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BAY CITY, Mich. -- The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) announces the recipients of the Fall 2010 Meijer Commissioner’s Awards. The awards, sponsored by Meijer, Incorporated, are presented after the Fall, Winter, and Spring athletic seasons to six male and six female student-athletes that excel both in the classroom and on the fields of play.
The six female student-athletes to receive the Fall 2010 Meijer Commissioner’s Awards are: Tina Muir of Ferris State University; Kristen Eible and Rebeccah Rapin of Grand Valley State University; Clara Leutheuser of Hillsdale College; Melanie Hoffman of Michigan Technological University; and Michelle Rogers of Tiffin University.
The six male student-athletes to receive the Fall 2010 Meijer Commissioner’s Awards are: Tom Schneider of Ferris State; Anthony Witt and Zach Breen of Grand Valley State; Phil Doerfler of Hillsdale; Mike Rittenour of Michigan Tech; and Josh Renel of Wayne State University.
“I am truly proud of the 12 student-athletes who were awarded the Commissioner’s Award,” stated GLIAC Commissioner Dell Robinson. “Their hard work in the classroom and on the field is a true example of the standard of excellence that has been set amongst our student-athlete here in the GLIAC. They are truly the best of the best. The GLIAC greatly appreciates the support of Meijer for their sponsorship of the 2010 Commissioner’s Award. The award and continued support by Meijer is evidence of our pursuit of academic excellence.”
The following are biographies of the Fall 2010 GLIAC Commissioner’s Awards recipients:
Senior standout Tina Muir (St. Albans, U.K.), a member of the Ferris State women’s cross country team, capped off a stellar career. Muir placed 11th nationally at the 2010 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships as an individual in leading FSU to an eighth-place team performance, which tied for the highest finish in school history. She earned All-America honors for the third consecutive year and won the NCAA-II Midwest Regional individual title for the second-straight campaign. Muir, who finished third at the 2010 GLIAC Championships as FSU claimed runner-up laurels, also received USTFCCCA Midwest Region “Runner of the Year” honors. She is both a three-time All-GLIAC honoree and all-academic team selection. Muir currently has a 3.81 cumulative grade point average in recreation leadership management.
Grand Valley State women’s soccer midfielder Kristen Eible (DeWitt, Mich.) was a part of an impressive 2010 NCAA Division II Championship team. She helped the Lakers notch a 22-1-2 overall record this season and a 12-1-2 record in conference action. Eible started 23 of GVSU’s 25 matches for a total of 1,976 minutes. The senior caption claimed two goals and six assists for a total of 10 points this season. Eible was also honored as a First Team All-GLIAC selection and was a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-American Scholar Athlete for her hard work in the classroom. During Eible’s four-year career, the Lakers have posted an astounding record of 87-3-7 (.933), making her senior class the most successful class in the program’s history. Eible currently holds a 3.9 cumulative grade point average while majoring in education.
Grand Valley State senior middle blocker Rebeccah Rapin (Saginaw, Mich./Nouvel Catholic Central) was named an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) First Team All-America selection and led the Lakers in kills (380), hitting percentage (.344), total blocks (140), and block solos (26) en route to a 26-7 record and an NCAA Elite Eight berth. Rapin was honored as the Daktronics Midwest Region “Player of the Year” and is just the second GVSU player in history to earn First Team All-GLIAC laurels in three straight seasons. An AVCA All-Midwest Region selection, Rapin finished her stellar four-year career as the Lakers’ all-time leader in total blocks (525) and block assists (437), while ranking seventh in GVSU history in kills (1,364) and total attacks (3,184) and eighth in hitting percentage (.317). Rapin finished second in the GLIAC this season in total blocks and blocks per set (1.25), third in hitting percentage, sixth in kills per set (3.39) and sixth in points per set (4.16), while surpassing 300 kills for the fourth straight season. Rapin currently has a 3.88 grade point average in marketing.
Junior Clara Leutheuser (Hillsdale, Mich./Hillsdale Academy) is the fourth different member of the Hillsdale volleyball program to earn a Commissioner’s Award. The “Most Outstanding Player” of the 2010 GLIAC Tournament, Leutheuser earned numerous honors for the Chargers this season, including First-Team All-GLIAC, AVCA First-Team All-Region, AVCA Third-Team All-American, and was named to the Midwest Region All-Tournament Team. Leutheuser led the GLIAC in both hitting percentage (.354) and blocks per set (1.27) while leading Hillsdale to a 29-2 record and its second straight GLIAC championship. Currently Leutheuser possesses 3.83 grade point average while majoring in German.
