By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
PLAINWELL—When Michael Griffey released the hammer on his second throw at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, he knew.
The former Plainwell standout watched the implement sail 69.87 meters (229 feet, 2 inches) and immediately believed it was good enough to win a national championship.
A short time later, he was proven right.
Griffey, a 2023 Plainwell graduate and redshirt sophomore at Grand Valley State University, captured the NCAA Division II national title in the men’s hammer throw with the personal-best mark.
The throw not only earned him the first national championship of his collegiate career, but also moved him to No. 11 on the NCAA Division II all-time list and No. 2 in Grand Valley history.
“In the throwing world, there are sometimes throws that, right as they’re coming off your hands, you know it’s going to be a big one,” Griffey said. “My second throw at nationals was one of them.
“I knew right as I released it that throw was going to give me a chance to win it all. Going into the meet, I figured it would take around 70 meters to win it, so seeing that 69.87 appear on the board, all I could say to myself was, ‘I’m gonna win this whole thing.’ That’s how sure I was.”
The championship performance capped a remarkable season for Griffey, who also was named the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year and the USTFCCCA Midwest Region Field Athlete of the Year.
His national title also proved valuable to Grand Valley’s team success. Griffey’s victory earned 10 points and helped the Lakers secure the NCAA Division II men’s team championship.
The winning throw came after Griffey had already accomplished one of his goals for the meet.
He opened the competition with a throw of 66.32 meters, securing a spot in the finals and guaranteeing himself six attempts.
That allowed him to compete with freedom the rest of the day.
“My goals going into the meet were to get a good first throw with no problem, punch my ticket into finals early so I can be competitive the rest of the meet,” Griffey said. “I was able to do that.
“So after that my mentality was I had five throws to absolutely go all out, give it all I had. Going into that second throw and beyond, I was just able to be so much more relaxed. It all felt effortless. I was in a flow state, if you will. It allowed me to be ultra-competitive and go for the gold.”
The title carried extra meaning considering the disappointment Griffey experienced just a few months earlier.
After placing seventh nationally in the weight throw as a freshman, Griffey entered the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships with high expectations. Instead, he missed the podium.
The result became fuel for the outdoor season.
“That was a huge motivation for me going into outdoor nationals,” Griffey said. “Indoors rocked me to my core. I pride myself on my ability to compete when it matters most. In this one instance, I wasn’t able to do that, and it killed me.
“I wasn’t going to let that happen again. But I believe in life, everything happens for a reason. I was going to use this as a learning opportunity so that next nationals would be a different story.”
That response reflects the growth Griffey believes has been the biggest factor in his rise from fourth place nationally as a freshman to national champion as a sophomore.
“I’d definitely say how much my maturity as an athlete has progressed over the past year,” he said. “I’ve become a better leader, a more confident competitor and I’ve shown more trust and faith in my abilities.
“I’m someone who can easily get into their head and think the worst when the going gets tough. I’ve been able to shift my perspective on things, become more intentional in my craft, and it’s certainly helped me become more resistant to internal distractions.”
Griffey’s path to the top of the podium began long before he arrived in Allendale.
His father, Bill Griffey, is well known throughout the area’s throwing community. A former Hopkins standout and coach, Bill also founded Next Throw, a training program that has helped develop throwers from across the region.
Michael credits his father with helping shape not only his throwing ability, but also his belief in what was possible.
“Having him in the early stages of my throwing career was a blessing,” Griffey said. “And it wasn’t just because of his role in developing me as a thrower.
“More than anything, it was his belief in me. Going from an undersized kid throwing against the best in the state to becoming one of the best in the state, through it all he was always there for me. He taught me to dream big and helped me discover a passion I never knew I had. I’m forever grateful. I absolutely wouldn’t be here without him.”
Griffey also was able to share the moment with a teammate.
Grand Valley’s Sebastian Tesch finished second nationally with a personal-best throw of 69.50 meters (228-0), giving the Lakers a 1-2 finish in the event.
According to Griffey, the two had predicted exactly that outcome before the competition even began.
“The morning before we threw, Sebastian and I said we were going to go 1-2,” Griffey said. “We wanted to speak it into existence.
“So when it became official that we got those first and second spots, nothing could have felt more perfect. I’m so proud of that man. He tore his ACL two years ago and transferred to Grand Valley to a completely different environment. His comeback was truly inspiring. I couldn’t have asked for a better teammate to share that podium with.”
For Griffey, the championship represents the culmination of years of work, perseverance and belief.
There were times when he wondered whether his goals were realistic. There were setbacks, disappointments and moments when he felt overlooked.
Still, he kept going.
“I’ve never been the biggest or strongest guy out there,” Griffey said. “I spent years in the shadows of my peers, just waiting for my time.
“There were certainly moments when all hope felt lost, when I just wasn’t good enough to reach my ambitious dreams. But I’ve always had something in my gut tell me to never give up, to keep going.
“The sophomore in high school who barely made his regional meet became the sophomore in college who became a Division II national champion.”
Through it all, Griffey has learned an invaluable lesson for sports and for life.
“Never count the little guy out, because he may just come back to surprise you,” he said.
