FERRIS STATE WELL REPRESENTED ON ALL-GLIAC WOMEN'S GOLF TEAMS

*2007-08 All-GLIAC Women's Golf Release* PDF

Becky Hoffman

Alison Meyer

Jacqueline Benscoter

Raquel Hansen

Meghan Hunter

Missy Ward

Senior Becky Hoffman (Gaines/Swartz Creek) and junior Alison Meyer (Duluth, Minn./Central) of the nationally-ranked Ferris State University women's golf team highlight the list of the 2008 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Women's Golf Postseason Award recipients as the pair both attained first-team honors. The all-conference squads were released Tuesday (April 29) by the conference office.

Hoffman and Meyer, who were first-team all-league honorees last season, were joined on the second team by freshman Jacqueline Benscoter (Metamorra/Lapeer West), junior Raquel Hansen (West Olive/Grand Haven), and junior Meghan Hunter (Dexter). Senior Missy Ward (Fenton/Linden) garnered honorable mention laurels.

The six helped lead Ferris State to a second-place showing with a three-round 927 score at the seven-team 2008 GLIAC Women's Golf Championships (April 20-21) in Arlington, Ohio.

Becky Hoffman was chosen as the GLIAC Women's Golf Athlete of the Year while Grand Valley State's Kristina Langton earned GLIAC Freshman of the Year plaudits. Head coach Lori Stinson of Grand Valley State was the GLIAC Coach of the Year recipient.

The GLIAC Women's Golf Team was based upon a player's stroke average in her 10 best conference rounds, including the three rounds of the GLIAC Championships. All ties were broken by total strokes in the GLIAC Championship Tournament.

Hoffman, a 2006-07 National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) All-America Honorable Mention pick, attained all-conference first-team accolades for the fourth straight season. She was 2008 GLIAC Championships' individual medalist with a three-round 226 score as a result of claiming the top honor by winning in the first hole in a sudden-death playoff. Hoffman currently leads the Bulldogs with a 77.40 stroke average (1,935 total strokes) in 25 rounds this season. The 2004-05 GLIAC Freshman of the Year has posted a team-leading nine top-20 place finishes in tournament competition this campaign, including eight among the top 10 individual performers. She twice (April 1 and 23) this spring was recognized as the GLIAC Women's Golf Athlete of the Week.

Meyer has compiled the team's second-best stroke average at 78.30 (1,801 total strokes) in 23 rounds this season. She has currently racked up eight top-20 placings with five occurring within the top 10. Meyer placed eighth at the conference tournament after firing a 235-stroke total.

Making a contribution to the Bulldogs' fortunes this season was Benscoter, who's averaged 80.47 strokes a round (1,529 total strokes) to date in 19 rounds. Benscoter, who was honored as the GLIAC Women's Golf Athlete of the Week in the fall (Sept. 5), has placed among the top 20 five times with three top-five outings. She was the individual medalist with a two-round 144-stroke total in a non-scoring capacity at the season-opening (Sept. 1-2) Ferris State Bulldog Invitational and recorded a 20th-place tying 250 score at the three-round 2008 GLIAC Championships.

Hansen became a second-team selection for the third year in a row and is presently averaging 80.48 strokes (2,012 total strokes) in 25 rounds of play. She has produced four top-10 place performances this campaign, which included a 10th-place tying 238-stroke total at the league tourney.

Hunter became a three-time (2005-08) all-conference team member as she landed a second-team spot for the second consecutive season after receiving honorable mention laurels as a freshman in the 2005-06 season. She possesses a 79.80 stroke average (1,995 total strokes) in 25 rounds this season. Hunter has six top-20 place outings, including three among the top five. She netted a 230 score at this season's league tournament to place fifth on the leaderboard chart.

Ward ranks fourth in team with a stroke average of 79.88 (1,997 total strokes) this season following 25 rounds of competition. A three-time (2004-07) All-GLIAC First-Team selection, Ward has generated seven top-20 performances with four of those coming in the top 10. Ward posted a 17th-place 244 score at this season's conference tournament.

Ferris State, which is presently directed by interim head coach Mike Mignano, will be making its seventh straight postseason appearance next week (May 5-7) as the Bulldogs compete in the 2008 NCAA Division II East Regional at Grand Valley State University's The Meadows Golf Course in Allendale, Mich. FSU is listed sixth in the most recent (April 23) Golf World/NGCA Women's Golf Coaches Poll.