FERRIS STATE TRACK AND FIELD AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Four Athletes Honored As Most Outstanding Performers At Team Banquet

The women’s Most Outstanding Field Event Athlete Award was presented to senior captain Adrianne Desenzio (Highland/Milford), who earned All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) honors with a third-place (17-4.50) long jump finish at the 2003 GLIAC Outdoor Championships (May 2-3) in University Center, Mich. A 2002-03 GLIAC Indoor Track and Field All-Academic Team honoree, Desenzio also garnered all-league indoor track and field laurels by placing third (34-0.75) in the triple jump at the 2002-03 GLIAC Indoor Championships (2/28-3/1) in University Center. She set a school and personal career-best indoor pole vault mark (11-0.25) at the GVSU Laker Challenge (2/14) in Allendale, Mich. The 2002-03 NCAA Division II Indoor and Outdoor Provisional National Qualifier broke the school’s outdoor pole vault record (11-3.50) with a first-place performance at FSU’s Bulldog Invitational (4/12) in Big Rapids. The four-time academic all-conference pick presently has recorded a combined five first-place indoor and outdoor pole vault finishes this campaign.

Junior Althea Graham (Romulus/Dearborn Robichoud) received the Most Outstanding Women’s Track Athlete Award. Graham has claimed 100-meter hurdle championship honors three times to date this outdoor campaign. She also registered the school’s fifth-best all-time outdoor marks in both the 100-meter hurdles (14.98) and the long jump (17-8) at the United States Track Coaches Association Quadrangular (4/26) in Big Rapids.

Sophomore Sharon Smith (Inkster/Oak Park) and junior Kristyn Buck (Brighton) were co-recipients of the Most Improved Women’s Athlete Award. Smith, who has registered five top-three outdoor performances in the sprinting events to date this season, recorded Ferris’ fourth-best (25.32) all-time effort in the 200-meter dash at the GLIAC Outdoor Championships. Buck notched FSU’s second-best (11-00.25) outdoor pole vault mark while attaining All-GLIAC recognition with a second-place performance at the league championships. She also tallied the program’s third-highest indoor pole vault effort (10-2) at the league’s indoor meet. Buck has currently finished among the top three competitors in five outdoor meets this campaign. The Bulldog Award for spirit, dedication and leadership was presented to junior Angela Herzog (St. Joseph), who took fourth place (1:00.26) in the 400-meter dash at the GLIAC Outdoor Championships and placed sixth (1:00.88) in the event at the league indoor championships.

Junior Scott Carhoun (Stephenson) was honored as FSU’s Most Outstanding Men’s Track Athlete while junior Kurt Peterson (St. Louis) garnered men’s Most Outstanding Field Event Athlete Award kudos. Carhoun has claimed three outdoor 400-meter hurdle victories to date this season and finished sixth (54.98) in the event at the conference outdoor meet. He also won the 1,000 meters (2:41.83) at the Lewis (Ill.) Friday Night Indoor Series #2 meet (1/31) in Romeoville, Ill. Peterson earned all-conference indoor and outdoor pole vault honors by finishing third (14-5.25) at the league indoor meet and second (15-00.25) at the GLIAC Outdoor Championships. He currently has three first-place outdoor pole vault finishes this campaign and tied the school’s second-best all-time outdoor mark (15-1) with a first-place showing at the USTCA Quadrangular. Peterson added an eighth-place (41-2.50) triple jump finish at the conference outdoor meet.

Senior Steve Picucci (Brighton), who garnered league indoor all-academic kudos for the third time this campaign, was the men’s Bulldog Award recipient. The 2002 All-GLIAC Men’s Cross Country honoree compiled seven top-eight performances during the 2002-03 indoor campaign, including a runner-up finish (15:45.15) in the 5,000 meters at the Lewis Friday Night Series #2 meet. He recorded FSU’s top outdoor season performance (15:21.47) in the 5,000 meters at the Indianapolis Invitational (3/29). Freshman Sean Maxwell (Sturgis/Mendon) garnered team Most Improved Athlete Award recognition after finishing third in the 110-meter hurdles three times to date this campaign.

The Bulldogs will take part in the University of Michigan’s Len Paddock Invitational this Friday-Saturday (May 9-10) at Ann Arbor, Mich. FSU, which is coached by seventh-year head coach Jeff Kavalunas, placed fourth in the women’s field (84 points) and seventh (41) in the men’s competition at the GLIAC Outdoor Championships. The women’s team finished sixth (42.5) while the men’s team was eighth (18) at the conference indoor meet.