Sports Shorts- November 30, 2011

Pair of All-Americans after cross country championships

The Ferris State women’s cross country team finished in eighth-place at the NCAA Division II National Championships Nov. 19 in Spokane, Wash. This finish was the second in a row for the Bulldogs and is the highest finish in school history. In senior Tina Muir’s last collegiate meet she placed a personal-best sixth-place overall. Muir’s sixth-place finish marks the highest individual finish any women’s cross country runner has placed at a national championship in the Bulldog program. Muir earned All-America honors and became the first four-time All-American athlete in women’s cross country at Ferris. Junior Anna Rudd earned All-America honors for the first time in her career. Rudd finished 26th overall in the championship meet. Junior Alyssa Osika finished 54th, sophomore Brittany Anderson finished 62nd, and juniors Felecia Slate and Shelby Janutol placed 72nd and 80th, respectively. Freshman Kristie LeSage finished 95th overall.

Ten Ferris Football players named All-GLIAC

In an announcement made Nov. 16 ten Bulldog Football players were named to the 2011 All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Football Team. Ferris junior linebacker Tayo Moss was given first team all-league honors for 2011. Three other players were given second-team laurels. Six were named honorable mention honorees. Senior center Jake Hancock was named to second-team offense. Senior cornerback Antwian Windmon and junior defensive end Jordan Morgan were both second-team defensive picks. This marked the second year in a row Hancock and Morgan were second-team selections. Honorable mention honorees included senior quarterback Tom Schneider, senior receiver Mike Ryan, senior defensive tackle Muneer Bawayeh, junior offensive tackle Trevor Smolinski, junior running back Skyler Stoker, and junior defensive end Brad Iskow.

Volleyball players earn Academic Honors

Senior outside hitter Ashley Huntey and junior middle hitter Anne Sutton were both awarded for their academic and athletic accomplishments by being named to the Capitol One Division II Academic All-District IV First Team. The College Sports Information Directors of America chose six women’s volleyball players in the nation for their combined performance on floor and in the classroom. The Academic All-District teams are divided into eight different geological districts across the United States and Canada. n