GLIAC -- Saginaw Valley State's Cheyenne Nesbitt and Grand Valley State's Myles Kerner have been selected as recipients of the 2023-24 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards.
The winners, awarded annually to one male and one female, were chosen from the male and female GLIAC Commissioner's Award honorees throughout the 2023-24 academic year, showcasing the top student-athletes both on the field and in the classroom.
Cheyenne Nesbitt • Track & Field • Saginaw Valley State University
Cheyenne Nesbitt finished an historic career with 10 NCAA DII National Championships and over a dozen All-America honors. This season, she was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) women's field athlete of the year for the second straight year. Nesbitt made history at the 2024 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships as she claimed her fourth consecutive National Title in the heptathlon after setting a new SVSU record with a final score of 6002. She is the first woman in NCAA history, in any division, to win four consecutive heptathlon championships, and she is just one of six NCAA Division II women's athletes to win four straight national championships in their respective event. The 6002-point total ranks second all-time in NCAA Division II. The GLIAC Women's Field Athlete of the Year is the third woman in D2 to break the 6000-point mark. In addition, Nesbitt set a new Cardinal record in the 100m hurdles (13.09) and the high jump (1.78m) on the first day. She earned three All-America honors in the heptathlon, high jump, and 4x100 relay, setting new school records in all three events. Nesbitt competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials. She finished 11th in the heptathlon at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Nesbitt totaled 5,934 points to claim 11th in the overall standings after compiling four top-10 finishes in the seven-event competition, including one top-three performance. Nesbitt earned the GLIAC Academic Excellence Award in 2024 and the GLIAC All-Academic Award in 2023.
Myles Kerner • Track & Field • Grand Valley State University
Senior thrower Myles Kerner has been named the 2023-24 GLIAC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. The Grand Rapids native tallied a 3.9 cumulative GPA as a communications major throughout his time at Grand Valley State. Kerner ended his senior season at Grand Valley as the NCAA Division II National Champion in both the men’s indoor and outdoor shot put. Kerner defended his title at the 2024 Indoor National Championships, as he threw a distance of 19.31m to claim his second individual title of his career. Additionally, Kerner finished in 14 th place in the men’s weight throw at Indoor Nationals with a throw of 19.43m. Kerner led the Grand Valley State Lakers to a National Runner-Up team title at the 2024 Indoor National Championships, recording a team score of 56.5 points. At the 2024 Indoor GLIAC Championships, Kerner earned first place in the men’s weight throw and second place in the men’s shot put, finishing as the 2024 GLIAC Athlete of the Meet. Myles Kerner ended the indoor season as a First-Team All- American and First-Team All-Region honoree, recording seven first place finishes on the season. Additionally, Kerner was ranked No.1 in the men’s shot put and No.11 in the men’s weight throw throughout Division II. During the outdoor track and field season, Kerner earned his third individual National Championship title in the men’s shot put after launching a new personal best of 19.94m. Alongside his title, Kerner claimed the new Grand Valley State school record as well as the facility record at the Welch Family Stadium in Emporia, Kansas. At the 2024 Outdoor GLIAC Championships, Kerner earned first place in the men’s shot put with a distance of 19.33m. Kerner ended his final outdoor season as a First-Team All-American and First-Team All-Region honoree, the Midwest Region Male Field Athlete of the Year, and the GLIAC Male Field Athlete of the Year. Additionally, Kerner was one of five current Grand Valley State athletes to qualify for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, finishing in 17 th place overall in the men’s shot put. During his time at Grand Valley State, Kerner claimed the men’s indoor and outdoor shot put school record with a distance of 19.71m (indoor) and 19.94m (outdoor), as well as the Big Meet and Kelly Family Sports Center record with a throw of 19.57m.
