Allendale, MI - A week after becoming the new indoor shot put record holder for Grace Christian University, freshman Aidan Gansert (Fort Wayne, IN) came back on Friday night at Grand Valley State University's "Holiday Open" and shattered his own record by almost a full meter on his first throw. Gansert's record-setting toss of 11.61m inches him even closer to the NCCAA indoor track & field qualifying standard (12.80m).  

"It was a solid night for Aidan," commented Track & Field head coach Gerry Verwey. "He still has so much to give too, once he cleans up some technique things, he'll be hitting even higher marks. Aidan knows what he needs to do to improve and is incredibly easy to coach because of that. Aidan watches video with his coaches after his throws and it's so clear how badly he wants to keep improving and how easy he is to coach. We can't wait to see what he does next."

Senior Angel Becerra (Allendale, MI) also threw on Friday at GVSU, making his debut for the season after missing last week's meet at Saginaw Valley. Becerra had a solid first night with a best toss of 8.28m. Coach Verwey added, "Becerra has some work to do on his mobility and flexibility, but I expect a great season for Angel this year when he sticks to it. It was a good first meet back for him and he's hungry this year."   

Senior Jocelyn Mann (Buchanan, MI) set a new personal best distance in the women's shot put, as well. Her toss of 6.72m was an improvement of almost a quarter of a meter and shows the improvement and confidence she is gaining in the event. 

The Tigers' entire track & field team will work on technique, strength, and conditioning throughout the upcoming winter break. They will return to competition on Saturday, January 13, also at GVSU, for the Bob Eubanks Open as they continue to reach for the NCCAA qualifying standards for the National Championship meet in February.