Kulas Earns GLIAC Pat Riepma Postgraduate Scholarship

BAY CITY, Mich. – Dan Kulas of the Michigan Tech Track and Field/Cross Country team has been selected as a 2016-17 Great Lakes Athletic Conference Pat Riepma Postgraduate Scholarship recipient, announced Monday by the conference office.  The honor, which awards each recipient, one male and one female, $5,000 in aid to the graduate school of their choice, was voted on by the Faculty Athletic Representatives (FARs) of the GLIAC member institutions.

Kulas, a Chemical Engineering major from Iron Mountain, Michigan, has had an outstanding career for Tech both on the track and in the classroom. Kulas logged a career best time of 15:07.55 in the 5000 Meter Run earlier this spring at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Invitational. He was fifth in the 5000 at the Augustana College Vikings Olympics, his highest finish in that event this spring.

During the course of his career, Kulas won three individual event championships including the 3000 Meter Run in the Northern Challenge in January of 2016. Kulas claimed a pair of first place 8k cross country finishes at the UW-Parkside Midwest Open in 2015 and the UW-Parkside Lucian Rosa Invitational in 2014.

Kulas is a five time GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team honoree while being named a Superior Athlete of the Week three times. He serves on the Student Athletic Advisory Committee where he helped organize a Toys for Tots fundraiser surrounding a Michigan Tech hockey game. Kulas owns a 3.95 GPA and will pursue his graduate degree at Michigan Tech as well. Kulas is the fourth Michigan Tech student-athlete to receive this award, joining past recipients Brett Gervais (Football 2015-16), Angela Guisfredi (Women's Basketball, 2010-11), and Jacob Clark (Football, 2012-13).

Beginning in 2016, the GLIAC Postgraduate Scholarship is being named after former Northwood University Athletic Director and head football coach Pat Riepma who passed away last July after a lengthy and courageous battle with cancer. Pat spent over 21 years at Northwood and was the all-time winningest coach in football history as well as the long time Athletic Director.

Ashland University women's soccer defender Jessica Brown was the other recipient of this year's Pat Riepma Postgraduate Scholarship. The official GLIAC press release can be viewed by clicking here.