GLIAC Spring 2018 Commissioner's Award Recipients Announced

GLIAC Spring 2018 Commissioner's Award Recipients Announced

Click here to view previous GLIAC Commissioner's Award recipients

GLIAC – The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) announced the recipients of the Spring 2018 GLIAC Commissioner's Awards on Monday (June 18). The awards are presented after the Fall, Winter, and Spring athletic seasons to six female and six male student-athletes that excel both in the classroom and on the fields of play. All grade-point averages are based on a 4.0 scale.

The six female student-athletes recipients are: Mallory Teunissen (Davenport), Kaylie Rhynard (Grand Valley State), Meghan Datema (Grand Valley State), Teagan Shomin (Grand Valley State), Dana DiPasquale (McKendree), Karrington Seals (Wayne State)

The six male honorees are: Cody Stilwell (Ferris State), Steward Sell (Ferris State), Alex Scott (Grand Valley State), Kyle Lawson (Grand Valley State), Ian Dimitrie (Northwood), Ryan Mergener (Wayne State)


Mallory Teunissen // Davenport // Softball

Davenport University junior Mallory Teunissen (Dorr, Michigan) was named Second Team Academic All-American by CoSIDA with a 3.92 cumulative GPA in Human Resource Management. Teunissen was one of four Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) student-athletes on any of the three teams and just one of six pitchers in NCAA Division II to be named an Academic All-American. In addition, she earned a spot on the GLIAC All-Excellence Team for the spring season.

Teunissen was named to the All-GLIAC First Team, while leading the Panthers to a runner-up finish in both the regular season and conference tournament in their first season in the league. She was also selected to the NFCA First Team All-Region in the Midwest and tied for fourth in NCAA Division II with 11 shutouts.

Teunissen earned GLIAC Pitcher of the Week award three times this season, tying Allison Lipovsky of GVSU for the most of any pitcher. She etched herself into DU history by breaking or tying five individual season records during her 2018 campaign. Teunissen broke the single season record for most complete games (28), most innings pitched (213.1), most strikeouts looking (62), and tied the single season record in wins (25) and shutouts (11). She also led the GLIAC in wins, complete games, and innings pitched. 


Steward Sell // Ferris State // Tennis

Ferris State University junior Steward Sell led the Bulldogs to the program's fourth consecutive GLIAC Regular Season Championship in men's tennis this past year and the team's third-straight GLIAC Tournament title. He moved up the lineup this season and competed at both the number one singles and doubles flights for the nationally-ranked Bulldogs, compiling a 18-8 singles mark and a 17-9 doubles ledger. Sell's play helped FSU post a 21-3 overall mark, including a perfect 8-0 in the GLIAC, and reach the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Championship match. He was ranked among the country's top doubles players and earned All-GLIAC First Team honors for the second-straight year along with GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team recognition. Sell also reacehd the singles and doubles finals at the 2017 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Midwest Regional Fall Championships and was a GLIAC Athlete of the Week.

Cody Stilwell // Ferris State // Track & Field

Ferris State's Cody Stilwell garnered All-America honors for the first time in his collegiate track and field career with a fifth-place performance in the hammer throw at the 2018 D2 National Outdoor Championships in Charlotte, N.C. He became only the second FSU male performer to earn All-America honors in the past eight years and his finish was the highest by a Bulldog men's outdoor track athlete since 1990. A United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association All-American and All-Region pick, Stilwell finished third at the 2018 GLIAC Outdoor Championships. This season, he won the hammer throw and set a new school record with a performance of 62.58 meters at the Grand Valley State Al Owens Classic and also competed in the 2018 D2 National Indoor Championships in the weight throw. Stilwell was an All-GLIAC honoree in both men's indoor and outdoor track and a GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team selection. This season, he tallied eight top-three meet finishes overall.


Meghan Datema // Grand Valley State // Lacrosse

Grand Valley State's Meghan Datema was a leader both on the field and in the classroom her senior season, earning second team All-GLIAC and CoSIDA Google Cloud Academic All-America at-large honors on the year. She started all 18 games for the Lakers in 2018, scoring 48 goals with five assists for 53 points, which ranked fourth on the GVSU squad. She also caused 15 turnovers and won a team-high 82 draw controls.

