mich.), Collin DeHaan (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grandville), Leo Dumbovic (Zagreb, Croatia), Matthew Lederer (Farmington Hills, Mich./Farmington), and Ben Scheurich (Rensselaer, Ind./Central) will join the men's team, while Sarah Kosmak (Grandville, Mich./Jenison), Caitlyn Madsen (West Chicago, Ill./Community), Jenny Root (Battle Creek, Mich./Lakeview), Katie Vulpetti (East Grand Rapids, Mich.) and Ellen Wiese (Downers Grove, Ill./South) will join the women's squad.

Aakesson has competed in the Swedish National Championships and will swim breaststroke. Bergsma, who will compete in the back, fly and sprint free events for the Lakers, earned all-america, all-state and All-O.K. Red plaudits as a junior and senior at Grandville. DeHaan is a sprint freestyle swimmer that played three years of basketball prior to competing in the pool. DeHaan and Bergsma led Grandville to the Michigan High School State Championship in the 400 free relay. Dumbovic will compete in the breaststroke and IM events for the Lakers. Leo has won Croatia regional and National Championships in the 50 and 100 breaststroke and was the MVP in the national meet between Croatia and Slovenia. Lederer earned all state honors while competing in fly and sprint free events for Farmington, while Scheurich will be a sprint free performer. Scheurich earned all-conference honors and qualified for the state meet three times during his career.

Kosmak was a four-time All-O.K. and all-state performer for Jenison in the sprint free events. Madsen, who will compete in the fly, free and back events, earned all-conference and all-america honors at Community High in West Chicago. Root was a three-time all-state diver at Lakeview and placed fifth at the Division II meet as a senior, while Vulpetti, who is also a diver, placed second at the Division II meet as a senior and earned all-state honors as a junior and senior. Wiese earned all-state honors at Downers Grove South and will swim the breaststroke and IM events at Grand Valley State.

"We are extremely pleased with our recruiting class," said head coach Andy Boyce. "We are coming off our best-ever finishes at the NCAA Championships and we really feel that we filled our needs with regards to graduation," added Boyce.