Dec. 29, 2008

BAY CITY, Mich. - The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (GLIAC) announced that four Grand Valley State student-athletes have earned the fall 2008 GLIAC Commissioner's Award. Alex Gilde, Chris Hammer, Natalja Stanski and Katy Tafler won the award for their performance both on the field and in the classroom. For Hammer and Tafler, it was the second consecutive year they have earned the award.

The awards are presented after each of the three athletic seasons to six male and six female student-athletes that excel both in the classroom and on the fields of play.

"These 12 student-athletes exemplify the NCAA Division II philosophy of balance between academics and athletics by excelling in both areas," stated GLIAC Commissioner Tom Brown. "Our conference, along with Meijer Incorporated, feel that it is important to recognize these hard-working student-athletes for their outstanding performances in the classroom and on the field of play."

Gilde, a junior defensive lineman, was a key ingredient in the Lakers capturing their fourth consecutive GLIAC football title in 2008. He recorded 30 total tackles, seven tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks during the season. Gilde started eight games and was a part of a GVSU defense that ranked fourth nationally in scoring defense (12.6 ppg) and 17th in total defense (278.9 ypg). Academically, Gilde has compiled a 3.95 grade-point average while in pre-medical studies. Gilde earned honorable mention All-GLIAC honors in 2008 and is a two-time Academic All-GLIAC honoree.

Hammer is a repeat recipient of the GLIAC Commissioner's Award. A senior mathematics major, he has put together a grade-point average of 3.75 at Grand Valley State. Hammer finished 44th in the 2008 Division II Cross Country Championships, crossing the finish line in 32:31 and helping GVSU to a fifth-place finish. Hammer was named the Midwest Region Athlete of the Year and the GLIAC Runner of the Year after winning the regional title with a time of 31:52 and bringing GVSU its seventh consecutive regional championship.

Stanski is the owner of a perfect 4.0 grade-point average while studying as a pre-medical technician. She anchored a Grand Valley State defense that finished the season with a 22-1 record and the top-ranked scoring defense in Division II (.217). The Lakers set a Division II record with 19 team shutouts on the season and ranked first in shutout percentage (.826). Stanski was named the GLIAC's Defensive Player of teh Year and was a Daktronics, Inc. First Team All-American, as well as earning academic honors as an ESPN the Magazine College District Academic All-American.

A senior biomedical science major, Tafler was recently honored with the prestigious NCAA Top VIII award. She has compiled a 3.91 grade-point average while leading the Lakers in goals and points during each of the last four seasons. She is a two-time Daktronics, Inc. Division II Player of the Year, a three-time Daktronics, Inc. First Team All-American and a three-time National Soccer Coaches Association of American (NSCAA) All-American. She was named the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American of the Year following a season in which she scored 20 goals and added 13 assists for 53 points. She ranks third all-time in both goals (114) and points (269) in Division II history and is first in both GLIAC and GVSU annals in each category.