FERRIS’ WILLIE BOUYER LEADERSHIP AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Brittny Godlewski and Navreet Gill Named Award Co-Recipients

Brittny Godlewski

The award is named in memory of Ferris State’s first All-America football student-athlete Willie Bouyer, who was tragically killed in his hometown of Detroit in 1977. Candidates for the award, which was reinstated in the 2002-03 season following a seven-year absence, are judged on their strong inspirational leadership and dedication to fellow Ferris State student-athletes. The nominees also should be involved outside of athletics in other college and community activities along with participating on a varsity athletics team for at least two years. The selection of Godlewski and Gill marks the second straight year in which the award has had multiple recipients.

Godlewski, a three-time (2002-04) winner of Ferris volleyball’s Bulldog Award for displaying the heart and desire of a Bulldog, placed second overall among the team’s digs leaders for the 2004 season with a career-best 396 total. She also contributed 21 service aces while becoming the first libero player in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) history to attain all-conference second-team honors. A two-time (2002-03) honorable mention All-GLIAC selection, the 5-7 Godlewski registered 10 digs or more in 20 matches this campaign and was tabbed a Daktronics All-Great Lakes Region Second-Team honoree for the second consecutive year. Godlewski, a two-time (2003-04) GLIAC All-Academic Team and FSU Dean’s Academic Award recipient, is currently the President of Ferris’ Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and former chairperson of the Student-Athlete Educational Programming Committee. In this past year, Godlewski organized the Ferris student-athlete orientation, the faculty appreciation night and the student-athlete participation in the Relay For Life. She also has served as a Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) Public Relations Director, a speaker assistant for the FSU Speaker Series, volunteer for the Ferris Job Fair, a Ferris Walk for Warmth participant along with holding membership in the Student Alumni Gold Club. Godlewski’s inspirational leadership played an integral role in Ferris claiming its ninth GLIAC championship this past fall by virtue of winning its conference’s tournament title and advancing to the NCAA Division II National Tourney for the 12th time in school history.

Navreet Gill

Gill, who recently was chosen to receive a NCAA-II Degree-Completion Award, earned All-GLIAC Honorable Mention plaudits this spring after batting a career-high .283 with a career-best 45 base hits in 51 contests as the Bulldogs’ starting shortstop. Gill also scored a team-leading 39 runs this season while totaling three doubles, two triples, one home run and 12 RBIs to go with a .346 slugging percentage and a .377 on-base percentage, both career bests. In the field, the 5-4 Gill registered a career-high .926 field percentage with 81 putouts and 118 assists. Gill concluded her career ranking 10th among Ferris’ all-time leaders in games played (184), 12th in at bats (508), tied for 16th in hits (125), 16th tie in stolen bases (18), and 19th in doubles (16).

The three-time (2003-05) GLIAC All-Academic Team honoree completed her second year as committee chairperson of the Ferris SAAC’s Campus Involvement program during the 2004-05 academic year and was twice (2003-04) a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Scholar-Athlete recipient. Gill played a key part in Ferris concluding the 2005 season at 31-20-0 overall, which represented the Diamond Dawgs’ best season since 2000 (33-18-0). FSU also won this year’s GLIAC Tournament title and in the process gained a share of the conference’s overall championship crown. The Bulldogs also made their fourth-ever NCAA Division II Regional appearance this spring and their first since 1999.

Past Willie Bouyer Leadership Award Recipients
2003-04 – Melissa Worsley (Softball) and Derrick McIver (Men's Ice Hockey)
2002-03 – Steve Picucci (Mens' Cross Country and Men's Track & Field)
1995-96 – Benny Roe (Football)
1994-95 – Tim Christian (Men’s Ice Hockey)
1993-94 – Jere Getzinger (Wrestling and Football)
1992-93 – Dave Morin (Baseball)
1991-92 – Erica Thomas (Women’s Basketball)
1990-91 – Mark Kamppinen (Baseball)
1989-90 – Doug Mooney (Wrestling) and Jody Johnson (Softball)
1988-89 – Jim Beson (Football and Wrestling)
1987-88 – Sam Sweet (Men’s Track and Field)
1986-87 – Paul Surmont (Cheerleading – Bulldog Mascot)
1985-86 – Kurt Stevens (Men’s Basketball)
1984-85 – Steve Piotraczk (Football), Katy Kelley (Women’s Basketball)
1980-81 – Fred Kirkland (Football and Men's Track & Field)