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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.