April 16, 2009

BAY CITY, Mich. - The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) announced Grand Valley State's Jenna Thayer as a recipient of the Winter 2009 GLIAC Commissioner's Awards for Academic and Athletic Excellence.

Thayer (Okemos, Mich.) was a six-time All-American at the 2009 NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championships, pushing her career total to 21 All-America citations. Thayer was a member of the GVSU 200-yard freestyle relay team that placed sixth, the 200-yard medley team that finished ninth, and the 11th-place 400-yard freestyle relay team. She took home a 10th place finish in the 200-yard Individual Medley, finished 13th in the 200-yard breaststroke and 14th in the 100-yard breaststroke. Thayer holds a 3.888 cumulative GPA while studying Public Administration.

The awards, sponsored by Meijer, Incorporated, are presented after the Fall, Winter, and Spring athletic seasons to six male and six female student-athletes that excel both in the classroom and on the fields of play. The Awards were announced in conjunction with the release of the GLIAC Winter All-Academic Teams in which student-athletes were honored for their efforts.

"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. The GLIAC would like to thank Meijer for their generous sponsorship of the 2009 Commissioner's Awards and for helping us acknowledge the exceptional accomplishments of this group."