Latest news with #GrandValleyState
Chicago Tribune
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Grand Valley State recruit Noah Brandt uses social media to get seen while starring for Somonauk. ‘Really blessed.'
What has senior shortstop/pitcher Noah Brandt learned at Somonauk? Playing for a smaller high school shouldn't hurt your college recruiting, not if you have a strong social media presence. Combine that with a tough travel ball schedule playing with and against the best in the country, Brandt had no problem finding his future destination at NCAA Division II Grand Valley State. 'I was really blessed,' Brandt said. 'I had several schools come out to see me and talk to me. I ended up going down to play at USA Baseball against Ethan Holliday, played with Jack Bauer, some of those big names. 'It really did take a weight off my shoulders when I did that.' Even though he's being recruited as a catcher for college, Brandt has been starring in the infield and on the mound for the Bobcats (9-8), which beat Westminster Christian 11-6 on Monday. Prep Baseball Report ranks Brandt as the fifth-best catcher in Illinois' 2025 class. And while he knows that scouts will find great players no matter where they play in high school, he realizes his work outside of Somonauk's baseball program helped him as well. 'Definitely the big-name travel organizations like Top Tier and Rhino get your name out there and help you out,' Brandt said. 'That was a big one for me, playing travel baseball.' Somonauk coach Troy Felton confirmed the Bobcats haven't had a player reach a level above NCAA Division III in over 15 years. Perception can often become a reality at smaller schools. 'It's been a while since we've had somebody,' Felton said. 'For him to go Division II and go to Grand Valley State, it's a nice thing and a bit of a boost for the program as well. 'Guys can see that they will get recognized by coming out and playing Somonauk baseball.' Utilizing social media in a positive way gave Brandt a big boost. He took the cue from a childhood friend Michael Furmanek, a Plainfield East graduate. Furmanek, who's now pitching at Wabash Valley, influenced him about making that a priority. 'That was big for him,' Brandt said. 'I grew up with him. His dad said, 'This is something to utilize.' My dad and I started putting together video clips, so that's how I got my name out there.' While Grand Valley State is welcoming Brandt as a catcher, Felton can use him wherever he wants this season. He's taking advantage of that versatility. 'Where do you want to play him?' Felton said. 'Do you want him at shortstop? Do you want to put him on the mound? Do you want to put him behind the plate? Do you need him in the outfield? 'He's kind of a guy that you could literally put at any position and he would be successful. It's a good problem to have.' Felton also knows when Brandt is at the plate, he feels good about it. Brandt came up with the bases loaded and two outs on April 19 against Seneca and the Bobcats trailing by three runs. While the outcome didn't ultimately go Somonauk's way, Felton wanted Brandt in the batter's box. 'We talk a lot about right guy, right spot at the plate,' Felton said. 'He's the right guy to have up.' Brandt understands his life will change after this spring. Gone will be the days of playing with his childhood friends at Somonauk. It's going to become more of a job at the next level. That's not lost on him as he goes through the final stages of this season. 'It's been really fun,' Brandt said. 'It's the last year to truly have fun with your friends as opposed to being a man and going off to college and trying to possibly get drafted.' Originally Published: April 28, 2025 at 8:39 PM CDT
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Grand Valley State women secure second Division II title, 70-58 over Cal State-Dominguez Hills
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Freshman MacKenzie Bisballe scored 14 points and her sister Rylie Bisballe added 13 as Grand Valley State secured its second Division II championship with a 70-58 win over California State-Dominguez Hills on Friday night. Grand Valley State (38-2) was appearing in the title game for the second time in program history, with the 2005-06 team beating American International 58-52 to finish 33-3. It was the winningest team in program history until the current squad. Advertisement California State-Dominguez Hills (36-2), which won 29 straight games to start the season, was in the championship game for the first time in program history. Grand Valley State held a narrow 15-12 lead with 1:13 left in the first quarter before scoring 11 of the next 12 points to go ahead 26-13 midway through the second. The Toros struggled from the field in the first half, starting the game by making just 5 of 18 shots (28%). The Lakers led 38-21 at halftime and then scored the opening nine points of the third quarter, highlighted by a 3-pointer by MacKenzie Bisballe, to go ahead 47-21. Ellie Droste added 11 points for GVSU. Lexi Plitzuweit, who had four points in 18 minutes, is the daughter of Dawn Plitzuweit, the head coach on GVSU's last championship team. Dawn is now the head coach at Minnesota. Advertisement Asia Jordan led CSUDH with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Kya Pearson added 11 points. WBCA player of the year Nala Williams was held to seven points on 3-of-14 shooting. Grand Valley State turned it over 26 times — the same number CSUDH forced per game this season to rank fifth in the nation. The California State-Dominguez Hills men's team will also play for its first title on Saturday against Nova Southeastern. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women's college basketball: and
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The one elusive goal for women's wrestlers is nearly within reach
