FERRIS WOMEN'S TRACK CLAIMS ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM RECOGNITION

Two Senior Runners Earn Individual Honors From USTFCCCA

Leanna Wolf

Jenny Irwin

The Ferris State University women's track and field squad, under the direction of 10th-year head coach Jeff Kavalunas, has been honored by the United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) as a 2006 All-Academic Team in an announcement made by the USTFCCCA.

In addition, senior distance runners Jenny Irwin (Scottville/Mason County Central) and Leanna Wolf (Fountain/Mason Country Central) also were honored individually as 2006 Division II USTFCCCA Women's All-Academic Team members.

The USTFCCCA honors individuals and teams for their academic and athletic accomplishments during the indoor and outdoor track seasons. To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track & Field Team, an athlete must have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher and must have met the NCAA Division II national qualifying standard in at least one event. Forty-nine Division II women's teams had cumulative grade-point averages of 3.0 or higher while more than 200 individual student-athletes were listed on the all-academic team.

Irwin wrapped up a stellar career recently by being chosen as both the 2005-06 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year and an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America College Division Women's Track/Cross Country First-Team selection for the 2005-06 athletics season. Irwin not only claimed Academic All-America honors this season, but completed a personal sweep with All-America honors in cross country, indoor track along with outdoor track during the 2005-06 campaign.

Irwin picked up outdoor All-America accolades in the final day of action (May 27) at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Emporia State's (Kan.) Zola Witten Track inside Fran Welch Stadium at Emporia, Kan. She took fourth place overall (4:38.11) in the 1,500 meters in her final collegiate race. Irwin also competed in the 800 meters at the national meet, but failed to advance to the final round of competition.

In addition, Irwin also received Ferris' Most Valuable Runner Award for the women's track and field middle distance/distance events this campaign. 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 the 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). 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.

This season, Irwin also was awarded both the 20th annual FSU Helen Bennett Memorial Award and the school's annual Dean Davenport "Bulldog of the Year" Award for outstanding female student-athlete along with being recognized as a Ferris Scholar-Athlete Award recipient. The four-year letterwinner attained GLIAC All-Academic Team honors for the third consecutive year in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track this campaign. She concluded her FSU career with track records in six different events.

Wolf placed third at this year's GLIAC Outdoor Championships in the 800 meters (2:13.63) while meeting the NCAA-II National Provisional Qualification standard. She previously claimed NCAA-II Indoor All-America accolades for the second consecutive season as a member of FSU's distance medley relay team, which placed eighth overall (11:50.40) at this year's national indoor meet. Wolf also took third place in the 800 meters (2:13.61) at the 2005-06 GLIAC Indoor Championships held Feb. 24-25 in Findlay, Ohio. The All-GLIAC honoree attained GLIAC All-Academic Team recognition in women's cross country, indoor track and outdoor track this campaign.

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.