Kautzer receives GLIAC Pat Riepma Postgraduate Scholarship
HOUGHTON, Mich. – Michigan Tech cross country runner Amanda Kautzer has received the GLIAC Pat Riepma Postgraduate Scholarship. The honor awards each recipient $5,000 in aid to the graduate school of their choice. Selections were made by the Faculty Athletic Representatives (FARs) of the GLIAC member institutions.
Kautzer raced at the 2019 NCAA Championship and received USTFCCCA All-Academic honors. She was a three-time GLIAC All-Academic Excellence team member and received the team's 2018 Scholastic Achievement Award. She competed in five races in 2019, leading the Huskies at the Blugold Invite and placing one spot outside of an All-GLIAC finish at the conference championship.
As a Nordic skier for the Huskies, Kautzer was a three-time qualifier at the NCAA Championships. She received the NCAA's Elite 90 award in 2020, having the best grade-point average of anyone at the Championships with her 4.0 in biomedical engineering. In 2019 she was a Google Cloud Division II Academic All-American and has been on the USCSCA All-Academic Team three times. Kautzer was a Central Regional Champion in 2019 in the classic and placed 17th at the 2019 NCAA Championship in the classic. She is a three-time All-CCSA selection and three-time All-Central Region finisher.
Kautzer has also performed on the world stage at the 2020 U23 World Ski Championships in Germany and competed at the Junior World Championships three times from 2015-17 as a biathlete.
Kautzer was a captain on both teams and is only the third Michigan Tech female student-athlete to compete at the NCAA Championships in both cross country and Nordic skiing.
The GLIAC Postgraduate Scholarship is awarded in honor of former Northwood University Athletic Director and head football coach Pat Riepma who passed away July 14, 2015 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. While his achievements on the field and on behalf of the athletic department are impressive, Pat will be forever remembered for the person he was. Pat was a passionate, spiritual man who inspired thousands of people even before he became sick. While Pat is gone, his mantra of "Go MAD"- Go Make a Difference, will live on.
Past recipients of the scholarship from Michigan Tech are Stephanie Dietrich (volleyball) and Cody Goldsworthy (football) in 2018, Daniel Kulas (track & field, cross country) in 2017, Brett Gervais (football) in 2016, Jacob Clark (football) in 2013, and Angela Guisfredi (basketball) in 2011.