Kennedy Blades won a silver medal in freestyle wrestling at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Sage Mortimer has represented the U.S. at the world championships for the sport. They are two of the best women wrestlers in the country, but there's an achievement neither woman has: an NCAA championship. The reason? Starting in 1928, the NCAA wrestling championship was a men-only club. That will change in the spring of 2026. Next March, the NCAA will hold championships for women's wrestling in Divisions I, II and III. 'I've accomplished so many goals in my life. I even went to the Olympics, but being an NCAA champ is obviously a goal that a lot of you know athletes have growing up,' said Blades, a junior at Iowa who wrestles at 160 pounds. 'The fact that I have the opportunity to make that dream come true next year? I'm just super stoked.' For this year, the women will continue to participate at the National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships. The best of the sport will head to Coralville, Iowa, for a tournament Friday and Saturday that will decide the national champions. But next season, the women will get to participate in a tournament that should have more publicity, fans and will have the NCAA running it. The tournament will look more like the men's event, as well as the other 90 championships the NCAA runs every year. 'It's super cool to have been a part of wrestling throughout all its development. It's gone from almost no girl wrestlers in the sport when I started. It's really cool to see how far it's come, and I'm still a part of this growth, because it's grown so fast,' said Mortimer, a 110-pound. wrestler for Grand Valley State. Jake Short, the women's wrestling coach at Grand Valley State in Michigan, wrestled at Minnesota, and qualified for the NCAA championships three times. He knows what a special tournament the NCAAs are, and how it brings together the wrestling world like nothing else. 'They've heard me say it 100 times. The NCAA tournament is the greatest tournament on earth. You know you can wrestle for things that may be considered larger, world championships, things like that. But nothing compares to that feeling of having the arena packed. You know, everybody's there, everybody's wrestling,' Short said. Women wanting to wrestle is not new. United World Wrestling, the sport's international governing body, introduced women's championships in 1987. In 2004, women's wrestling was a part of the Olympic program for the first time. Despite pioneers like Tricia Saunders pushing for more opportunities, collegiate opportunities for women were rare. However, in 2017, Presbyterian College in South Carolina added the first Division I team. A total of 39 programs were wrestling across the country at this point, but the Blue Hose brought the first Division I team. By June 2020, the NCAA added women's wrestling to the Emerging Sports in Women program. In 2021, the sport saw another huge boost. Iowa added women's wrestling to its roster of sports. The Hawkeyes have 24 men's national championships, and it's a school synonymous with wrestling greatness. They hired Clarissa Chun, a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, to lead the program, and she quickly turned it into a powerhouse. Schools continued to add women's wrestling teams. Then in January, the NCAA made the announcement women's wrestling advocates had been hoping for. The sport would have an NCAA championship in 2026. Short wondered what took so long. 'I thought it was long overdue,' he said. 'I've been around wrestling my entire life, and I've been fortunate enough to be coached by phenomenal coaches. I've wrestled at one of the highest levels you can wrestle in collegiate wrestling. And I've seen how to train. The work ethic that I see on the women's side? There's no difference.' Wrestling was one of the few sports in the NCAA that didn't have a women's equivalent, but this brings women closer to equality. 'This is probably the last barrier for Iowa women's wrestling,' Blades said. 'We have pretty much everything the guys have. We have the opportunity to wrestle at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, we have the same gear as them, even train in the same wrestling room. So all we were just waiting for [was] this opportunity for NCAA to really establish women's wrestling as a sport. Now we'll be able to even compete, maybe on the same mats as them. 'This is what people who fought for women's athletes to have the same as men do. This is what they fought for.' Both Blades and Mortimer came up through youth wrestling programs that had few opportunities just for girls. They wrestled boys. In 2016, Blades became the first girl in the Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation to win a novice title. When she returned to an IKWF tournament recently, she saw girls brackets in different weight classes. Meanwhile, Mortimer's 7-year-old sister wrestled in a bracket with 15 girls at her weight class. And now, those girls can dream of winning NCAA titles. Mortimer and Blades dream of winning those titles, too, and perhaps becoming the first-ever NCAA champions in wrestling. 'I set my goals super high,' Mortimer said. 'My goals are obviously world champion-focused and Olympics- focused, but having these milestones along the way of being a national champion, it's something that's really important to me, and it's also a lot of fun to pursue these goals.' Blades hopes to add an NCAA title to her trophy case, too, though she will have only one opportunity as she will be a senior in 2025-26. 'You're only in college for so long, so that's what makes NCAA so unique in every sport,' Blades said. 'I'm just super, super grateful to all these women athletes and wrestlers that came before me. You know, they broke these barriers so we can have the opportunity to have this NCAA championship.'
