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BAY CITY, Mich. — The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) announces the recipients of the Winter 2013-14 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 2013-14 Meijer Commissioner’s Awards are: Alyssa Miller of Ashland University; Anna Rudd of Ferris State University; Caitlyn Madsen and Kristen Hixson of Grand Valley State University, Megan Fogt of Hillsdale College; and Kayla Scott of Wayne State University.

    The six male student-athletes to receive the Winter 2013-14 Meijer Commissioner’s Awards are: Ryan Sabin and Sven Kardol of Grand Valley State University; Derek Billing of Lake Superior State University; Austin Armga and Alex Culy of Michigan Technological University; and Cory Veldhuizen of Malone University.

    “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 2013-14 GLIAC Commissioner’s Awards recipients:
    
    Ashland University senior women’s basketball player Alyssa Miller (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri-Valley) is a three-time pick on the GLIAC All-Defensive team (2012, 2013, 2014) and is a two-time First Team All -GLIAC selection (2013, 2014).  She was a starter on the Eagles NCAA Division II national championship team in 2013.  The senior has won more games than any other player in program history. With Miller in the starting lineup, the Eagles were 97-13, while winning a total of 105 games along with two GLIAC championships and two Midwest Regional championships. She is the only player in school history to score 1,000 points and dish out 500 assists. Three times, Miller has been named to the GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team. In the summer of 2013 Miller completed an internship with Under Armour in Baltimore, Md. Miller has a 3.80 grade point and is majoring in marketing.

    Ferris State University senior track and field and cross country runner Anna Rudd (Leslie, Mich.) is a NCAA Division II Women’s indoor track All-American. Rudd is the GLIAC indoor champion in the 3,000 meters this season, while garnering All-GLIAC honors and being named to the USTFCCCA All-Region and All-America teams for the second straight year. She is the second-ever women’s track and field national champion in school history, and has been awarded the 2013-14 Bulldog of the Year Award for outstanding female athlete. She has claimed GLIAC All-Academic Excellence honors in the last three years in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field, while also being named to the 2013 Capital One Academic All-America Team. Rudd has a 3.83 grade point as a Nursing - B.S.N. major.

    Caitlyn Madsen (West Chicago, Ill.), a senior swimmer at Grand Valley State University is a 15-time NCAA Division II All-American.  Madsen helped Grand Valley State to a second-place finish at the GLIAC Championships this past year, while also helping the Lakers to a 10th place finish at the NCAA Championships. She is also a two-time GLIAC Champion in the 200-yard butterfly, and holds six Laker varsity records and three Laker pool records. The senior is a three-time GLIAC Academic Excellence honoree, and 2012 CSAA Scholar All-American. Working toward a degree in Biomedical Sciences, Madsen has earned a 3.68 grade point average.

    Grand Valley State University senior indoor track and field athlete Kristen Hixson (Remus, Mich,/Chippewa Hills) broke the GLIAC record and won the GLIAC Championship with a vault of 4.35 meters, and is a 2014 NCAA Division II National Championship qualifier, while helping the Lakers to the 2014 GLIAC Championship and a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Division II National Championship.. Hixson won the 2012 NCAA Division II National Championship and placed second in 2013, while placing second in 2011, 2012, and 2013 in the GLIAC Indoor Championships. She is a three-time USTFCCCA All-American and is also a two-time GLIAC Academic Excellence honoree. Hixson has maintained a 3.97 grade point average while majoring in finance.

    Hillsdale College junior women’s basketball player Megan Fogt (Anna, Ohio/Anna) led the GLIAC and NCAA Division II in rebounding averaging 16.1 boards per game, while also being in the top 10 in the GLIAC in scoring, blocked shots, field goal percentage, and minutes played. Fogt finished the season second in double-doubles in the NCAA Division II with 22. The forward also had the only 40-20 game in the nation against Walsh February 1, and also set a GLIAC single-game record with a .933 field goal percentage against Findlay on February 27. Fogt was the 2013-14 GLIAC “Player of the Year”, 2013-14 Daktronics Midwest Region Player of the Year, First Team All-GLIAC, while also being named to the Daktronics First-Team All-Region honoree. The junior forward has been named to the GLIAC Academic All-Excellence  Team in 2012-13 and 2013-14, while also being named to the Capital One CoSIDA Second-Team Academic All-America. Fogt spends time  volunteering at King’s Cupboard, and is a member of a Christian fellowship group on campus. Fogt posted a 3.86 grade point average in exercise science.

