The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced its post-season player awards and all-conference teams Tuesday afternoon and Grand Valley State sophomore running back Marty Carter (East Chicago, Ind.) was named the 2016 Offensive Back of the Year, while senior defensive end Alton Voss was named the 2016 Jack McAvoy Award winner.  In addition, the Lakers had a league-high 17 players that were honored, including seven that earned First-Team All-GLIAC plaudits and four that were named to the second-team.  

The #2-ranked Lakers just completed their eighth undefeated regular season (11-0) and claimed the GLIAC Championship for the 17th time in program history. GVSU received a first-round bye in the NCAA DII Playoffs after earning the top seed in Super Region 4 and will host the winner of the Texas A&M-Commerce-Colorado Mesa contest on Saturday, Nov. 26  at Lubbers Stadium. 

Carter was named the GLIAC Offensive Back of the Year after leading the nation in rushing with 1,590 yards and 18 touchdowns on 205 carries. His rushing total is also the top regular season rushing mark in GVSU football history, while the 1,486 rushing yards in GLIAC action ranks seventh all-time in league history. Marty averaged  7.8 yards per carry, a mark that ranked third nationally and first among all running backs with 200 or more carries. Carter also led the GLIAC in all-purpose yards with 1,646. Marty tallied seven runs of 53 yards or more, six of which went for touchdowns and he had 20 rushing plays of 20 yards or more in 11 games. Carter broke the 100-yard rushing mark in eight games, including a GVSU single-season record three games of 200 yards or more. He set the Grand Valley State single-game rushing record with 298 yards vs. Northern Michigan and was named the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week three times. 

Voss, who also earned First-Team All-GLIAC honors in addition to his McAvoy Award, ranks fourth on the team and first among defensive linemen in tackles with 52 (16 solo/36 assisted). He is fourth in tackles for loss with 8.5 (-34) and third in QB sacks with 4.5 (-22), while also recording six QB hurries, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and four pass deflections. Alton is a four-year letter winner for the Lakers, earning All-GLIAC honors as a junior and senior. He was a 2015 nominee for the Allstate Good Works Team and is an active public speaker to a wide variety of groups across West Michigan. Voss is also active in community service trips and youth football camps. 
 
In addition to being named the GLIAC Offensive Player of the year, Carter was also named First-Team All-GLIAC following his record-setting year. Joining Carter on the offensive first-team was senior WR Matt Williams (Geneva, Ill.) and senior center Aaron Cox (Macomb, Mich./Utica Ford). 

Williams, who was an All-GLIAC Second-Team selection a year ago, caught 44 passes for 807 yards and eight TDs during his senior campaign. He broke the 100-yard receiving mark three times, including a career-high 10 catches for 179 yards and two TDs versus Findlay. Williams, who averaged 18.3 yards per catch, ranked fifth in the GLIAC in receiving yards per game (80.7), seventh in receiving yards and TD catches. Williams ranks seventh in GVSU annals in all-time receptions with 128, fourth in receiving yards (2,345) and fifth in TD catches (28). Cox, who has started each of the last 26 games at center, is a key contributor in the Lakers' 23-3 mark in his 26 starts as the lone senior up front. Cox tutored three first-time starters on the Lakers' offensive line that helped GVSU rank among the GLIAC and national leaders offensively in scoring (39.7), total offense (483.4), rushing (226.5) and passing offense (256.8).

Defensively, senior linebackers Marquez Gollman (Ypsilanti, Mich.) and David Talley (Southfield, Mich./St. Mary's Prep) were All-GLIAC First-Team performers along with Voss and senior specialist Joel Schipper (Grand Rapids, Mich./Christian).