Chicago Tribune
07-02-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Judge grants injunction allowing Wisconsin CB Nyzier Fourqurean to keep playing this fall
MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean was granted a preliminary injunction on Thursday that would allow him to maintain his college eligibility and continue playing for the Badgers this fall. U.S. District Judge William Conley issued his ruling two days after Fourqurean argued at a hearing that the two seasons he played at Division II program Grand Valley State shouldn't count against his college eligibility. The judge ruled the night before the Friday deadline that Fourqurean faced for opting out of consideration for the NFL draft. Fourqurean took his case to court last week after the NCAA denied Wisconsin's request for a waiver granting him another year of eligibility. Fourqurean had argued the NCAA is violating federal antitrust law by not granting him a waiver and by limiting his economic opportunities to receive name, image and likeness benefits because of his prior attendance at a Division II school. Conley wrote that he granted the injunction because Fourqurean's claim was 'likely to succeed' and that he 'would suffer irreparable injury without injunctive relief.' 'The NCAA supports all student-athletes maximizing their name, image and likeness potential, but today's ruling creates even more uncertainty and may lead to countless high school students losing opportunities to compete in college athletics,' the NCAA said in a statement responding to the ruling. 'Altering the enforcement of foundational eligibility rules — approved and supported by membership leaders — that are designed to help ensure competition is safe and fair for current and future student-athletes makes a shifting environment even more unsettled. 'The NCAA and its member schools are making changes to deliver more benefits to student-athletes, but the recent patchwork of state laws and court opinions continues to make clear that partnering with Congress is essential to provide stability for the future of all college athletes.' Fourqurean enrolled at Grand Valley State in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the season. He then played at Grand Valley State in 2021 and 2022 before transferring to Wisconsin in 2023. In the complaint he filed last week, Fourqurean noted that the death of his father in the summer of 2021 impacted his mental health and limited his offseason training. Fourqurean participated in 11 games for Grand Valley State but played only 155 snaps. Fourqurean said at Tuesday's hearing that he earned $5,000 from NIL in 2023 and $45,000 in 2024, and that he could make 'hundreds of thousands' by playing for Wisconsin in 2025, though he acknowledged he had no signed contract. He said he received no NIL benefits at Grand Valley State. Lawyers for Fourqurean released a declaration from Christopher Overton, a sports marketing consultant who said Fourqurean could make 'something north of $250,000, and maybe as high as $500,000' by playing at Wisconsin this fall. Fourqurean said he would probably be a late-round pick or undrafted free agent if he entered the draft this year. Fourqurean's lawyers also issued a declaration from Matt Mitchell, who coached Fourqurean at Grand Valley State and said the cornerback was forced into action in 2021 because of injuries to other players but wasn't 'physically ready or in a great mental head space.' 'In most normal years as a D2 head coach, he would not have played,' Mitchell said. Conley noted the NCAA's concern that granting Fourqurean relief could 'open the floodgates of litigation by encouraging every student-athlete dissatisfied with defendant's waiver denial to come to court,' he pointed out this was a narrow ruling preventing the NCAA from applying its eligibility rule 'against this plaintiff without demonstrating that his unique circumstances should not give rise to an exception.' This ruling comes less than two months after a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction enabling Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, who spent two years at a junior college, to get another year of eligibility. The NCAA is appealing the Pavia case but also issued a waiver enabling athletes who played at a non-NCAA school for more than one year to compete for one more year if they otherwise would have exhausted their eligibility in 2024-25. Fourqurean had 51 tackles and one interception last season while starting all 12 games for Wisconsin. He started five of the Badgers' last six games in 2023.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Judge grants injunction allowing Wisconsin CB Nyzier Fourqurean to keep playing this fall