Michigan Tech junior, Melanie Hoffman (Green Bay, Wis./Pulaski), led the MTU soccer team in both goals (five) and points (13) in its inaugural season of competition. She ranked tied for third in the GLIAC with a team-high five game-winning goals and scored the first goal in school history. Hoffman currently has a 4.0 cumulative grade point average in exercise science.
Tiffin junior forward Michelle Rogers (Shelby Township, Mich./Eisenhower), is a Second Team All-Midwest Region and Second Team All-GLIAC standout. Rogers led Tiffin University with eight goals and eight assists for 24 points. She figured among GLIAC leaders in goals and points while boasting a GPA of 4.00 in Management. She was one of nine GLIAC women’s soccer athletes that earned a selection to the 2011 CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District Teams College Division covering NCAA II, III, and NAIA schools. She was also one of only five players on the team posting a perfect 4.00 grade point average while majoring in accounting.
Ferris State junior Tom Schneider (Jerome, Mich./Addison), is three-year letter winner that completed 70.5% (184-261) of his passes for 1,741 yards and 12 touchdowns this season while being intercepted only three times. Schneider also ran for 319 yards and six scores on 97 attempts in starting all 11 games at quarterback. A 2010 All-GLIAC Honorable Mention pick, Schneider concluded the year ranked second in completion percentage, fourth in passing efficiency along with seventh in both passing yards and total offense among the conference leaders. The three-time GLIAC All-Academic Team honoree served as a team captain and was voted FSU’s Most Valuable Offensive Skill Player in 2010. While majoring in recreation leadership management, Schneider currently holds a perfect 4.00 grade point average.
Grand Valley State junior cross country runner Anthony Witt (Jasonville, Ind./Shakamak), helped the Lakers claim their ninth-straight GLIAC title and Midwest Regional title this season. Witt led the Lakers to a third place finish at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships with a 15th place finish and a time of 31:13.0, earning All-America status. The junior was also named GLIAC “Runner of the Year” for crossing the finish line first at the conference meet (24:47.4) and earned All-Midwest Regional First Team for finishing second (30:58.77). Witt is a Pre-Medical major and owns a 3.82 grade point average.
Zach Breen (Rockford, Mich.), a junior defensive back on Grand Valley State football game, earned First-Team All-GLIAC honors and was named to the CoSIDA All-Academic District 4 First-Team. Breen ranked second on the Laker defense in total tackles with a single-season, career-high 101. He tallied eight or more tackles seven times during the 2010 season, while also recording 9.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 QB sacks. Zach recovered two fumbles and picked off a pass while leading Grand Valley State to the NCAA D-II playoffs for a record-setting 10th straight year. GVSU finished 11-2 and claimed its sixth-straight GLIAC title. Breen owns a 3.65 grade point average in biomedical science.
Hillsdale College senior Phil Doerfler (Allen Park, Mich./Allen Park), was co-captain of the 2010 Charger football team that shared the GLIAC South Division title, and qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs for a second consecutive season. A three-year starting offensive lineman, Doerfler was named First-Team All-GLIAC in 2010, and was named the winner of the 2010 Jack McAvoy Award, for his excellence on the field and in the classroom. Doerfler carries a 3.6 overall grade point average and is majoring in biology, with a biochemistry minor.
Michigan Tech senior, Mike Rittenour (Becker, Minn./Becker), totaled 47 tackles from his middle linebacker position on the Husky football team. Rittenour also had three interceptions, four tackles for loss and one fumble recovery on the season. The All-GLIAC First Team selection was a key factor in the Huskies’ top-notch defense which led the league in points allowed and finished second in yards allowed. Rittenour posted a 3.73 grade point average in mechanical engineering.
Josh Renel (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams), a junior on the Wayne State football team, was voted to the All-GLIAC First Team at both running back and return specialist, and was selected to the Hansen’s Football Gazette All-Region First Team. A CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree for the second consecutive season, he was also named to the GLIAC All-Academic team for the second straight year. Renel rushed for 1,249 yards and 14 touchdowns and was the only Division II player with at least 2,000 all-purpose yards during the regular season. He was eighth nationally at 124.9 rushing yards per game, sixth in punt return average (16.5), 12th in scoring (9 points per game) and 30th in kickoff return average (24.95). Renel has a double major of business administration and marketing earning a 3.69 grade point average.