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BAY CITY, Mich. — The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) announces the recipients of the Winter 2013 Meijer Commissioner’s Awards. The awards, sponsored by Meijer, Incorporated, 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 to receive the Winter 2013 Meijer Commissioner’s Awards are:  Kari Daugherty of Ashland University; Anna Rudd of Ferris State University; Kristen Hixon of Grand Valley State University; Sam Hoyt of Michigan Technological University, and Kayla Scott of Wayne State University, and Maura Donahue of the University of Indianapolis.
    The six male student-athletes to receive the Winter 2013 Meijer Commissioner’s Awards are: Tyler Remmel of Ashland University; Brad Piehl of the University of Findlay; Derek Billing of Lake Superior University; Alex Culy of Michigan Technological University; Nathan Hesche of Wayne State University, and  Daniel Chan of the University of Indianapolis.
    “It is with great pleasure that I offer congratulations on behalf of the GLIAC to our 12 award winners,” stated GLIAC Commissioner Dell Robinson. “The accomplishments of the 12 student-athletes is a shining example of the future leaders and individuals who serve as change agents on our campuses. I would like thank Meijer for their continued support that allows the GLIAC to honor our top student-athletes.”

    The following are biographies of the Winter 2013 GLIAC Commissioner’s Awards recipients:
    
     Ashland University senior Kari Daugherty, (Fresno, Ohio/Dayton) led the AU women’s basketball team to the national championship in 2012-13. She played at Ashland for two years and led the Eagles to the national title game both years. As a senior, Daugherty averaged 22.3 ppg., and 13.7 rpg. She is a two-time Basketball Bulletin player of the year, WBCA player of the year, Midwest Region player of the year and GLIAC player of the year. Daugherty was named the Most Outstanding Player at this year’s Elite Eight. She was named a Capital One First Team Academic All-America and the 2012-13 Capital One Academic All-America of the year. Daugherty is a middle childhood education major with a 3.97 grade point average.
    Ferris State University junior standout Anna Rudd (Leslie, Mich.) etched her name in the record books this season as she claimed the NCAA Division II Championship in the women’s 5,000 meters during the national indoor meet held at the Birmingham (Ala.) CrossPlex March 7-9. She became only the second-ever women’s track and field individual national champion in school history by winning the indoor 5,000 at the national meet. In addition to winning the 5,000 meters at the indoor championships, she also finished as the runner-up in the 3,000 meters while claiming USTFCCCA Division II All-America honors in both events. For her efforts, Rudd was named to the USTFCCCA All-Midwest Region Team in three events (mile, 3,000 and 5,000) and also honored as this year’s recipient of the USTFCCCA Midwest Region Women’s Track Athlete of the Year honor for her accomplishments during the indoor campaign. By virtue of her national title effort, Rudd joined former FSU long jumper Amy Woodman as the only women’s NCAA national track and field champions in school history.  Her personal-best winning time of 16:28.18 narrowly eclipsed the previous school record held by 11-time All-American Tina Muir. Her 18 total points from the two events in the meet enabled the Bulldogs to place 14th overall nationally in the team race at indoor nationals. This indoor season, she led the Bulldogs as she claimed two individual event titles at the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Indoor Championships held in Allendale (Feb. 23-24) en route to being tabbed as both the Women’s Track Athlete of the Meet along with being voted as the league’s nominee for the regional track athlete of the year honor.  Rudd ran a meet-record 16:42.95 over 5000 meters at the league indoor meet and also won a title at 3000 (9:37.06) meters.
   A six-time USTFCCA All-American, GVSU junior Kristen Hixson (Remus, Mich./Chippewa Hills) is a two-time NCAA Division II Champion. Earlier this year, she set a new school outdoor pole vault record (4.25m) at the GVSU Second to Last Chance Meet and did not finish lower than third in the pole vault during the outdoor season. Hixson is the Grand Valley State all-time record holder in both outdoor (4.25m) and indoor (4.25m) meets, as well as one of the highest women’s vaulters in Division II history. Owner of a 3.96 grade point average as a finance major, she has won a pair of GLIAC individual championships to go along with her national titles in the 2012 indoor and outdoor seasons.
    Michigan Tech senior women’s basketball player Samantha Hoyt (Arkansaw, Wis./Durand) earned Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Division II All-America Honorable Mention and Capital One CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team accolades. The Arkansaw, Wis., native averaged 16.6 points and earned All-GLIAC First Team, All-GLIAC Defensive Team and All-GLIAC All-Tournament Team accolades this season. She ranks in the top-10 in nine different categories in school history including seventh in career scoring (1,434 points) and first in single game scoring (37 points). She owns a 3.94 cumulative grade point average in mathematics.
     Wayne State University junior swimmer Kayla Scott (Rochester, Mich./Adams) was part of the Division II champion 200 medley relay, the second place 200 free relay, and the fifth place 400 medley relay last March.  Individually, she finished second in the 100 breaststroke and placed ninth in the 200 breaststroke while helping WSU to its fifth straight top-two finish at the NCAA Championship.  At the 2013 GLIAC Championships, she was part of the champion 200 medley relay and won the 200 individual medley.  In addition, Scott won the 100 breaststroke for the second straight year, finished fifth in the 200 breaststroke and led off the third-place 400 free relay assisting WSU to its fourth consecutive league championship.  Through three years of her collegiate career, Scott is a 12-time All-American and five-time national champion (200 medley relay twice, 400 medley relay, 200 free relay and 100 breaststroke), while also being a two-time GLIAC All-Academic Excellence team selection.  She was voted to the CoSIDA Academic All-District At-Large First Team earlier this month and has been above a 3.00 term gpa all six semesters, including four terms above a 3.5 term gpa.
