Four Ferris State Student-Athletes Named GLIAC Commissioner's Award Recipients; One-Third Of League Total
Big Rapids, Mich. - A total of four Ferris State University student-athletes have been honored as Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Commissioner's Award recipients for the spring 2026 season as announced by the league office.
The Bulldogs' four total student-athletes represent one-third of the 12 student-athletes honored from all GLIAC member institutions. FSU's honorees include senior men's tennis standout Erik Kovacs (Toronto, Ontario) along with his brother, junior Kevin Kovacs (Toronto, Ontario). The Bulldogs also had two female honorees in women's golf senior Kamryn Shannon (Jackson/Michigan Center) and junior softball first baseman Alexis Kozlowski (Gaylord).
The awards are bestowed after the fall, winter and spring athletic seasons to six female and six male student-athletes of junior, senior or graduate student status that excel both in the classroom and in competition. All grade-point averages are based on a 4.0 scale.
Overall, FSU had four of the 12 student-athletes from across all 11 member institutions in all spring sports recognized. Ferris State along with Grand Valley State were the only institutions to have multiple student-athletes represented for the spring season.
Since the awards were first presented in 2007, the Bulldogs have now had a total of 102 student-athletes be recognized among the league's best, which ranks among the most of any school in the conference.
Alexis Kozlowski • Ferris State • Softball • Junior • Gaylord, Mich. • Elementary Education
Ferris State University junior first baseman Alexis Kozlowski had an impressive season for the Bulldogs on the diamond. The Gaylord, Mich., native started all 57 games and ranked among the league and national leaders in multiple statistical categories. She tallied a team-high 70 hits with 54 RBI's and netted 42 runs scored, 20 doubles, seven home runs and three triples. She set a new school single-season mark with her 20 doubles en route to claiming All-GLIAC First Team honors. Kozlowski was also an all-region choice and earned the 2026 GLIAC Defensive Player of the Year distinction. She helped FSU to a runner-up finish in both the conference regular season and the league tournament while posting 37 wins on the year.
Kamryn Shannon • Ferris State • Golf • Senior • Jackson, Mich. • Sports Communication
Senior standout Kamryn Shannon earned the 2026 GLIAC Player of the Year Award for the Ferris State University women's golf team and was the individual medalist at the 2026 GLIAC Championships in addition garnering All-America recognition. Shannon placed among the top 20 golfers in tournament action a total of 12 times this year and she had a total of 10 top 10 efforts. Shannon led the Bulldogs to the 2026 GLIAC Championship and helped FSU earn a spot in the NCAA Division II National Championships for the second consecutive year. The four-time all-conference choice and team captain also garnered GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team recognition.
Erik Kovacs • Ferris State • Tennis • Senior • Toronto, Ontario • Criminal Justice
Ferris State University standout Erik Kovacs helped lead the Bulldogs to the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen for the first time in nine years this past season. Kovacs ranked among the league and region's top performers, recording a 16-8 doubles record at the number one flight in the lineup. In addition, he also won 12 singles matches as a regular starter in the Bulldog lineup along with dropping only one conference doubles match this season. Kovacs claimed All-GLIAC First Team recognition and played a key role in the Bulldogs winning both the GLIAC Regular Season and Tournament Championships this year. The four-year letterwinner has also been a GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team selection and was tabbed to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District squad.
Kevin Kovacs • Ferris State • Tennis • Senior • Toronto, Ontario • Business Administration
Ferris State University junior Kevin Kovacs claimed the 2026 GLIAC Player of the Year honor and was also chosen as the 2026 ITA Midwest Region Player of the Year in addition to being a College Sports Communicators Academic All-America choice. Kovacs posted a 19-6 overall singles record this year and had a total combined singles and doubles mark of 34-12 overall while holding down the top spot in the FSU lineup. He was a top 50-ranked singles and doubles player in the country and garnered All-GLIAC honors for the fourth time in his collegiate career. His performance led the Bulldogs to both the conference regular season and tournament championships along with a trip to the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen for the first time in nine seasons.