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University Center, Mich. -- Grand Valley State's Candice Wheat (Pontiac, Mich.) and Ashland's Tara Cooper (Circleville, Ohio) have been named the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Women's Indoor Track and Field "Athletes of the Year", respectively. Findlay's Raven Clay (Detroit, Mich.) was tabbed with "Freshman of the Year" honors and "Coach of the Year" accolades go to Jerry Baltes of Grand Valley State.
Click here fo Complete Meet Results
Final Championship Standings
| Place | School | Points |
| 1 | Grand Valley State | 205.0 |
| 2 | Ashland | 134.0 |
| 3 | Hillsdale | 77.0 |
| 4 | Ferris State | 51.0 |
| 5 | Northern Michigan | 47.5 |
| 6 | Findlay | 42.0 |
| 7 | Tiffin | 36.0 |
| 8 | Saginaw Valley State | 28.0 |
| 9 | Lake Superior State | 21.5 |
| 10 | Northwood | 21.0 |
Track Athlete of the Year
Candice Wheat ~ Grand Valley State University
Junior ~ Ponitac, Mich.
Junior Candice Wheat played a key role in Grand Valley
State's 10th straight GLIAC Women's Indoor Championship as she had
a hand in three first-place finishes.Wheat won the GLIAC
Championship in the 60-meter dash (7.67), followed by a first-place
finish in the 60-meter hurdles (8.37). Her time in the 60-meter
hurdles was a Ryder Center record. Wheat also ran the anchor leg in
the Lakers' first-place finishing 4x400 meter relay (3:55.42).Wheat
will participate in the 60-meter hurdles and the 4x400 meter relay
at the NCAA Championships in Houston, Texas March 13 - 14.
Field Athlete of the Year
Tara Cooper ~ Ashland University
Sophomore ~ Circleville, Ohio
In her sophomore season, Cooper finished first in the
weight throw (65-6.25), which set a Ryder Arena record. She also
placed fourth in the shot put. She has the longest throw in
Division II in the nation in the weight throw and the sixth longest
in the shot put of 2.09 meters.
Freshman of the Year
Raven Clay ~ University of Findlay
Freshman ~ Detroit, Mich.
Freshman Raven Clay led the Oilers during her inaugural campaign
by taking second in the 60 meter hurdles at the GLIAC Championship
with a NCAA automatic qualifying time of 8.38. She also led their
4x400 meter relay team to a second place finish at 3:56.28 and took
third in the 60 meter dash with a time of 7.71.
Coach of the Year
Jerry Baltes ~ Grand Valley State University
Grand Valley State’s head track & field coach Jerry
Baltes has been named the 2009 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference Women’s Indoor Coach of the Year. Baltes guided
GVSU to its 10th straight GLIAC Women’s Indoor title, while
being named the GLIAC Women’s Coach of the Year for the ninth
time in the last 10 years. The Lakers’ 205 points was the
second-highest point total ever at the GLIAC Indoor Championships.
Upcoming
Events
Click here to
see complete schedule
2008-09 Women's Track Athletes of the
Week
1/6 Raven Clay - UF
1/14 Raven Clay - UF
1/21 Raven Clay - UF
1/27 Alissa Klaehn - AU
2/4 Andrea Bader - TU
2/11 Katherine McCarthy - GVSU
2/18 Candice Wheat - GVSU
2/25 Monica Kinney - GVSU
2008-09 Women's
Field Athletes of the Week
1/6 Tara Cooper - AU
1/14 Dianna Noonan - GVSU
1/21 Dianna Noonan - GVSU
1/27 Dianna Noonan - GVSU
2/4 Kristen Ameling - TU
2/11 Tara Cooper - AU
2/18 Jessica Rutherford - GVSU
2/25 Kellie Kieren - GVSU