Gollman, who was a first-team all-american last season as well, ranks second on the squad in total tackles with 61 (34 solo/27 assisted), while also recording 1.5 tackles for loss (-3), two interceptions, eight pass deflections and two forced fumbles. Gollman, who notched seven tackles and returned a key interception 34 yards for a touchdown at Saginaw Valley State, has 226 tackles,16.0 tackles for loss and eight interceptions in his career. Talley, an All-GLIAC honoree in 2015, is third on the squad in total tackles with 57 (29 solo/28 assisted), fifth in tackles for loss with 7.0 (-35) and fourth in QB sacks with 3.5 (-23). Talley also has two interceptions and six pass deflections. He is GVSU's leading active tackler with 266 stops, 28,0 tackles for loss and 10.5 QB sacks. Gollman, Talley and Voss are key contributors to a Laker defense that ranks among GLIAC and national leaders in virtually every category, including scoring (17.8), QB sacks (38), tackles for loss (86), pass efficiency defense (121.62), third down conversion defense (.323), redzone defense (.606) and rushing defense (125.3).  

Schipper, who was an Honorable Mention All-GLIAC honoree a year ago, has converted 7-of-10 field goals and a league-high 55-of-57 point after attempts. Schipper, who ranks second on the team in scoring with 76 points, hit a season-best 51-yard field goal in the Lakers' 24-21 win at Ohio Dominican and drilled the game-winner in GVSU's regular-season finale win at Wayne State (24-21). Schipper also handled kickoff duties and led the GLIAC in touchbacks with 29. He is second at GVSU in all-time points with 363 and has appeared in 52 career games. 

Senior safety Donte Carey (Grand Rapids, Mich./Ottawa Hills) and defensive end Sydney Omameh (Columbus, Ohio), join junior linebacker Collin Schlosser (Ada, Mich./Forest Hills Central) and redshirt freshman offensive guard Nate Brady (Tecumseh, Mich.) on the All-GLIAC Second-Team. 

Carey turned in a solid senior season in the secondary with 39 stops (30 solo/9 assisted), a team-high four interceptions, which ranks second in the GLIAC, and eight pass breakups. Omameh, a First-Team All-GLIAC performer in 2014,  ranks eighth on the team in total tackles with 38 (19 solo/19 assisted), while ranking second in the GLIAC in QB sacks (10.5/-63) and fifth in tackles for loss (-66). Omameh also has three QB hurries, two fumble recoveries and two blocked kicks. Schlosser, who earned Honorable Mention All-GLIAC honors in 2015, leads the team and ranks ninth in the GLIAC in tackles with 93 (41 solo/52 assisted). Schlosser ranks third on the team in tackles for loss with 10.0 (-25), while also recording 2.5 QB sacks (-14), two fumble recoveries and three QB hurries. Brady is the only offensive or defensive freshman to earn All-GLIAC honors in 2016 after starting 10 games at left guard. He was a key contributor to an offensive line that helped GVSU rank among the GLIAC and national leaders offensively in scoring (39.7), total offense (483.4), rushing (226.5) and passing offense (256.8).

In addition, defensive linemen Mark Rosenquist (Sr., Lake Forest, Ill.), DeOndre Hogan (Sr., Livonia, Mich./Clarenceville) and Dylan Carroll (So., Portland, Mich.), safety Garrett Pougnet (Fenton, Mich./Flint Powers), wide receiver Nick Dodson (So., Aurora, Ill./Meta Valley) and quarterback Bart Williams (So., Grand Blanc, Mich.) earned Honorable Mention All-GLIAC honors. 

Rosenquist recorded 30 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss (-1) and five pass deflections, while Hogan chipped in 27 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss (-12) and 2.5 QB sacks (-8). Carroll, just a sophomore, tallied 34 total tackles, a team-high 14.0 tackles for loss (-80) and 7.0 QB sacks (-59).  Pougnet, who missed three games with an ankle injury, tallied 43 tackles and six pass breakups. Dodson tied for the team lead in receptions with 44 for 642 yards and a team-high 10 touchdowns. Bart Williams completed 162-of-265 passes for 2,713 yards and 26 touchdowns for a pass efficiency rating of 172.7. Williams led the GLIAC and ranked fifth nationally in both pass efficiency rating and yards per completion (16.75), while his 10.24 yards per pass attempt ranked first in the GLIAC and second nationally.