PNW's Bravo and GVSU's Swanson named 2022-23 GLIAC Pat Riepma Postgraduate Scholarship recipients

PNW's Bravo and GVSU's Swanson named 2022-23 GLIAC Pat Riepma Postgraduate Scholarship recipients
Posted: May 09, 2022

GLIAC -- Purdue Northwest softball player Ashley Bravo and Grand Valley State football player Abe Swanson have been named the recipients of the 2022-23 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Pat Riepma Postgraduate Scholarship. The honor, which awards each recipient, one male and one female, $5,000 in aid to the graduate school of their choice, was voted on by the Faculty Athletic Representatives (FARs) of the GLIAC member institutions.

The GLIAC Postgraduate Scholarship is named after former Northwood University Athletic Director and head football coach Pat Riepma who passed away in July of 2015 after a lengthy and courageous battle with cancer. Pat spent over 21 years at Northwood and was the all-time winningest coach in football history as well as the long time Athletic Director. While his achievements on the field and on behalf of the athletic department are impressive, Pat will be forever remembered for the person he was. Pat was a passionate, spiritual man who inspired thousands of people even before he became sick. While Pat is gone, his mantra of "Go MAD"- Go Make a Difference, will live on.

Ashley Bravo, Purdue Northwest

A native of Chicago, Illinois and Whitney Young High School, Ashley Bravo has been part of the Purdue Northwest softball program for all four years. In the 2023 season, has helped lead the Pride to a program record in single-season wins and is top five on the team in hits and batting average while also being an captain and leader to the team. She will finish her Pride softball career as the all-time leader in games started, games played, at bats, and finish top five in hits. Off the field, Bravo currently sits as the President of SAAC for Purdue Northwest Athletics and has served on SAAC for several years. She is a three-time GLIAC All-Academic Excellence team honoree and will graduate in the summer with a degree in health studies and psychology and a minor in biology. Bravo helped organize and run numerous community service events including a community Easter Egg hunt, Trunk or Treat, Make a Wish events and also collects donations for the Souvign Truth House. She is also a member of PNW Honors College and has done internships with local schools.

Bravo plans to pursue her Doctorate of Physical Therapy at the University of Chicago after graduation this summer.

 

 

 

 

 

Abe Swanson, Grand Valley State

Linebacker Abe Swanson, who hails from St. Charles, Ill., has been a stellar student-
athlete and a model of consistency at Grand Valley State, both on and off the field.
Swanson, the 2022 GLIAC Defensive Back of the Year and a 2022 consensus All-
American as selected by every major news outlet, was a key figure in the Lakers’ accent
to the No. 1 ranking in every football poll during the 2022 campaign. Swanson led GVSU
to a 22-21 victory over Ferris State, snapping the Bulldogs 43-game regular season and
32-game GLIAC winning streak.

Last fall Swanson guided Grand Valley State to a 12-1 mark, including the GLIAC
Championship and the top seed in the NCAA DII Football playoffs. He tallied 95 tackles
(35 solo/60 assisted), 9.5 tackles for loss (-33), 4.0 quarterback sacks (-17), picked off
one pass, recovered a fumble, forced a fumble, and recorded nine QB hurries. He was
the leader of a defense that led the nation in points allowed per game (10.3) and ranked
among the national leaders and led the GLIAC in rushing defense (64.9 ypg.), first
downs allowed (154), redzone defense (.667) and total defense (264.1). GVSU limited
opponents to just 13.5 first downs per game, including five that were held under 10 first
downs in a game. Swanson was named the GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week twice
during the season, once after recording seven tackles, 1.5 TFL (-6) and recovering a
fumble at Ferris State, and a second time after his 12-tackle, 1.0 TFL (-5) and one
interception performance versus Saginaw Valley State. Abe has been named the
GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week five times in his career. Swanson has registered
221 career tackles (75 solo/146 assisted), 20 tackles for loss (-87) and 8.0 QB sacks (-
41) for a Laker squad that is 40-8 during his career.

Swanson has been just as active off the field during his career at Grand Valley State. He
boasts a 3.56 cumulative GPA in Comprehensive Science and Arts for Teaching and is
working on a Graduate Degree in Educational Leadership. He has been active in the
GVSU SAAC, youth camps in Grand Rapids and Giant Steps, a football camp for children
with autism. He has also been active at Jenison High School as an intern in the athletics
department.