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Men's Basketball Michael Reedy

Townsend and Shipps Named Horizon League Winter Scholar Athletes of the Season

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Trey Townsend of men's basketball and Jordyn Shipps of swim and dive were named Horizon League Winter Scholar Athletes of the Season, the league announced today.

This is the first time the Golden Grizzlies earned Horizon League Scholar Athlete of the Season since 2022 as Susan LaGrand and Connor Goetz were recognized then.

With a 3.48 undergraduate GPA studying Communication, Townsend adds another award to his season collection. Townsend was recognized near the end of the regular season with a #HLMBB All-Academic Team nod and followed it up with being named #HLMBB Player of the Year, named All-League First Team, named to the conference All-Tournament Team and Tournament MVP, an NABC Division I District 12 First-Team All-District Team nod, and capped off the season as the Lou Henson National Player of the Year.

A leader both in the classroom and on the court, Townsend helped lead the Golden Grizzlies to its first-ever outright Horizon League Regular Season title, Horizon League Tournament Championship and NCAA first-round win. On the year, Townsend played and started in all 36 games, led the team in minutes (36.4 per game), field goals made (220), free throws made (169), scoring (17.3), rebounds (8.1), assists (111) and steals (48). Townsend also led the team in all seven of those categories in conference games while the senior also paced the team in double-doubles this season with 10.

Townsend finished the season with a trio of marks that will go down in the Golden Grizzlies men's basketball record book, as he sits third in defensive rebounds (214), t-9th in total rebounds (291) and 10th in free throws made (169) in a season. The Oxford, Mich., native dropped a career-high 38 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out five assists in 40 minutes of court time in the tournament championship game. He joined a short list of him and Kevin Durant (Texas, 2007) of players to score 35+ points, 10+ rebounds and play 40+ minutes in a conference championship game in the last 25 years. With five assists, he's the only player in the last 15 years to record at least 35 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a regulation conference tournament game.

On the other hand, the junior from Dewitt Michigan has stacked up multiple accolades during her time as a Golden Grizzly. Shipps holds a GPA of 3.92 studying communication sciences and disorders with a specification in the pre-physician assistant track. The junior has been a part of the legendary Oakland Swim and Dive program for the past three years and upholds the legacy of claiming all three conference championships since she stepped on campus. 

Shipps was named Horizon League Swimmer of the Week two times during the regular season this year, first on October 11th following her performance at the University of Miami, Ohio meet hosted at home, and secondly on December 6th, after the Zippy Invitational hosted by Xavier University. This year she has been awarded the Horizon League All-Academic team alongside eleven other Golden Grizzly teammates for her continuous work and contribution to the classroom, respectively. 

With a history of smashing records, Shipps is no stranger to excellence and paving the way for athletic success as she holds two school records in the 100 butterfly (53.04), and the 200 butterfly (1:58.58), both of which she set at the Horizon League Championships this year. Not only this, but she holds Oakland's fourth best time the 200 IM (2:00.53) and the 50 freestyle (22.95), and claims the fifth best time in the 200 freestyle (1:48.68). 

All season Shipps has led the Golden Grizzlies with the single most event wins tallying an impressive 19 victories on the season. At the Horizon League Championships alone the junior took seven event victories including the 800 freestyle relay, 200 IM, 200 freestyle relay, 100 butterfly, 400 medley relay, 200 butterfly, and 400 freestyle relay.
 
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Players Mentioned

Trey Townsend

#4 Trey Townsend

F
6' 6"
Sophomore
Susan LaGrand

Susan LaGrand

Back/IM/Free
5' 8"
Graduate Student
Jordyn Shipps

Jordyn Shipps

Fly/ Free/ IM
5' 6"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Trey Townsend

#4 Trey Townsend

6' 6"
Sophomore
F
Susan LaGrand

Susan LaGrand

5' 8"
Graduate Student
Back/IM/Free
Jordyn Shipps

Jordyn Shipps

5' 6"
Sophomore
Fly/ Free/ IM