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Fairman, Nisbett and Wall
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Bulldog Bites

Myers Named to All-America Team

Kevin Myers

   In December, Ferris State outside linebacker Kevin Myers was named to the 2003 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches’ All-America Team.
   Myers is the first Ferris State football player to receive the accolade since 2001 when flanker Clarence Coleman achieved the honor. Coleman played this past season with the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League, making his first NFL catch on Oct. 12 against the New York Jets.
   Past AFCA All-Americans from Ferris include tailback Tyree Dye (1994), defensive tackle Kelly Chisholm (1996) and kicker-punter Doc Proctor (1999).
   A first-team All-GLIAC selection this season, Myers paced the Bulldogs in tackles for the second consecutive season with a career-high and conference-leading 141 stops (87 solos) in 11 games. His season tackles total last fall was the most by a Ferris State player since 1996 and represents the school’s 13th highest single-season total. He recorded eight double-figure tackle game performances in 2003, which included a career-best 23 tackles (15 solos) against Findlay. The Bulldog linebacker also registered his first career touchdown on a 40-yard fumble recovery return versus Northwood.
   Myers, who was chosen as Ferris State’s Most Valuable Defensive Skill Player last season, averaged 16.5 tackles (66 total) in his last four outings with double-digit tackles in each contest. The 5-11, 210-pound defender made 49 tackles as a freshman in 2001 and was recognized as the squad’s Outstanding Defensive Rookie. In 2002, Myers posted a team-high 112 tackles (66 solos) in 10 games. In 31 career appearances to date, Myers has accumulated 302 tackles (174 solos) to rank 14th on the Bulldogs’ all-time leaders list.
   Ferris State concluded its 2003 campaign at 6-5 overall and finished tied for fourth place in the GLIAC with a 5-5 record.

Ferris to Host NCAA Regional Tourney This Spring

Ferris State's Katke Golf Course has been chosen as the site for the 2004 NCAA Division II East Regional Women's Championships.

   The Ferris State women’s golf program has been approved by the National Collegiate Athletic Association to serve as the host institution for the East Regional of the 2004 NCAA Division II Women’s Golf Championships scheduled for May 4-5 at the University’s Katke Golf Course.
   Ferris State also is host to the 2004 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women’s Golf Championships, April 24-25, which signifies its debut as a conference tourney host.
   “We’re quite excited to be the host for this (regional) tournament”, said Bulldog fifth-year head coach Brad Bedortha. “We’ve submitted bids before but were never fortunate to serve as a host. This is the first time we will get to play on our home course in regional play and not have to worry about travel. It’s also a great opportunity for both our program and the University to get recognized.”
   The Bulldogs, who will be hosting an NCAA Regional for the first time ever in the program’s history, were awarded the bid primarily as a result of the University’s high-quality golf facilities.
   The other three regional tournaments (North, South and West) also will be conducted May 4-5 to determine the championship field. The North Regional will be held at the Mankato (Minn.) Golf Club with Minnesota State University, Mankato serving as the host. The Stonebrook Country Club in Pensacola, Fla., will be the South Regional site with the University of West Florida as host. The West Regional, hosted by Western New Mexico University, will take place at the University Golf Course in Las Cruces, N.M. The top two teams from each regional, along with the top two individuals not with a team, will advance to the NCAA-II National Championships, May 11-14, at the Division II Spring Sports Festival in Orlando, Fla.
   A season ago, Ferris State finished in third place of six participating teams at the 54-hole NCAA-II East Regional with a three-round 985 score (330-327-328–985). The tournament took place at the Findlay (Ohio) Country Club with the University of Findlay serving as the host institution.

Women’s Soccer Posts Best-Ever Season

In 2003, the women's soccer team played its way to a record 11-5-1 season.

