April 10, 2026

Ferris State basketball player Kadyn Blanchard honored with GLIAC Pat Riepma Scholarship for academic, athletic success

Ferris State University women's basketball senior Kadyn Blanchard has been chosen as a recipient of the 2025-26 GLIAC Pat Riepma Postgraduate Scholarship, honoring her performance on the court and in the classroom.

One female and one male student-athlete is selected to receive $5,000 in aid to the graduate school of their choice. Honorees are selected by the Faculty Athletic Representatives of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference member institutions.

Blanchard, Ferris State women's basketball's all-time leading scorer, will attend Logan University in pursuit of a Doctor of Chiropractic degree alongside a master's in Sports Rehabilitation. Blanchard's ultimate career goal is to operate her own chiropractic office, helping athletes get back to being healthy and playing at their full potential.

Blanchard, a Freeland native, is seeking a master’s degree in Healthcare Administration.

The GLIAC Postgraduate Scholarship is named after former Northwood University Athletic Director and head football coach Pat Riepma who passed away in July 2015 after a lengthy and courageous battle with cancer.

Riepma spent more than 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, Riepma will be forever remembered for the person he was -- a passionate, spiritual man who inspired thousands of people even before he became sick.

Blanchard closed out a remarkable career as the Bulldogs' all-time career women's basketball scoring leader, tallying nearly 2,000 career points. She led the GLIAC in scoring this past season as a senior, averaging 17 points per game while reaching double-figure scoring in 29 games for a squad that reached the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldog senior scored 20 points or more in 12 games and was one of the region's top performers.

Named the 2026 GLIAC Player of the Year, Blanchard was a three-time all-conference honoree and was both a first-team pick along with an all-defensive team performer this year. The four-time GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team choice led the Bulldogs to four NCAA D2 Tournament appearances in her career, including a berth in the D2 National Semifinals in 2024.

Blanchard helped Ferris State win both GLIAC regular season and tournament titles in her career and was with the program for six years, returning twice from season-ending injuries. She was highly active in the program's various community service initiatives in addition to training and coaching youth basketball players.

Additionally, she has served on the Bulldogs' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and has been Ferris State’s SAAC President.