SE Grand Rapids News

Brandon Bodis and Hayley Kreiger have been named Davenport University's Senior Athletes of the Year for the 2022-23 season. The selection process involved multiple nominees, with the final decision made by the athletic department's head coaches and administrative staff.

Bodis, from Avon Lake, Ohio, was a First Team All-GLIAC selection in men's golf. He participated in all 22 rounds of the team's competitions last year, setting school records for both the lowest 18-hole score (66) and lowest 54-hole score (211) at the Spring Bulldog Clash. His single-season scoring average of 71.9 is a program record. Bodis also achieved five top-five finishes and eight top-10 finishes during his final season. Academically, he was recognized on the GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team.

Kreiger excelled in both volleyball and softball, becoming the only student-athlete in the GLIAC to earn First Team All-GLIAC honors in two sports. She received several accolades including the GLIAC Commissioner's Award during volleyball season and helped her team achieve a 22-9 overall record in 2022. Kreiger became Davenport's first women's volleyball player to be named College Sports Communicators (CSC) First Team Academic All-America. She also earned First Team All-American honors from DII Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) and Second Team All-American from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). In addition to her volleyball achievements, Kreiger was named Second Team All-Region in softball and appeared on the Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar List.

The Newcomer of the Year Award went to Jason Whittaker from football and Lauren Gervais from women's golf. Whittaker, a quarterback from Rockford, Michigan, transferred from Northwestern University and set several single-season records at Davenport University while leading GLIAC in completions, attempts, yards per game, and touchdowns.

Gervais had an impressive freshman year as she became Davenport's first golfer to qualify for NCAA Regionals. She finished 11th in the East Regional tournament and narrowly missed advancing to Nationals after losing in a playoff. Gervais achieved Honorable Mention All-GLIAC status and posted a scoring average of 77.5 over 28 rounds.