GLIAC -- The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) has announced its second weekly awards of the 2020-21 indoor track and field season. For the women, Grand Valley St. sophomore Kayce Rypma earned track athlete of the week, while Saginaw Valley St. sophomore Cheyenne Williamson was awarded field athlete of the week. On the men's side, Ashland claimed both awards, with senior Trevor Bassitt earning track athlete of the week and senior teammate Brent Fairbanks securing field athlete of the week honors.
WOMEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK - Kayce Rypma, Grand Valley St.
Sophomore Kayce Rypma finished second in the 3,000m with a provisional qualification of 9:52.74 at the Bill Clinger Classic on Friday, Jan. 29. The runner-up finish marked Rypma’s personal best by more than 30 seconds and landed her at the No. 6 spots in Division II for the week of Jan. 26-Feb. 1. This is the first time the Grand Rapids native has earned the GLIAC Track Athlete of the Week honor.
WOMEN'S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK - Cheyenne Williamson, Saginaw Valley St.
Williamson had an impressive weekend at the Jet’s Pizza Invitational hosted by the Cardinals at the SVSU Fieldhouse on Friday and Saturday. The Essexville, Mich., native opened the meet with a record-setting performance, winning the women’s indoor pentathlon in run-away fashion and followed up with a first-place finish in the women’s high jump. Williamson closed the pentathlon with a school and SVSU Fieldhouse record 3,906 points, hitting the NCAA Automatic Qualifying Mark. In the pentathlon she was first in the 60-meter hurdles (8.84 seconds), high jump (1.67m), long jump (5.85m) and 800-meter run (2:24.91), while finishing second in the shot put (10.80m). In the women’s high jump event on Saturday, Williamson cleared 1.67 meters once again, hitting the NCAA Provisional Mark, and taking first place for the Cardinals.
MEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK - Trevor Bassitt, Ashland
MEN'S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK - Brent Fairbanks, Ashland
One punched his ticket to the 2021 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships.
One dominated the competition on a nationally-televised stage.
And Ashland University seniors Brent Fairbanks and Trevor Bassitt both earned Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Men’s Track & Field Athlete of the Week honors on Tuesday (Feb. 2) afternoon, thanks to their efforts over the weekend. On Friday (Jan. 29) at the Youngstown State Mid Major Invitational, Fairbanks automatically qualified for D-II indoor nationals (March 12-13 in Birmingham, Ala.) thanks to his winning effort in the men’s weight throw of 21.00 meters/68-feet-10¾. That mark is third-best in the country. Bassitt, on Sunday (Jan. 31) in Fayetteville, Ark., not only won his men’s 60-meter hurdles race at the American Track League, televised on ESPN2, but he did so in dominating fashion. His winning time of 7.71 seconds was 0.01 off his PR, and was 0.21 seconds better than the second-place finisher. That PR of 7.70 seconds is the fastest men’s 60 hurdles time in D-II this season.
Bassitt now has 12 GLIAC weekly awards, Fairbanks has six, and this is the fourth time both have won the honor in the same week.