    Wayne State University senior swimmer Kayla Scott (Rochester, Mich./Adams) broke her own Division II national record in the 100 breaststroke, and was also part of the national-champion 200 freestyle relay team that also broke the Division II record. Scott is a 17-time All-American, seven-time national champion, and two-time national title winner in the breaststroke. She is a member of four GLIAC title teams, and one NCAA national Championship team in 2012. In 2011 the senior was the GLIAC Women’s “Freshman of the Year”. Scott is a three-time  GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team honoree and is a CoSIDA Academic All-American. Scott has an overall grade point average of 3.68 and is majoring in psychology.

     Grand Valley State University junior men’s basketball player Ryan Sabin (Byron Center, Mich.) was All-GLIAC First Team honoree. Sabin was second in the GLIAC in minutes played. He led his team in scoring, made three-pointers and free throw percentage. The junior guard was also named GLIAC North Division Player of the week for the week of February 10th. Sabin is a 2012-13 GLIAC All-Academic honoree and is a GLIAC Academic Excellence honoree this year.. Sabin is  majoring in finance and is holding a 3.51 grade point average.

    Sven Kardol (Nuenen, Netherlands), a junior swimmer from Grand Valley State University, placed second in the 400-yard IM, third in the 200-yard butterfly, fourth in the 200-yard backstroke, and helped the 800-yard freestyle team to a second place in the GLIAC Championship. Kardol is a seven-time NCAA Division II All-American and holds the Lakers varsity 400=IM record along with the Lakers freshman 400-IM record. Kardol is currently holding a 3.71 grade point average and majoring in physics.

     Lake Superior State University senior men’s basketball player Derek Billing (Anna, Ohio/Anna) was 2014 All-GLIAC First Team and 2014 Daktronics All-Midwest Region First Team. Billing was fifth in scoring in the GLIAC and his 694 points ranked him seventh in the nation. He helped lead the Lakers to GLIAC regular season title and a school-record tying 27 wins. The senior is a four-time GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Award winner and was named to the 2014 Capital One Academic All-America Second Team. Billing has maintained a 3.59 grade point average and majoring in exercise science.

    Michigan Technological University senior men’s basketball player Austin Armga (Waupun, Wis./Waupun) finished second in the nation in total points and was seven points shy of breaking Tech’s single season scoring mark He ended his career as Tech’s leading in free throw percentage and ninth in field goal percentage and points. This season he was voted All-GLIAC First Team, GLIAC All-Tournament Team, and NCAA Midwest Region All-Tournament Team. He also garnered awards for being NABC First Team All-Midwest Region and the Ken Hamar Award. Armga is a three time GLIAC Academic All-Excellence honoree, along with being a 2014 Capital One CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team and Capital one Academic All-American First Team. Armga posted a 3.78 grade point average in exercise science.

     Alex Culy (Rice Lake, Wis./Rice Lake), a senior men’s basketball  player from Michigan Technological University, helped lead the Huskies to the third most wins in school history during the 2013-14 campaign. Culy has started all 117 games in his college career and ranks seventh in assists and tenth in steals. He was named for the third time in a row to the GLIAC All-Defensive Team and also garnered the Harold Meese Award for sportsmanship.  The senior is a four time GLIAC Academic All-Excellence honoree, has earned the Team Scholastic Achievement Award in 2010-11 and 2011-12, while also being named to the Capital One CoSIDA Academic All-District in 2012-13. Culy is a chemical engineering major and boasts a 3.91 grade point average.

    Malone University senior men’s basketball player Cory Veldhuizen (North Canton, Ohio/Hoozer) averaged 13.7 points per game and a team high 6.0 rebounds per game in the 2013-14 season. The senior forward was a 2010-11 All-AMC Freshmen Team honoree while also being All-AMC honorable mention that same year. a 2012-13 NCCAA Second Team All-East Region. Veldhuizen is a two time GLIAC Academic All-Excellence Team selection (2012-13, 2013-14), and a 2012-13 NCCAA All-American Scholar-Athlete, while also being awarded the Community Health Plan Scholarship in 2014. Veldhuizen is working towards a degree in Integrated Language Arts and has maintained a 3.61 grade point average.