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BAY CITY, Mich. -- The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Indoor Track and Field meet took place at the Ryder Center on the campus of Saginaw Valley State University in University Center, Mich. on February 25th and 26th.

The University of Findlay Junior Raven Clay (Detroit, Mich/Frank Cody) was tabbed the GLIAC Women's “Track Athlete of the Year,” with Ashland University senior Abby Kacsandi (Wooster, Ohio) taking GLIAC Women's “Field Athlete of the Year “ honors. Freshman distance runner Samantha Johnson (Troy, Mich.) of Ferris State University has been selected as the GLIAC Women's “Freshman Track Athlete of the Year.” Grand Valley State University’s Kristen Hixson (Remus, Mich./Chippewa Hills) was picked as the GLIAC Women’s “Freshman Field Athlete of the Year” for her pole vault effort. 

The GLIAC Men's “Track Athlete of the Year” title was awarded to Ashland Univeristy Tom Scott (Lima, Ohio/Shawnee) while his teammate Ryan Loughney (Grahamsville, N.Y./Tri-Valley) won the GLIAC Men's “Field Athlete of the Year.” The GLIAC Men's “Freshman Track Athlete of the Year” was given to Grand Valley State’s Josh Moskalewski (Allendale, Mich.), with Edward “Jamil” Dudley (Massillon, Ohio) from Lake Erie College earning the GLIAC Men's “Freshman Field Athlete of the Year” award.    

Both the Women’s and Men’s GLIAC Indoor Track and Field “Coach of the Year” honors went to Grand Valley State’s Jerry Baltes.  All awards were voted on by the GLIAC  Indoor Track and Field head coaches.   

Clay was named the GLIAC Women's Athlete of the Year after having a hand in three wins for the Oilers. Clay raced to a NCAA automatic qualifying time of 8.43 to take home first place honors in the 60-meter hurdles, won the 200-meter dash with a provisional time of 25.10 and teamed with Christine Zimmermann, Lindsey Schmitmeyer and Jhazmyn Anderson to win the 4x400-meter relay at 3:54.43, also a provisional time.    

Kacsandi was named the GLIAC Women's Field Athlete of the Year after placing  first in the pentathlon with a meet record of 3,627 points.  While competing in the pentathlon, she set a conference record (5-10) in the event. The senior also earned first place in the high jump with a Jump of 5-8.75, second in the triple jump (48-4.75) and sixth in the shot put (44-0.75).  Kacsandi will compete at nationals in the pentathlon, high jump and shot put. She won a national title a year ago in the high jump.     

Johnson's fifth place (5:01.27) in the mile at the GLIAC Indoor Championships, while reaching the national provisional qualification standard convinced coaches to select her at the GLIAC Women's Track Athlete of the Year. She was also part of Ferris’ distance medley relay that placed third overall at the conference championships. Johnson has tallied three top-five meet performances in the mile run this winter, including winning the event at the Division II Challenge (Feb. 5) in Findlay, Ohio. She will be Ferris State’s lone representative and will compete in the mile run at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships set for March 11-12 in Albuquerque, N.M. The Bulldog freshman holds the nation’s 12th-fastest qualifying time (4:56.25) among the 14 competitors slated to compete in the mile at the national meet.    

Hixson helped Grand Valley State record its 12th straight GLIAC Indoor Track and Field Championship title. The Lakers notched the title with 238 points. The native of Remus, Mich., earned GVSU eight points by placing second in the pole vault as she recorded an improved provisional mark of 12’7.5" and being selected at the GLIAC Women's Freshman Field Athlete of the Year.

Moskalewski helped the Lakers record their second straight GLIAC Indoor Track and Field Championship title while being selected as the GLIAC Men's Freshman Track Athlete of the Year. Grand Valley State claimed the title with 170.5 points, with Moskalewski earning 10 of those points. The Allendale, Mich. native, notched a first place finish in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 8:30.99 at the indoor meet, which set a James E. O'Neill Arena Record.
   

Scott was named the GLIAC Men's Athlete of the Year for his performance as a member of two first place relay teams and  claiming the 800 meters (1:53.53) title. He was on the distance  medley relay squad that finished in 10:00.08 and 4X400 relay team that won with a time of 3:16.85 setting new James E. O'Neill Arena records in both events. Scott will appear at the NCAA national championships in the 800 and in the 4X400.  He is the fifth seed in the 800.

Loughney won the GLIAC championship in weight throw (69-9.75) earning him the GLIAC Men's Field Athlete of the Year. The junior has the second longest throw in the country (71-4) and is a contender to win a national title.
   

 Dudley won the high jump at the GLIAC Indoor Championships as a freshman by clearing 6-11 earning him the GLIAC Freshamn Men's Field Athlete of the Year. Earlier this season he hit the auto matically qualifying mark of 7-2 ¼ which places him as the number one seed going into the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships meet.  Five times this season Dudley cleared 6-10, including his first intercollegiate meet Dec. 4 at West Virginia when he cleared 7-0 1/2.
   
 

Baltes is in his 12th year as the head coach of the men’s and women’s track and field teams. He has guided the women’s team to their 12th consecutive GLIAC Indoor  Track and Field title and has earned GLIAC Women's Coach of the Year 11 of his 12 years. The Lakers set a GLIAC Women's indoor meet record with 238 points scored. He coach the men’s team to a first place finish at the indoor championships, which is his 11th title in 12-years. This is also the seventh time he has been named GLIAC Men's Coach of the Year.