BAY CITY, Mich. – Grace Bradford (Glen Arbor, Mich.) has been named the 2023 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Freshman of the Year. In addition, Mattison Rayman (Otsego, Mich.) was selected to the All-GLIAC Second Team, as voted on by the coaches.

Bradford becomes only the fourth Lake Superior State Laker to receive GLIAC Freshman of the Year honors in program history and the first in 17 years, joining Jaclyn Armstrong (2006), Chris Nance (1992), and Deanna Sutton (1988). Bradford competed in all 26 games for the Lakers while starting 25, averaging 12.4 points on 40.9 percent shooting from the floor while also grabbing 9.9 rebounds per game, ranking second in the GLIAC in rebounding behind only Rayman (10.7), including a league-best 8.0 defensive rebounds per contest which is a top-ten mark nationally. She was able to eclipse 20 points on four occasions, including a season-high 26-point performance against Purdue Northwest on Feb. 2 and a 20-point, 20-rebound double-double against Algoma on Dec. 17. She reached double-figure scoring in 16 games while recording eight double-doubles, and she also finished the season totaling 28 steals, 23 assists, and eight blocks.

Rayman was named to the 2022-23 All-GLIAC Second Team after leading her team in scoring with 15.8 points per game and a league-best mark of 10.7 rebounds per contest (tenth nationally). She started all 26 games for the Lakers, producing the most double-doubles in the GLIAC with 14 while eclipsing 20 points on nine occasions, including a 25-point, 18-rebound performance against Purdue Northwest on Jan. 14 in which she reached 1,000 points for her career. Rayman was seemingly able to get to the free throw line at will, overpowering opponents for a league-best 221 free throw attempts with her total free throw attempts and free throws made (157) both being top-five marks nationally.