ALLENDALE, MICH. – The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced the recipients of their 2026 Winter Commissioner's Award, with two Lakers earning the honor. Women's basketball player Nicole Kamin and women's track and field athlete Paige Westra each garnered the award from the league.
 
Grand Valley State redshirt senior Nicole Kamin was named a recipient of a GLIAC Commissioner's Award for the second consecutive season. The Lakers won their fifth straight GLIAC regular season title, their fourth consecutive GLIAC Tournament title, plus a second straight Midwest Regional title and National Championship. This year, Kamin started all 37 games, averaging 10.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and a team-high 3.5 assists. She added 60 steals and 19 blocks, garnering First-Team All-GLIAC honors. Kamin ranked 16^th nationally, and first in the conference, with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.13, and her 130 assists placed her 40^th in the country.
 
Throughout the postseason, Kamin earned spots on the GLIAC All-Tournament team, the Midwest Regional All-Tournament team, and was the Elite Eight Most Outstanding Player. The Escanaba, Michigan native scored the 1,000^th point of her Laker career this season, becoming the 30^th player in program history to reach that mark. Already named a College Sports Communicator Academic All-District selection, Kamin has recorded a 3.74 GPA, while pursuing a degree in Elementary Education.
 
In her first season of competition following injury, Grand Valley State's Paige Westra has been named a 2025-26 Winter Commissioner's Award honoree. During the indoor track and field regular season, the redshirt-sophomore threw for a personal-best 15.74m (51-7.75) in shot put, ranking fifth in program history and sixth across all of NCAA Division II, earning her U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Region honors. The Zeeland, Mich. native continued to dominate in the postseason, first earning silver at the GLIAC Indoor Championships with a 15.44m (50-8) shot put. Just two weeks later, Westra earned her first USTFCCCA All-America honor in the event, throwing for 15.52m (50-11) to place seventh. She succeeded in the classroom, as well, maintaining a 3.75 cumulative GPA while excelling in the circle.

A three-time national championship qualifier, Westra has been awarded two USTFCCCA Second-Team All-America honors. At the 2024 NCAA DII Indoor Championships, she placed 14th in shot put (13.35m / 43-10). She then proceeded to place 13th in discus (44.67m / 146-7) at the outdoor championships. Aside from this past season, she has earned three top five finishes at GLIAC Championships. Westra placed fourth in shot put (12.64m / 41-5.75) at the 2024 indoor meet. She then placed third in discus (42.81m / 140-5) and fourth in shot put (13.96m / 45-9.75) during the outdoor championships.