JENNY IRWIN & KYLE SCHUBERG HONORED AS FSU SCHOLAR-ATHLETES

Names Will Now Be Forwarded For Additional League & National Consideration

FSU Scholar-Athletes

Jenny Irwin (top) & Kyle Schuberg (bottom) have been honored as FSU's 2004-05 Scholar-Athletes

The Ferris State University Athletics Department has chosen junior Jenny Irwin (Scottville/Mason County Central) of the women's cross country/track and field program along with men's track and field sophomore Kyle Schuberg (Big Rapids) as the school's 2004-05 female and male Scholar-Athletes of the Year, respectively, in an announcement made today (July 14) by FSU Athletics Director Tom Kirinovic.

Both Irwin and Schuberg's names will now be forwarded to the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) where they will vie for consideration as the 2004-05 GLIAC Scholar Athletes of the Year along with female and male representatives from the other 12 conference institutions. The GLIAC's recipients will then advance to the national round where the NCAA Division II Commissioners Association will select the NCAA-II Scholar Athletes of the Year for the 2004-05 academic year.

"Jenny and Kyle are tremendous ambassadors for Ferris State and representative of the type of student-athletes we have on our campus," Kirinovic said. "We're extremely proud to nominate them for this award and have both of them continue to represent us in the process for this prestigious award."

Irwin claimed All-America honors with a fourth-place (4:30.60) finish in the 1,500 meters at the 2005 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships (May 26-28) held at Abilene Christian University's Elmer Gray Stadium in Abilene, Texas. In the process, she became the 11th track and field athlete in FSU women's history to earn outdoor All-America recognition and the school's first since 2002. The first-team 2004 All-GLIAC Cross Country pick also took part in the 2005 NCAA-II Indoor Championships (March 11-12) held at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, Mass., where she took 11th place in the mile run (4:58.38) and earned All-America kudos as part of the school's eighth-place distance medley relay team (11:56.52).

Irwin, who was honored as FSU's Most Valuable Women's Track Athlete this season, placed second overall in both the 1,500 meters (4:34.90) and the 3,000 meters (10:11.17) at the 2005 GLIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships (May 5-6) in Allendale, Mich. A 2004-05 All-GLIAC Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field honoree, Irwin won the 3,000 meters (10:12.08) at the league's indoor championships (Feb. 25-26) in University Center, Mich. She holds or shares six school women's track and field records in the distance events.

Irwin was also chosen to compete in the 24th annual NCAA Division II Women's Cross Country National Championships (Nov. 20) held this past year in Evansville, Ind. She advanced individually to the national championships by virtue of her seventh place All-Great Lakes Region performance at the NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Championships (Nov. 6) in Edwardsville, Ill. Irwin took 46th place (23:16.8) at the national cross country meet and was honored as the team's MVP. Her performance helped the Bulldogs to a number eight national ranking during the 2004 regular season.

In the classroom, Irwin was also selected as a GLIAC All-Academic Team honoree in women's cross country, indoor track and field along with outdoor track and field for the second consecutive year in the 2004-05 academic term.

Schuberg was honored as FSU's Most Valuable Men's Track Athlete Award winner for the second year in a row this campaign. He received All-GLIAC honors in two outdoor events as he took third place in both the 200 meters (22.26) and the long jump (22-4.25) at the GLIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Schuberg also received GLIAC All-Academic Team accolades during both the indoor and outdoor campaigns this year.

Schuberg, who recorded the school's second-best (22.47) all-time indoor performance in the 200 meters this year, placed among the top 10 event competitors 12 times during the 2004-05 indoor track and field season. He then had 11 such performances in outdoor competition this year. As a freshman (2003-04), Schuberg placed in the top 10 a combined 15 times during the indoor and outdoor campaigns.

In order to be eligible for the GLIAC or NCAA-II Scholar Athlete of the Year Awards, student-athletes must have "performed with distinction" on his/her team and possess legitimate athletic credentials. They also must have attained a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and be considered a credit to their institution. While no seasons of minimum eligibility are required to be a nominee, upperclassmen are strongly encouraged by the NCAA-II Commissioners Association.