A triple-major in French, Spanish and secondary education, Datema posted a 3.98 cumulative GPA for her academic career. The Rockford, Michigan native earned GLIAC All-Academic Excellence honors in each of her final three seasons.

Datema finishes her athletic career as the Lakers all-time leader in draw controls (204) and second in program history in goals (146) and free-position goals (38). She helped the Lakers to four consecutive GLIAC regular season championships and a pair of GLIAC Tournament titles as well as the team's first-ever berth in the NCAA Tournament in the 2016 season.


Kyle Lawson // Grand Valley State // Baseball

Grand Valley State senior Kyle Lawson, who has a 3.65 GPA in marketing, is a 2018 GLIAC Commissioner Award honoree after turning in an outstanding senior baseball campaign. Lawson tallied a 1.12 ERA and 10 saves in 19 appearances for the Lakers on the hill. He logged 24 innings of work, striking out 34 and posting an opponent batting average of .143. Lawson allowed six runs on the year, three of which were earned. He opened the year with 10 consecutive outings without yielding a run and did not allow an earned run in 13 consecutive outings to open the year.  

He earned National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Third-Team All-America honors, D2CAA Second-Team All-Midwest Region plaudits and First-Team All-GLIAC honors. In addition, Lawson was a American Baseball Coaches Association First-Team All-Midwest Region honoree.  Lawson was a two-time GLIAC Academic All-Excellence performer.


Kaylie Rhynard // Grand Valley State // Softball

Grand Valley State junior Kaylie Rhynard was a leader both on and off the field for the Laker softball team during their 2018 season, as she earned numerous honors for her work on the diamond and in the classroom. Splitting time behind the plate as a catcher and in the outfield as a centerfielder, Rhynard was named to both the D2CCA and NFCA All-Midwest Region First Teams and the All-GLIAC First Team.

Rhynard led the Lakers with a .407 batting average, while her 72 hits led both the team and the GLIAC conference. The junior also went 20-for-24 in stolen bases, moving her into sixth place in program history with 53 career stolen bags. She sported a .445 on-base percentage and a .514 slugging percentage, which ranked second and third on the team, respectively.

Rhynard, a Shepherd, Mich. native, is a three-time GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team honoree and currently holds a 3.77 GPA as she works toward her degree in English.


Alex Scott // Grand Valley State // Golf

Grand Valley State men's golfer Alex Scott capped off his junior campaign with a seventh-place finish at the 2018 NCAA Division II National Championship Tournament and earned a DII PING First Team All-American honor. Scott, who was selected as just one of five finalists for the Division II Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year award, was also named to the PING All-Midwest Region Team after taking home top honors at the Midwest/Central Regional Tournament.

Scott saw action in 12 tournaments throughout the season, recording 11 top-10 finishes, while taking home four individual titles with his team-best 70.70 average. For his efforts, he was named the GLIAC Men's Golfer of the Year and earned All-GLIAC First Team honors for the second time in as many years.

The Traverse City, Mich. native is a two-time GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team honoree, boasting a 3.56 cumulative GPA, as he is working towards his degree in Supply Chain Management.


Teagan Shomin // Grand Valley State // Softball

Grand Valley State senior softball player Teagan Shomin put together one of her most impressive season's in a Laker uniform after earning honors for both her play on the diamond and work in the classroom. The Grand Rapids, Mich. native pulled in First Team All-Midwest Region honors from both the NFCA and D2CCA, while also being named to the All-GLIAC First Team as well.

As the Lakers everyday third baseman, Shomin led the team and ranked second in the conference with a .520 on-base percentage, drawing a team-high 20 walks and 20-hit by pitches, while ranking second on the squad with a .404 average and 63 hits. She also led the Lakers with 49 runs scored, 13 doubles, and 21 multi-hit games. Against conference competition however, Shomin led the league in batting average (.472), on-base percentage (.589), and hit by pitches (12).

A three-time GLIAC All-Academic Excellence honoree, Shomin also earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors following the season, graduating with a 3.64 GPA and earning a degree in Athletic Training. 


