Oct. 24, 2025, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – It was another banner day for Grand Rapids Community College athletics on Friday, as both the men's and women's cross country teams punched their tickets to nationals with strong performances at the MCCAA and NJCAA Region XII Championships at Goodells County Park. In total, seven Raiders set personal records — including one new school record — while the nationally-ranked GRCC volleyball team continued its dominance with a 3-0 sweep over Alpena at home.

Cross Country – Both Teams Headed to Nationals

Men's Team – 2nd in MCCAA, 3rd in Region XII

The GRCC men's cross country team turned in a clutch performance, placing second out of 15 teams in the MCCAA standings with 96 points and third out of 18 in the Region XII meet with 104 points — good enough to qualify for the NJCAA Division II National Championships in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on November 8.

Reigning national champion Lansing Community College took both titles with a near-perfect score of 15 points, while GRCC edged out Macomb Community College by just one point for the regional bronze.

Sophomore Isaac Skinner led the Raiders with a personal record time of 26:19, finishing 11th overall in both the region and MCCAA standings. Freshman Corey Jones placed 18th regionally (27:08), and freshman Brady Morrow followed close behind in 20th (27:20).

Sophomore John DiPiazza (PR 27:44) and sophomore Nate Fahey (27:45) rounded out GRCC's top five, finishing 23rd and 24th respectively. Also competing for the Raiders were Ralph White (31:02) and Sam Pugh (33:09).

Skinner and Jones earned All-MCCAA honors for finishing among the top 20 MCCAA runners.

Women's Team – 2nd in MCCAA and Region XII

The GRCC women's team matched the men's success with a runner-up finish in both the MCCAA (2nd of 14) and Region XII (2nd of 13) standings, securing another trip to nationals.

Freshman Mackenzie Baldrica delivered a historic performance, setting a new school record with a personal-best time of 18:49, finishing third overall in both the MCCAA and regional standings.

Freshman Suzannah DiPiazza (PR 20:03) and sophomore Gloria Gaston (20:11) also finished in the top 20, earning All-MCCAA honors alongside Baldrica.

Other top performances included Sophia DiPiazza (PR 20:34), Leah Williams (PR 20:59), Vivian Idziak (PR 21:06), and Binti Abdi (22:30), giving the Raiders seven total personal records on the day.

Baldrica's top-10 regional finish also earned her All-Region recognition, capping off an impressive day for the women's program.

Volleyball – #14 Raiders Sweep Alpena to Stay Perfect in Conference

Back home in Grand Rapids, the #14-ranked GRCC volleyball team kept rolling with a 3-0 (25-12, 25-6, 25-13) conference win over Alpena Community College, extending their winning streak to 15 matches and improving to 17-2 overall and 10-0 in conference play.

The Raiders were sharp across the board, hitting .378 for the match (third-best of the season) while recording 11 service aces (second-best).

Sophomore Taylor Kik led the attack with 11 kills while hitting .381, and added three aces and five digs. Christina Williams and Kaylee Kranz each tallied six kills and hit .500, while Garnet Mullet chipped in a season-high four kills (.667).

Set highlights included a .394 hitting percentage in the opening set and a dominant 15-0 run to close the second set. The Raiders cruised to victory in the third, finishing the sweep with a Taylor Kik ace.

Ava Tarsi set the tone with 17 assists, four aces, and five digs, while Vanessa Walker (7 assists, 7 digs) and Cece Huizingh (5 digs) contributed key defensive efforts. Allie McGlothlen and Zella Hutchings each added three blocks.

The Raiders return to action Saturday at home against Bay College, looking to remain undefeated in MCCAA play after sweeping the Norse earlier this season.

Up Next

Cross Country: Both GRCC teams will compete at the NJCAA Division II National Championships on November 8 in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

Volleyball: GRCC hosts Bay College on Saturday, October 25 for another MCCAA matchup. First serve will be at 1:00 PM.

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Interested in supporting GRCC Athletics?  All donations can be done through GRCC Athletic's Scholarship Fund and can specify what scholarship fund the gift is going to, such as the Hofmann scholarship. If you have any questions on how to support Athletics at Grand Rapids Community College, contact the Athletic Department via phone at (616) 234-3883 or email grccathletics@grcc.edu. Any support is appreciated and goes towards assisting our student-athlete scholarship funds.