Awards by the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association to the outstanding senior athletes from its member schools during the 2009-10 academic year have been announced by Commissioner David Neilson.
Brandon Luczak of Kalamazoo College has received the Albert L. Deal Scholar-Athlete Award, while Ashley Peterson of Saint Mary’s College has been presented the Sheila Wallace Kovalchik Scholar-Athlete Award.
"Brandon and Ashley have had marvelous careers these last four years in the classroom, on the field, and as role models in our conference. They will be missed, but their selection for these awards from such an exceptional group of nominees is an achievement for which they should take great pride," Commissioner Neilson said.
The awards recognize senior class athletes who have excelled in academics and athletics, as well as displayed outstanding leadership qualities. The awards honor two former MIAA commissioners, Albert Deal (1971-91) and Sheila Wallace Kovalchik (1991-2002).
Brandon Luczak
A resident of Rochester Hills and graduate of Rochester High School, Luczak was an outstanding football and baseball player during his four years at Kalamazoo, earning All-MIAA honors three times. In football, he broke every school single-game and seasonal passing record during his senior year, and led all of NCAA Division III in total offense with 381.8 yards per game and passing offense with 366.3 yards per game. He was second in the nation in completions per game (32.2) and fourth in total passing yardage with 3,663 yards. A converted tight end, Luczak set MIAA single game records for attempts (79) and completions (56) in a game against Hope, and twice threw six touchdown passes in a game. He was a second-team All-MIAA selection. He finished his career as Kalamazoo’s career leader in completions with 613 and attempts with 1,058, second in career touchdown passes with 58, and third in career passing yardage (6,884) and total offense (7,176). He finished the 2009 season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, then played in the D3 Football Senior Classic in December before having surgery.
In baseball, Luczak posted a 5-3 record with six complete games in conference play as a freshman, earning Second Team All-MIAA honors. As a sophomore, he batted .324 at the plate while pitching four complete games and earning two saves on the mound, repeating as a Second Team All-MIAA pick. This past spring, he returned from his ACL surgery to contribute to the Hornets on the mound. He also played first base, shortstop and designated hitter on the diamond for Kalamazoo, posting a .276 career batting average.
A chemistry major at Kalamazoo, Luczak graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a 3.879 grade point average, earning MIAA Academic Honor Roll honors all four years. In December, he was named the first team quarterback on the College Division Academic All-America® team by the College Sports Information Directors of America and ESPN The Magazine.
Luczak volunteered for numerous programs, both on and off campus, during his collegiate career. For three years, he was a mentor for the Kalamazoo Big Brothers program. He also was an assistant coach in a youth baseball program in Kalamazoo, was president of the college’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, volunteered for the college admissions office, served as a representative on its Student Health Advisory Board and was a class agent for the college’s annual fund drive. He also worked for the college’s athletic training and athletic facilities departments and was a supplemental instructional leader in the chemistry department.
Brandon Luczak is the son of Stephen and Cynthia Luczak.
Other Deal nominees were Alex Cowart of Adrian, Jacob Lee of Albion, Greg Snapper of Calvin, Phillip Heyboer of Hope and Nick Garstka of Trine.
Ashley Peterson
A resident of Lansing, Ill. and graduate of Marian Catholic High School, Peterson played four years of softball for Saint Mary’s, earning All-MIAA First Team honors the last three years and earning the league’s Most Valuable Position Player award this past spring. She was also named Saint Mary’s most outstanding senior athlete.
Peterson set numerous school and MIAA records during her career. This past spring, she led the MIAA in all three “triple crown” categories, setting single-season conference records for home runs with eight and runs batted in with 31. She also hit .549 at the plate and had a slugging percentage of 1.215. Peterson also won the MIAA batting title her sophomore year in 2008 with a .580 average, tying the conference record for most hits in a season with 29. She ended her career as the MIAA’s all-time leader in extra-base hits (44), doubles (26), RBIs (68) and total bases (171), and finished second on the career list in batting average (.482), hits (94) and home runs (15). She graduated as Saint Mary’s all-time career leader in batting average, hits, doubles, home runs and RBIs. She was named to the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-America team twice – in 2008 (second team) and 2010 (third team).
A nursing major, Peterson graduated from Saint Mary’s in May with a 3.641 grade point average, earning recognition to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll all four years of her career. She was recently named to the College Division ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Softball second team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Peterson volunteered for numerous school and community projects during her career. A four-year member of Saint Mary’s Student Athlete Advisory Council, she organized group activities and crafts for children with cancer, children with special needs and children of the Saint Mary’s college community. She helped raise funds and food for local churches, soup kitchens and Operation Rice Bowl through the Yes We Can! Walk. She also participated in Belles for Africa, a Saint Mary’s program that raised more than $5,400 for the Sisters of Holy Cross in Uganda and collected more than 1,000 pairs of shoes for children in Africa. In addition, she worked for the past three years at a local hospital, providing nursing care for patients with cancer, chronic health conditions, as well as patients who were in urology, trauma and intensive care. She also was a respite care provider for five South Bend-area families with special needs or chronic illnesses.
Ashley Peterson is the daughter of Bruce and Chris Peterson.
Other Kovalchik nominees were Lindsay Chitwood of Adrian, Emily Magyar of Albion, Kelley Walsh of Alma, Emily Ottenhof of Calvin, Philana Greene of Hope, Megan Rimmel of Olivet, Jillian McLaughlin of Kalamazoo and Sarah Howe of Trine.