    University of Indianapolis senior Maura Donahue (Milan, Mich./Milan) was the 2013 GLIAC champion in the 200 free, 1,000 free, 400 free relay and 800 free relay to lead the Greyhounds to second place finish at the GLIAC Championships, their best finish since 2005.  She went on to earn a pair of All-America honors at the 2013 NCAA Championships by taking sixth in the 400 free relay and seventh in the 200 free relay to finish her career with 23 All-America honors (17 first team, six honorable mention).  A 2012 Capital One Academic All-America At-Large First Team honoree and 2011 second team Academic All-American, Donahue is one of the most decorated swimmers in GLIAC history with 13 individual championships.  She was the 2011 and 2012 GLIAC Swimmer of the Year and 2010 GLIAC Freshman of the Year.  A six-time Counsilman Hunsaker National Swimmer of the Week, she holds the UIndy school  record in the 100 free, 200 free, 500 free, 1,000 free, 400 medley relay, 200 free relay, 400 free relay and 800 free relay.  Donahue graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a 3.66 grade point average.    
    Ashland University senior Tyler Remmel, (Hubertus, Wis./Hertford Union) ended his swimming career at AU as a 10-time All-America. He competed in the 100 breaststroke at the 2012 United States Olympic Trials. In 2011-12, Remmel was named a Capital One Second Team All-America. Remmel was a starter for the Eagles for four seasons. In 2012, he was 11th in the 200 breaststroke at nationals. Remmel is a Journalism/English major with a minor in sports communication. He owns a 3.84 grade point average.
    University of Findlay senior Brad Piehl (New Knoxville, Ohio/New Knoxville) held a 3.86 grade point average in early childhood education and was named the 2013 GLIAC Tournament MVP after leading the Oilers to their second consecutive title.  Piehl has been named to the All-GLIAC Academic Excellence Team twice during his tenure with the Oilers and posted averages of 11.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game during his senior campaign.  The New Knoxville, Ohio native also shot 88.3 percent from the free throw line, the fourth best mark in the conference.
   Michigan Tech junior men’s basketball player Alex Culy (Rice Lake, Wis.) was named to the GLIAC All-Defensive Team for the second straight season and helped the Huskies to the semifinals of the NCAA Midwest Regional. The Rice Lake, Wis., native averaged 6.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per game and ranked fifth in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.5). Culy earned Capital One CoSIDA Academic All-Region Honors and graduated with a 3.85 cumulative grade point average in chemical engineering.
    Lake Superior State University junior guard Derek Billing (Anna, Ohio/Anna) has held a 3.58 gpa, and is majoring in Exercise Science. Billing earned All-GLIAC Second Team Honors and was named to the Capitol One Academic All-District IV Team after leading the Lake Superior State men’s basketball team to 16-13 record and appearance in the 2013 GLIAC Tournament finals. Billing led the charge as the Lakers won four of their last six games, including three straight upset victories. For the season he ranked third in the GLIAC in steals, seventh in free-throw percentage,  11th in the GLIAC in scoring (15.2 ppg) and 14th in three-point field-goal percentage. Through three seasons, he has 1,115 career points and 191 career three-point field goals. Other post-season accolades included the GLIAC All-Tournament Team and Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan Honor Team. As a member of the LSSU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Billing helps with various fund-raising activities that support the Make-A-Wish Foundation and go toward sponsoring Christmas for needy families in Chippewa County. He participated with his team in the Junior Lakers Program and was part of a large group of basketball enthusiasts that put on a fun night of basketball for the Eastern Upper Peninsula’s local Special Olympics chapter. He is also an active volunteer in his church in Anna, Ohio.
   Wayne State University senior swimmer Nathan Hesche (Jackson, Mich.) earned First Team All-America honors at the 2013 NCAA Championship as part of the seventh-place 400 medley relay quartet.  He also earned three Honorable Mention All-America accolades as part of the 10th place 200 medley relay, 14th place 400 free relay and the 14th place 200 free relay.  Hesche was voted to the CoSIDA Academic All-District At-Large First Team earlier this month, and was a three-time member of the GLIAC All-Academic team, including the last two seasons on the GLIAC All-Academic Excellence squad.  He finished his collegiate career as a 16-time All-American, earning at least three All-America honors each season and was part of six GLIAC Championship relay teams in his career.  Academically, he had six semesters of at least a 3.50 term gpa including a perfect 4.00 term gpa the last four semesters.
    University of Indianapolis sophomore Daniel Chan (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil/Colégio Mabe) was the 2013 GLIAC champion in the 200 butterfly. He had three more top six finishes at the GLIAC Championships (3rd-800 free relay, 4th-400 IM, 6th-200 IM) before the sophomore was a First Team All-American at the 2013 NCAA Championships by taking sixth in the 200 fly.  He was a 2013 Capital One Academic All-District IV At-Large First Team honoree with a 3.55 grade point average in exercise science.  Chan won 17 events over the course of the season and helped the 800 free relay set a school record at the GLIAC Championships.  A four-time All-American in his two years at UIndy, Chan also ranks second all-time at UIndy in the 200 fly, fourth in the 100 fly and fifth in the 1,650 free.