GVSU's Katy Tafler and FSU's Jake Visser Named NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Recipients

INDIANAPOLIS -- Grand Valley State University's Katy Tafler and Ferris State University's Jake Visser were recently named as two of the winners of the prestigious National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Postgraduate Scholarship.

The pair will receive a one-time, non-renewable grant of $7,500 to continue their education. The NCAA awards up to 174 postgraduate scholarships annually, 87 for men and 87 for women. The scholarships are awarded to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically and who are in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition. Each sports season (fall, winter and spring), there are 29 scholarships available for men and 29 scholarships available for women.

Tafler, having completed her senior season, has garnered numerous awards during her illustrious career at Grand Valley State. She is a two-time Daktronics, Inc. Division II Player of the Year (2006, '07) and a three-time all-american. She has earned Daktronics, Inc. First Team All-American status in each of the last three years and was an National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Second Team All-American this year after being an NSCAA First Team All-American the previous two years. In both 2006 and 2007, Tafler was named to the NSCAA Division II Final Four All-Tournament team.

Tafler is the only GLIAC player in history to record at least 40 goals and 40 assists in her career, and is just the 17th player to do so in Division II history. In her career, she ranks third in goals with 114 and third in points with 269. Tafler's point totals are both conference and school records as well. She has been named to the NSCAA Midwest Region First Team all four of her years at GVSU, and she has been a Daktronics, Inc. Midwest Region First Team honoree for the past three seasons. In each of the past three seasons, she has been selected as the Daktronics, Inc. Midwest Region Player of the Year. She has been a four-time All-GLIAC First-Team honoree and was chosen as the conference's Offensive Player of the Year for the past three seasons. During her freshman year, she was selected as the GLIAC Freshman of the Year.

Visser, who concluded his Bulldog football eligibility last fall, is only the second student-athlete in FSU history to receive such distinction following former women's basketball player Debbie Killips, who became the school's first recipient of the award in 2001-02.

Recently, Visser added to his impressive list of postseason accolades by being tabbed as a first-team All-American by D2football.com and Don Hansen's Football Gazette. He was also named to the Associated Press Little All-America First Team, making him a consensus first team All-America choice by every source covering Division II football.

Previously honored as an American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and Daktronics All-America First Team pick, Visser competed in the annual NCAA Division II All-Star Game, the 2009 Valero Cactus Bowl, in January in Kingsville, Texas. The 2008 GLIAC Jack McAvoy Award winner for character and leadership on and off the field, Visser claimed AFCA All-America First Team honors as a senior for the second consecutive year. He was also recognized as Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Commissioner's Award for Academic and Athletics Excellence honoree for the second time.