March 6, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Izzy Regner pitched her second one-hit shutout in as many days to give the Grand Rapids Community College softball team a 3-0 win over Lincoln Land Community College on Monday. The softball split its games on Monday on a southern tour, while the baseball team dropped two games against Tallahassee Community College, which competes in the NJCAA Division I. In the first softball team, Regner allowed a leadoff double, then got the next 20 batters out, 14 of them via a strikeout. Regner is now 2-0 on the season, with 25 strikeouts. GRCC jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second game, but Jackson College responded with five runs in the bottom of the first and won 12-4 in five innings.  Jaye Guichelaar had three hits on the day including the team’s first home run of the season. Regner had four hits and Lauren James had three hits, including two RBI doubles. The baseball team had two hits in each game, losing 4-0 and then 16-2 in five innings.  Trevin Lamin had two hits, and Aaron Bess and Tommy Reid had the other two. Colton Leatherman and Caden VanDeBerg gave up just three hits in the game one loss. Both teams will be back in action on Tuesday. This story was written by Ben Brown.

March 6, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Two Grand Valley State University professors, one current and one retired, have teamed up on a Grand Rapids Community College art exhibit showcasing their interpretations of nature. “One Wilderness, Two Paths,” featuring the work of professor Bill Hosterman and Ed Wong-Ligda, who retired from GVSU in 2015, runs through the end of March in GRCC’s Paul Collins Art Gallery, located on Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall’s fourth floor at 143 Bostwick Ave. NE. The gallery, which reopens on March 13, is available between 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; admission is free. All the pieces in the exhibit focus on nature, while highlighting the unique perspectives of the artists, both of whom are avid hikers. Hosterman, who has been a faculty member in GVSU’s Department of Visual and Media Arts since 1999, said his prints focus on relationships – land and water, nature and humanity. “Through my personal experiences and research into the habitat, landscape and human history of an area, I create images that explore how nature defines humans and they, in turn, define nature,” he said. Wong-Ligda combines what he sees on his treks with his knowledge of painting. “My landscape paintings are invented studio landscapes made by combining what I’ve seen while hiking in wilderness settings and selective 18th-, 19th-century and contemporary painting conventions to form a fictional landscape,” he said. “The titles of my paintings usually imply a specific location, but in reality, the work is almost wholly fiction.”

March 6, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Elizabeth Usadel immersed herself in art at GRCC, and that passion has sparked not one, but two careers. Start at GRCC and go anywhere. Every former student has a story to tell about how GRCC gave them the education and opportunity to be successful. She studied Visual Arts at GRCC, earning an associate degree in 2004. She then earned a bachelor’s in K-12 art education and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, both from Calvin University. She has spent the past 14 years as an art teacher, with the East Grand Rapids, Northview, Godfrey-Lee and, currently, the Grand Rapids school districts. In 2019, she began making polymer clay earrings and realized quickly that she wanted to turn this hobby into a business. She opened a store -- The Color Forest -- at 341 S. Division Ave., where she sells her jewelry and runs workshops. “I love getting to combine my love of color and making things with my teaching background,” she said. “Each workshop is like a little art party.” The Color Forest is one of the more than 30 enterprises you can find on GRCC’s list of alumni-owned businesses . “Our goal is to encourage and empower women with our bright and fun jewelry,” Usadel said. “I hope to make my business my full-time employment. I’d like to hire a small team in the next five years and eventually become a national brand.” Usadel credits GRCC with giving her skills that have helped with both her careers. “My path to starting my business was unconventional,” she said. “I am an art teacher who found a reignited passion for making things. The support I felt at GRCC helped give me the confidence to take a risk and try something new.”  Start your GRCC story today  here.