Dana DiPasquale // McKendree // Lacrosse

Dana DiPasquale wrapped up her four-year playing career as the most prolific scorer in the brief history of the McKendree women's lacrosse program. In four years, DiPasquale collected 298 points, becoming the Bearcats' all-time scoring leader during her senior yeaer in 2018. She is also McKendree's career assist leader with 151, and she led the program in assists all four years of wearing the Purple and White.

As a senior, DiPasquale led the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in scoring with 102 points, becoming the first player in program history with more than 100 points in a single season. She scored 57 goals to go along with 45 assists. DiPasquale ranked among the top 20 in NCAA Division II in both assists and points while helping the Bearcats reach their second straight GLIAC Tournament championship contest. She earned first-team All-GLIAC honors in each of her final two seasons at McKendree and was named the conference's Attacker of the Year in 2018.


Ian Dimitrie // Northwood // Baseball

Ian Dimitrie turned in his second-straight big year for Northwood on the mound, ending the year with a 10-3 record. He is just the second pitcher in school history to win 10 game in a season, joining Tyler Jandron from last year. Dimitrie ended the season leading the GLIAC in wins while standing fifth in strikeouts (81), second in innings pitches (88 2/3) and sixth in ERA (4.26). He finished with 20 career wins for Northwood, good for second in school history.

Dimitrie is a big part of the best stretch of baseball in Northwood history, as the Timberwolves have won two straight GLIAC and GLIAC Tournament Championships. Over the last two years, the team won 84 games - the previous best two-year stretch in program history was 55 games.

A three-time GLIAC All-Academic Excellence honoree, Dimitrie recently graduated from Northwood with a degree in Entertainment, Sport Promotion & Management with a 3.58 GPA. He also earned First Team Academic All-Region from CoSIDA.


Ryan Mergener // Wayne State // Baseball

Mergener concluded his collegiate career with a 3.79 cumulative grade-point average in Biological Sciences.  The three-time GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team selection, he was named to the WSU Athletic Director's Honor Roll (term GPA 3.5+) all eight semesters, including one 4.00 term.  Mergener was the recipient of the fourth annual Troy Berry Award, which is presented annually to the GLIAC baseball player who best combines outstanding character and leadership on the field, in the classroom and in the community.
 
He also excelled on the diamond.  Mergener batted .307 in league play in 2018, while starting all 27 conference games.  He finished fifth in the GLIAC with 18 walks, and fourth in stolen bases with eight.  Mergener was fourth on the squad in on-base percentage (.423) and fifth in both slugging percentage (.384) and RBI (24).
 
During his Warrior career, Mergener started 150 career games (18th in school history) and batted .293 in 502 career at bats (21st).  He is tied-for-15th in program history with 113 runs scored and totaled 40 career doubles (ninth in school history), five triples and 10 home runs, while driving in 85 runs.  Mergener recorded 87 walks (fifth in school history) and 23 stolen bases (19th in program history).  He finished 19th in school history with 165 games played.

Karrington Seals // Wayne State // Track & Field

Seals, who recently earned All-America honors by placing sixth in the 100m hurdles at the NCAA Championships, will graduate in August with a 3.65 cumulative grade-point average in Biological Sciences Honors.
 
She was a six-time athletic All-American earning three such honors in the 60m hurdles placing fifth in 2017 (8.56), eighth in 2016 (8.70) and 10th in 2018 (8.55).  Seals was also a three-time Outdoor Track and Field All-American in the 100m hurdles having finished sixth in 2018 (13.59), 10th in 2016 (13.87) and 12th in 2017 (13.86).  She finished fourth among all competitors with 19 points at the 2018 league meet after winning the 100m hurdles for the second time in her career, placing second in the long jump with a personal-best, and running the lead-off leg of the fifth-place 4x100m relay. 
 
A 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-American and a 2018 CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree, Seals was named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll (term GPA 3.5+) seven times, including one 4.00 term, and the Coach's Honor Roll (term GPA 3.0-3.49) once.  WSU's nominee for the 2017-18 Coach John Wooden Citizenship Cup, Seals was a six-time GLIAC All-Academic Excellence recipient (three each for Indoor Track and Field, and Outdoor Track and Field).