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President's Letter |
Klobucher Named to National Scholar-Athlete Class
Senior middle linebacker Mike Klobucher is among 17 select college football student-athletes who comprise the 2006 National Scholar-Athlete Class, which made him a finalist for the 2006 Draddy Trophy awarded to college football’s top scholar-athlete. Klobucher received an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and was recognized at the 49th annual National Football Foundation Awards Dinner last December at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. He joined defensive end Ryan Meredith of Pittsburg (Kan.) State University as the only student-athletes from NCAA Division II-playing institutions. Candidates must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, outstanding football ability as a first team player and demonstrated leadership and citizenship qualities. Klobucher was also selected as the recipient of the Jack H. McAvoy Award for the 2006 season. The award is presented annually to the GLIAC football player who best combines outstanding character and leadership on the field, in the classroom and in the community. He joins former Bulldog gridiron standouts Mo Harris (1999) and Chris Pulliams (1996) as McAvoy Award honorees. The 6-2, 248-pound defensive co-captain, who was Ferris’ leading tackler for the third consecutive season, also was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Football First Team. A 2006 All-GLIAC First Teamer and Ferris’ MVP the past two seasons, Klobucher finished his Bulldog career ranking seventh among the school’s all-time tackles leaders with 389 career stops (206 solos) in 42 contests. Irwin Honored as NCAA Woman of the Year Finalist
Former women’s track and field/cross country All-America runner Jenny Irwin, who completed her collegiate eligibility at the conclusion of the 2005-06 athletics season, was chosen as one of nine national finalists for the prestigious 2006 National Collegiate Athletic Association Woman of the Year Award. The award honors outstanding senior student-athletes for their cumulative collegiate achievements in service, leadership, athletics and academics. Irwin was chosen as the GLIAC’s nominee. Irwin is the second Bulldog student-athlete to be named a finalist for this honor. Morgan Buckner, who participated in volleyball and track and field, placed among the top 10 finalists in 2002. Ferris is one of only six athletics programs in the country to have two or more national finalists for this award in the last five years. Since the award began in 1994, fewer than 25 institutions nationwide have had multiple national finalists. The four-year letter winner was chosen as an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America College Division Women’s Track/Cross Country First-Team selection for the 2005-06 season. She not only claimed Academic All-America honors in her final season, but completed a personal sweep with All-America honors in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track during the 2005-06 campaign. Irwin earned All-America honors with a 20th-place finish in the 25th annual NCAA Division II Women’s Cross Country National Championships last fall in Pomona, Calif. She completed the six-kilometer race in a time of 22:11.7 to become the first female women’s cross country All-American in Bulldog history. She concluded her Ferris career with track records in six different events. Playoffs End Winning Volleyball Season
The women’s volleyball team saw its winning 2006 season come to an end in a match against Ashland University last November at the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional Quarterfinals at Hillsdale, Mich. Ferris State concluded the year with a 21-9 overall record and a second-place GLIAC North Division record of 12-6. Ferris’ 21 wins marks the eighth time in the last nine years the Bulldogs have notched 20 or more victories. In recognition of her play throughout the season, senior outside hitter Danielle Baucher was recognized as a Daktronics All-Great Lakes Region First Team selection. At the time of the announcement, the 5-10 Baucher, who was also a GLIAC First Team honoree, had a school-record 1,545 career digs along with 1,480 kills, which ranked her sixth in school history. The 2006 campaign was Ferris’ 34th season of women’s volleyball. The Bulldogs headed into the NCAA Tourney with an all-time mark of 735-415 for a .639 winning percentage. Since the program’s inception in 1972, the Bulldogs have won nine GLIAC titles, made 14 NCAA-II Tournament appearances and registered 26 winning seasons. Two Soccer Players Earn All-GLIAC Honors
Junior midfielder Kristie Smilanich and sophomore forward Tammy Unsworth of the women’s soccer team were All-GLIAC selections for the 2006 season. Smilanich received first-team honors while Unsworth was a second team choice. Smilanich totaled a team-high 39 points and 18 goals last season. Her 39 total points represented the program’s top seasonal performance in school history while her 18 goals also ranked as the school’s best ever single-season performance. Smilanich’s 67 career points and 27 total goals are both second all-time on Ferris’ career performers list. Her best 2006 performance came when she netted four goals, all of which came in the second period of play, in the Bulldogs’ 7-5 home-opening win over Wheeling Jesuit (W.Va.). Unsworth is fourth in both points (30) and goals (12) among the school’s single-season leaders. She recorded a school single-game record five individual goals as the Bulldogs posted a decisive 11-1 victory over Northwood in their 2006 GLIAC opener at the Ferris Soccer Field.
Ferris State concluded the year 7-11 overall and 3-5 in league play under head coach Neathan Gibson. The Bulldogs’ 120 total points and 46 goals represented the highest single-season production in school history. Eight of Ferris’ last 11 outings were decided by two or fewer goals, with three matches going to overtime. Pierce Nominated for Coach of the Year Award
Jeff Pierce, the all-time winningest head coach in Bulldog football history, was nominated for the 2006 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award. The award honors the college football coach who best exemplifies responsibility and excellence both on and off the field. A selection committee including members of the College Football Hall of Fame, the national media and fans help choose the annual winner. “I was pleased, but certainly not surprised to hear that Coach Pierce was nominated for this award,” said Ferris Gridiron Club President John Milan. “His generosity to the community is only topped by his commitment to his family.” Pierce, who’s entering his 13th year as head coach, has compiled a 77-55 overall coaching record. His 2006 Bulldog squad went 8-3, finishing the season with impressive wins against Wayne State University and a playoff-bound Northwood squad. |
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