March 5, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The Grand Rapids Community College baseball and softball teams both split games Sunday in competition in Florida, part of an early season road trip against tough competition. The softball team, returning after a year without playing, opened its season with an 18-5, five-hit, five-inning loss to Mid Michigan College. But the team rebounded to beat its second opponent, 10-0 in five innings, giving Chuck White his first win as GRCC head coach. The baseball team played a doubleheader against Chipola College, which competes in NJCAA Division I, and defeated it 17-6 in the first game, and was shut-out 13-0 in the nightcap. In the softball game, Jaye Guichelaar went 2-for-3 in game one and Brynn McArthur and Lauren James each had two RBI to lead GRCC. In game two, against West Virginia Wesleyan’s junior varsity team, Izabella Regner threw a gem, not allowing any runs while giving up just one hit and striking out 11.  She also went two-for-three with two RBI.  Annika Roersma had a team-high three RBI and James finished with two RBI. The team struck out just three times. The baseball team had 14 hits in its first game, led by Joe Hoeks, Xander Reisbig and Tommy Reid, who all had three hits. Hoeks and Reisbig each had five RBI and a home run. Connor Foley picked up the win and Ethan London closed the game by pitching the final two innings. In the second game, GRCC had just two singles, by Zacarias Salinas and Andres Rivera-Calderon. Both teams will be back in action on Monday. The schedule is at www.grccraiders.com. This story was written by Ben Brown.

March 5, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College men's soccer team signed seven more players as it looks to its inaugural season this fall. The GRCC Athletic Department added soccer in response to a growing interest in the sport internationally and an increasing number of requests from potential student-athletes. With the addition of seven new players, coach Damiekco Smith has 17 players committed for the 2023 season.  Patrick Gakuru is a striker who played for Union High School. He also played for Michigan Futbol Academy, which won first place in its league and was the winners of the March Madness tournament. He is swift on his feet and very technical with the soccer ball. Jaret Jaramillo attends Kent City High School. He is a center-attacking mid known for his unselfish play and signature No. 5 jersey.  Jaramillo scored 22 goals and 10 assists during his 2022 high school season. He was voted to All-Region, All-District, and All-Conference teams during the 2022 season. He also earned All-Academic team honors. Alex Lagazo is a forward who played for Forest Hills Northern High School.  Lagazo was voted on the All-State Division 2 Team in 2022 and will bring toughness and aggression to the team. Jordan Okito attended Forest Hills Northern High School. He played forward and midfield. He earned second-team All-State honors after netting 25 goals and nine assists. He also led his team to a conference and district championship. Okito is very strong on the ball and will be able to create a lot of offense for the team. Jorge Saldanas-Veliz was a midfield player at Wyoming High School. He controlled the midfield for the Wolves for three years on the varsity team. He was a two-time captain for the Wolves and earned All-Conference and All-Conference Honorable Mention honors throughout high school.  A well-known player in the West Michigan area, Saldanas-Veliz played for several club teams over the years, including Revolution, Michigan Power, ABK, and Tricks FC. Jonathan Zamudio-Santoyo was named to All-Conference and All-District teams during his senior year, praised for his technical skills and leadership. Nathan Thomas played for Clarkston High School, a team that was ranked sixth in the nation at one point during his senior year.  He plays left and center back and center back and played soccer at a high level his entire life.  He played starting left back for Nationals Union 04 Black, starting every game in the State Cup, National League, and the Midwest Regional Championships.   This story was written by Ben Brown.

March 4, 2023, MARIANNA, Fla. - The Grand Rapids Community College baseball team opened the season with a 9-2 victory over Coastal Alabama Community College - South before losing 5-4 to Wallace Community College-Dothan in the nightcap The team kicked off a week of games against tough competition in Florida. In game one, GRCC ace and 2022 All-American Jerad Berkenpas threw a five-strikeout, zero-walk complete game. GRCC had 11 hits, led by Zacarias Salinas, who was 3-for-4 with 2 RBI, including his first home run.  Fernando Rivera-Calederon and Xander Reisbig also went yard and each had two hits. In the nightcap, GRCC led 3-1, but Wallace-Dothan used a four-run second inning to take a 5-3 lead and held on for the one-run victory. Joe Hoeks and two RBI, Trevin Lamin and Dylan Chargo had the other two RBI for the Raiders. Chargo and Hoeks had two of the team's eight hits. Kellan Smith pitched four shutout innings in relief, giving up no hits while striking out six. GRCC will play again on Sunday, facing Chipola College in a double header starting at 2 p.m. This story was reported by Ben Brown.