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President's Letter |
2007 Ferris State Football Schedule Women’s Basketball Reaches “Sweet Sixteen”
Last March, the women’s basketball team advanced to the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional championship game with an 80-61 win over Gannon at Lewis University’s Neil Carey Arena in Romeoville, Ill. In their third-ever NCAA tourney appearance, the Bulldogs jumped out to a 16-point halftime lead over the Knights. The Knights cut the Bulldog lead down to only four points with 5:32 to go, but Ferris sank 11 free throws in the final five minutes to preserve the win. Ferris, which upset second-seeded Northern Kentucky 70-69 on a buzzer beater in the quarterfinals, then held on for the win to reach the “Sweet Sixteen” round. Junior forward Rachel Folcik netted a game-high 16 points. Senior guard Kristin Reinhart added 15 points, sophomore guard Teghan Thelen chipped in 14 points and junior guard/forward Sam Johns netted 11 points. Freshman forward/center Andrea Clancy made a valuable contribution in a reserve role with 11 points and eight rebounds. “We had several players step up and make plays for us when we needed them,” said Head Coach Tracey Bloodworth-Fisk. The women’s squad had its season come to an end with a disappointing 79-69 loss to Drury (Mo.). The fourth-seeded Panthers led by only two points at halftime (32-30), but outscored Ferris 47-39 in the second half. The Bulldogs fought back from a nine-point deficit with 15 minutes left and took a 58-55 advantage with six minutes to go before Drury went on a 14-4 run. The game was DU’s fourth regional final in the last five years while the Bulldogs made their first-ever appearance in the round of 16. “We hadn’t been here before, and they had, so I think experience played a large role,” said Bloodworth-Fisk. The team’s previous NCAA tourney bids came in 2000 and ’04. Including their tournament appearance, the Bulldogs finished the season with a record of 23-9. Men’s Golf Scores National Tournament Appearance
The men’s golf team qualified for the 45th annual NCAA Division II Men’s Golf Championships held last May in Allendale, Mich., after taking top team honors at the Great Lakes Super Regional in Joplin, Mo. It was the 12th NCAA-II Championship appearance in the program’s history and the first since the 2003 season. At the national tourney held at The Meadows Golf Course in Allendale, Mich., seniors Kyle Mason, Brody Moreland, Matt Erickson and Jeff Carlson along with freshman Kurt Valley finished in 17th place with a 1,245 team score in the 72-hole tournament. Barry (Fla.) claimed the national championship title by registering a 1,185-stroke total (+49), two shots better than both South Carolina Upstate and Florida Southern (1,187, +51). Carlson was the Bulldogs’ top finisher at Allendale with a 43rd-place tying score of 305 (75-74-78-78, +21). Carlson was medalist at the Super Regional with a 10-under par effort, opening with a first-day round of 68 followed by two rounds of 69 at the three-day event. Softball Finishes Successful Season at Regional Tourney
When Ferris’ softball team made its fifth NCAA Division II Regional Tournament appearance last May at Lewis University in Romeoville, Ill., it already had 29 season victories while entering as the tournament’s sixth seed to face the third-seed Gannon Lady Knights. The Bulldogs beat Gannon 6-1 with the help of first-baseman Laura Crower who went three for three, including a three-run homer to left field. The team next bested Missouri-Rolla 12-4 in six innings. Eventual tourney winner Southern Illinois-Edwardsville handed the Bulldogs their first loss 6-4 in the double elimination tournament. The Bulldogs’ season came to an end with another 6-4 loss to Grand Valley State. Under 10th-year head coach Keri Becker, the team concluded the 2007 season with an overall record of 31-17 including its two regional wins. The 31 victories tied for the fifth-most single-season victories in the program’s history, equaling the 2005 team’s wins total. Crower was named to the Regional All-Tourney Team, as was third baseman Katie Kraai, who had at least one hit in all four of Ferris’ tournament outings including a three-run homer to center in the team’s final game. Carroll Achieves All-America Honors
Junior thrower Kamitra Carroll of the women’s track and field team was named to the Division II Women’s Indoor Track and Field All-America Team after her performance at the NCAA-II Indoor Championships held last March at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, Mass. Carroll earned All-America kudos in both the weight throw and shot put, claiming national runner-up honors in the weight throw during the opening day of action with a best toss of 59-4 in the event. Carroll then placed sixth overall in the shot put with a top toss of 46-5.5 on the second day of competition. Carroll surpassed the national provisional qualification standard in both events at the 2007 GLIAC Indoor Championships held last February in University Center, Mich., placing second in the shot put (46-7.5) and fourth in the weight throw (55-11). The Bulldog women’s team finished fifth with 49.50 points at this year’s GLIAC Indoor Championships. Carroll’s efforts enabled the Bulldogs to match their highest finish in program history at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships (15th - 11 points). Carroll, along with runner Jared Kelsh, also took part in the 2007 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which took place last May in Charlotte, N.C. Carroll placed 10th in both the shot put and hammer throw, while Kelsh finished 15th overall in the 1,500 meters with a preliminary round time of 3:57.08. Women’s Golf Takes Third at National Championships
For the fourth consecutive year the Bulldog women’s golf team finished among the top four teams in the nation by finishing third overall this past May at the 2007 NCAA Division II National Championship at Stonebrook Golf Club in Pace, Fla. Last year, the Bulldogs finished second at the championship tournament to perennial powerhouse Rollins (Fla.). Ferris’ second-place showing in 2006 marked the highest finish ever in the history of Bulldog women’s athletics. This year, the Bulldogs concluded the four-day national tournament with a team score of 1,228 strokes (+76). Florida Southern captured the team championship with a four-round total of 1,188 (+36) in defeating four-time defending national champion Rollins, which carded a score of 1,198 (+46) to finish second. Junior Becky Hoffman placed ninth individually in the field of 48 golfers by posting a final score of 302 (+14). Sophomore Meghan Hunter tied for 15th place in the field with a 307 (+19). Sophomore Alison Meyer recorded a 22nd-place individual finish with a 311 (+23), while senior Casey McKinnon wrapped up her Bulldog career in a tie for 27th place at 315 (+27). Sophomore Raquel Hansen finished 36th overall with a 320 (+32) for the tournament. The Bulldogs’ fourth consecutive NCAA Division II Women’s Golf Championship appearance (the seventh in the program’s history) came after winning the East Regional at Ferris’ Katke Golf Course. Hoffman’s efforts on the course earned her inclusion in the 2006-07 National Golf Coaches Association Division II Women’s Golf All-America Honorable Mention Team. She was also named, along with teammate McKinnon, to the 2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV College Division Women’s At-Large Team. |
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