Dow, Kanitz earn GLIAC Commisioner's Award

A press release from the GLIAC

The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) announced the recipients of the Fall 2009 GLIAC Commissioner’s Awards. The awards, sponsored by Meijer, Incorporated, will be 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 six female student-athletes to receive the Fall 2009 GLIAC Commissioner’s Awards are: Tina Muir of Ferris State University; Rebeccah Rapin and Natalja Stanski of Grand Valley State University; Sydney Dow of Hillsdale College; Cassie Osiecki of Northern Michigan University; and Kait Harris of Saginaw Valley State University.

The six male student-athletes to receive the Fall 2009 GLIAC Commissioner’s Awards are: Nick Bellanco of Ashland University; Bill Kanitz of Hillsdale College; Alex Gilde and Danny Richard of Grand Valley State University; John van der Lann of Michigan Technological University; and Cortland Seaver of Saginaw Valley State University.

The 2009 GLIAC “Libero of the Year,” junior Sydney Dow (Jonesville, Mich.) was a starter and captain on Hillsdale College’s first-ever GLIAC volleyball tournament championship team in 2009. Dow led the GLIAC in total digs this season with 560, and was named First-Team All-Region by the AVCA.

She was a Second-Team All-GLIAC pick and was Second-Team All-Region according to Daktronics. Dow carries a 3.5 overall grade point average and has been named Academic All-GLIAC twice. She currently serves as Vice President of the Hillsdale College’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

A three-year starter at H-back for Hillsdale’s football team, senior Bill Kanitz (Cadillac, Mich.) excelled as a pass-catcher and short-yardage runner for the Chargers.

He finished his career with 16 touchdown runs, placing him among the top 10 in Hillsdale College football history in that category.

A three-time GLIAC All-Academic selection, Kanitz also scored the game-winning touchdown in Hillsdale’s 27-24 win over Grand Valley State on Oct. 10. He scored two more touchdowns in the Chargers’ 27-24 overtime playoff win over Minnesota State-Mankato on Nov. 14. Kanitz was honored Dec. 14 by the Michigan Chapter of the National Football Foundation as its Scholar-Athlete of 2009.

He is a biochemistry major with a 3.63 grade point average.