FERRIS WOMEN'S TRACK/CROSS COUNTRY AWARD WINNERS RECOGNIZED

Ten Different Student-Athletes Earn 2005-06 Team Award Honors

Ferris sophomore Dia Price was among 10 student-athletes picking up team award kudos in the women's track/cross country program

Senior Jenny Irwin (Scottville/Mason County Central) picked up cross country team Most Valuable Runner accolades after earning All-America honors with a 20th-place finish in the 25th annual NCAA Division II Women's Cross Country National Championships held last fall (Nov. 19) in Pomona, Calif. Irwin completed the six-kilometer (K) race in a time of 22:11.7 to become the first female women's cross country All-American in Bulldog history. Her performance also represented the highest finish ever for a FSU women's performer at the Division II Women's Cross Country Championships. A four-year letterwinner, Irwin claimed first-team All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) honors for the third consecutive season during the fall 2005 campaign with a runner-up effort (22:57.6) at the 2005 GLIAC Championships (Oct. 22) in Marquette, Mich.

In addition, Irwin also received the Most Valuable Runner Award for the women's track and field middle distance/distance events. She claimed the GLIAC Most Valuable Running Event Athlete Award in the women's competition as she won two individual events and received one runner-up finish at the 2006 GLIAC Outdoor Championships (May 4-5) held at FSU's Top Taggart Field in Big Rapids, Mich. Irwin took the 800 meters as she clocked 2:11.44 in Friday's (May 5) final round and also emerged victorious in the 1,500 meters (4:39.93). She placed second in the 3,000 meters (10:08.63). Irwin will compete in both the 800 meters and 1,500 meters at the 2006 NCAA-II Outdoor Track and Field Championships slated for May 25-27 in Emporia, Kan. During the 2005-06 indoor campaign, Irwin earned NCAA-II All-America laurels with a fourth-place overall finish (4:49.13) in the mile run at the NCAA-II Indoor Track and Field Championships (March 10-11) in Boston, Mass.

Junior Ashley Farr (Detroit/King) was honored as the track squad's Most Valuable Athlete for the sprints/hurdles area. Farr attained All-GLIAC laurels by placing second in the 400 meters (57.99) at the league outdoor meet. The Most Valuable Athlete Award for the jumping events was given to sophomore Dia Price (Mt. Morris/Beecher), who recorded a fifth-place performance in the triple jump (35-8.50) at this year's GLIAC Outdoor Championships.

Sophomore Kamitra Carroll (Flint/Carman-Ainsworth) was the recipient of the Most Valuable Athlete Award in the throwing events. Carroll received runner-up kudos in the shot put (45-11.75) and was eighth in the hammer throw (154-3) at the league outdoor meet. This season, Carroll was named the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region Women's Indoor Field Event Athlete Of The Year as announced by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Carroll took 11th overall in the shot put competition at this year's national indoor meet with a toss of 45-2.50 in the final round of the event. She claimed the GLIAC indoor shot put title with a first-place toss of 47-6.25 in the conference indoor championships held Feb. 24-25 in Findlay, Ohio. Carroll will also take part in this year's national outdoor championships.

Most Improved Athlete Awards were handed to freshman Jenelle Keinath (Millington/Valley Lutheran) and sophomore Jackie Green (Portage/Northern) for track and cross country, respectively. Keinath's highest-finishing performance during the outdoor season came with her second-place effort in the 3,000 meters (10:44.55) at the Northwood Invitational (April 22) in Midland, Mich. Green compiled three top 20 performances in seven cross country races last fall, including an eighth-place showing (21:01.0) in the 5K Northern Michigan Invitational (Sept. 10) at Marquette, Mich. She previously finished among the top 20 runners once as a freshman in 2004.

The women's track and field Rookie of the Year Award was presented to freshman Krystle Wilson (Detroit/Trinity Catholic). She ran on FSU's 4x400-meter relay squad which placed second (3:51.47) at the league outdoor meet and surpassed the national provisional qualification mark. Wilson also competed on the school's indoor 4x400-meter relay team as the Bulldogs compiled two first-place finishes and three runner-up efforts in seven indoor event performances this season. Freshman Mikinzie Stuart (Saginaw/Nouvel) claimed cross country Rookie of the Year accolades. Stuart placed among the top 20 runners in all seven of her races last fall, which was highlighed by an 11th-place showing (22:27.9) at the 6K NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Championships (Nov. 5) hosted by FSU on Katke Golf Course in Big Rapids, Mich.

Finally, junior Larenda Hintz (Kingsford) was chosen as the Bulldog Pride Award winner for track and field while senior Kristen Balla (Farmington) received the same honor for cross country based on their dedication to the program. A 2005-06 GLIAC All-Academic Team pick for women's indoor track and field, Hintz finished among the top five event finishers three times each during both the indoor and outdoor campaigns this year. Her highest finish was a runner-up showing in the 600 meters (1:42.02) at the Central Michigan Jack Skoog Indoor Open (Feb. 17) at Mount Pleasant, Mich. Balla competed in all seven cross country meets last fall and recorded two top-15 performances. She claimed league all-academic team recognition in both cross country along with indoor track this campaign.

The Ferris State women's cross country team captured fifth place at the 2005 NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Championships. The Bulldog women's team finished one spot short of qualifying as a team for the national championships for the second consecutive year.

FSU's women's indoor track squad compiled six points at this year's national meet after placing fifth of nine competing teams with 59.50 points at the GLIAC Indoor Championships. The Bulldog women's outdoor track and field team finished sixth with 75 points at the league outdoor championships this season.

2005-06 Ferris State Award Winners

Women's Track & Field

Most Valuable:

• Sprints/hurdles - Ashley Farr
• Mid.-Distance/Distance - Jenny Irwin
• Jumps - Dia Price
• Throws - Kamitra Carroll