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean was granted a preliminary injunction on Thursday that would allow him to maintain his college eligibility and continue playing for the Badgers this fall. U.S. District Judge William Conley issued his ruling two days after Fourqurean argued at a hearing that the two seasons he played at Division II program Grand Valley State shouldn't count against his college eligibility. The judge ruled the night before the Friday deadline that Fourqurean faced for opting out of consideration for the NFL draft. Fourqurean took his case to court last week after the NCAA denied Wisconsin's request for a waiver granting him another year of eligibility. Fourqurean had argued the NCAA is violating federal antitrust law by not granting him a waiver and by limiting his economic opportunities to receive name, image and likeness benefits because of his prior attendance at a Division II school. Conley wrote that he granted the injunction because Fourqurean's claim was 'likely to succeed' and that he "would suffer irreparable injury without injunctive relief.' 'The NCAA supports all student-athletes maximizing their name, image and likeness potential, but today's ruling creates even more uncertainty and may lead to countless high school students losing opportunities to compete in college athletics,' the NCAA said in a statement responding to the ruling. 'Altering the enforcement of foundational eligibility rules — approved and supported by membership leaders — that are designed to help ensure competition is safe and fair for current and future student-athletes makes a shifting environment even more unsettled. 'The NCAA and its member schools are making changes to deliver more benefits to student-athletes, but the recent patchwork of state laws and court opinions continues to make clear that partnering with Congress is essential to provide stability for the future of all college athletes.' Fourqurean enrolled at Grand Valley State in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the season. He then played at Grand Valley State in 2021 and 2022 before transferring to Wisconsin in 2023. In the complaint he filed last week, Fourqurean noted that the death of his father in the summer of 2021 impacted his mental health and limited his offseason training. Fourqurean participated in 11 games for Grand Valley State but played only 155 snaps. Fourqurean said at Tuesday's hearing that he earned $5,000 from NIL in 2023 and $45,000 in 2024, and that he could make 'hundreds of thousands' by playing for Wisconsin in 2025, though he acknowledged he had no signed contract. He said he received no NIL benefits at Grand Valley State. Lawyers for Fourqurean released a declaration from Christopher Overton, a sports marketing consultant who said Fourqurean could make 'something north of $250,000, and maybe as high as $500,000' by playing at Wisconsin this fall. Fourqurean said he would probably be a late-round pick or undrafted free agent if he entered the draft this year. Fourqurean's lawyers also issued a declaration from Matt Mitchell, who coached Fourqurean at Grand Valley State and said the cornerback was forced into action in 2021 because of injuries to other players but wasn't 'physically ready or in a great mental head space.' 'In most normal years as a D2 head coach, he would not have played,' Mitchell said. Conley noted the NCAA's concern that granting Fourqurean relief could 'open the floodgates of litigation by encouraging every student-athlete dissatisfied with defendant's waiver denial to come to court,' he pointed out this was a narrow ruling preventing the NCAA from applying its eligibility rule 'against this plaintiff without demonstrating that his unique circumstances should not give rise to an exception.' This ruling comes less than two months after a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction enabling Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, who spent two years at a junior college, to get another year of eligibility. The NCAA is appealing the Pavia case but also issued a waiver enabling athletes who played at a non-NCAA school for more than one year to compete for one more year if they otherwise would have exhausted their eligibility in 2024-25. Fourqurean had 51 tackles and one interception last season while starting all 12 games for Wisconsin. He started five of the Badgers' last six games in 2023. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and The Associated Press