   The women’s soccer team posted a 11-5-1 overall record and 5-3 GLIAC mark last fall under first-year head coach Melissa Eging, both of which represent best season performances in the program’s five-year history.
   Ferris posted a 5-2-1 mark in away outings in 2003, which topped its previous school-best 4-3-1 performance set during 2000. The team’s 36 assists, 40 goals and 116 total points last season rank first on the school’s single-season charts, as the Bulldogs either won or tied eight of their last 11 outings. Several players had standout seasons during ’03.
   Sophomore midfielder Kristin Aukeman compiled seven assists, which ranks third on Ferris’ single-season leaders chart. Fellow sophomore forward Lisa O’Brian’s 15 goals represent the school’s best-ever individual single-season performance.
   Senior forward Emily Rogers’ 38 total points ranks first among the school’s all-time single-season leaders. Her 12 assists also tops her own school mark of eight assists recorded in 2001.
   Freshman goalkeeper Carla Gilbertson broke the school’s single-season record for victories. Gilbertson, who finished the year with a 7-4-0 mark, surpassed the six victories posted by senior goalkeeper Alana Dombrowski in 2002.
   Rogers, who received the squad’s Most Valuable Offensive Player Award for the fourth consecutive year, and O’Brian were named to the All-GLIAC First-Team as announced by the league office. Rogers and O’Brian represent Ferris’ only first-team all-league selections in the five-year history of the program. In addition, junior forward Jen Gaylor attained second-team All-GLIAC kudos in balloting by the league’s member head coaches. O’Brian had a team-best 15 goals last campaign while Gaylor currently is listed third in points (27) and goals (10) and tied for third in assists (7) among Ferris’ all-time leaders.
   Eleven players each were named to both the first and second teams. Ferris State was one of four schools to have two or more first-team honorees along with Grand Valley State, Ashland and Mercyhurst.

Three Bulldogs Earn All-League Volleyball Honors

Ashley Green

Karla Fairbanks

Brittny Godlewski

   Junior outside hitter Karla Fairbanks and junior setter Ashley Green of the 2003 women’s volleyball squad were named to the All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference First-Team last fall, in conjunction with the 2003 GLIAC Tournament held at the Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek, Mich.
   Green garnered first-team laurels for the second-consecutive season while Fairbanks earned All-GLIAC accolades for the first time. In addition, sophomore libero Brittny Godlewski attained honorable mention All-GLIAC kudos for the second-straight campaign.
   Fairbanks also was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II Honorable Mention All-America Team, and Fairbanks and Godlewski were recognized as 2003 Daktronics Division II All-Great Lakes Region honorees.Ferris State was one of four schools to have four first-team GLIAC honorees along with Grand Valley State, Northern Michigan and Northwood.
   A 2002 GLIAC All-Academic Team honoree, Fairbanks registered a team-high 516 kills and 336 digs during the 2003 campaign. She also became the 13th player in school history to register 1,000 career kills and presently ranks 12th among the school’s all-time leaders with 1,111 career kills. Fairbanks recorded 26 double-figure kill outings and totaled 17 double-double (kills and digs) performances this campaign.
   Green, who earned 2002 American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II All-Great Lakes Region First-Team recognition, led Ferris in assists for the third consecutive season with 1,215. She also moved into third place on the school’s all-time list and currently has 3,528 career assists. Green notched 50 or more assists in nine outings this season.
   Godlewski placed second among the squad’s digs leaders with 315 during the 2003 campaign. She averaged 2.79 digs per game in 113 games. Godlewski registered 10 digs or more in 16 outings this year.
   The Bulldogs concluded the 2003 campaign with a 15-14 overall record after dropping a 3-2 quarterfinal-round decision to Gannon in the ninth annual GLIAC Tournament.

Lucy DeMartin Breaks School Scoring Record
   Senior guard Lucy DeMartin became the school’s all-time scoring leader in women’s basketball as she surpassed former Bulldog Monta Ware’s 21-year old career points mark in the Bulldogs 72-66 GLIAC win on Feb. 16 over Grand Valley State in Allendale, Mich.
   DeMartin, who needed 16 points entering the contest to match Ware’s school-record output of 1,573 career points, tallied a team-high 23 points for Ferris in the win. Her points against the Lakers gave her 1,580 career points and an active 55-game double-figure scoring streak.

Lucy DeMartin drives for the basket in the Bulldogs' 87-70 home win over Gannon on Jan. 22.

   A 2002-03 Daktronics NCAA Division II All-Great Lakes Region First-Team selection, DeMartin was named to the 2003-04 Women’s Division II Bulletin Preseason Super 16 All-America Team and chosen as the publication’s preseason GLIAC Player of the Year. Her team-leading 20.2 points per game scoring average in 2002-03 ranked first among the school’s all-time leaders and placed second in the GLIAC’s overall statistical rankings.
   In addition to being the University’s career scoring leader, at the time she broke the scoring record DeMartin also held the school’s career mark with 374 made free throws and was among Ferris’ top 10 career leaders in field goals (557), steals (181), assists (332), blocked shots (34), three-point field goals (92), three-point field goal percentage (.329) and free throw percentage (.781).