MORGAN BUCKNER NAMED
MICHIGAN’S 2002 NCAA WOMAN OF THE YEAR

Former Ferris State Student-Athlete Selected As One Of 50 Award Winners

Buckner, a May 2002 FSU graduate with high distinction, was among 50 state winners chosen by a selection committee comprised of representatives from NCAA-member institutions and chaired by Morgan State (Md.) University Assistant Athletics Director Jacqie McWilliams. A national winner will be selected by the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics from a list of 10 finalists, which will be announced in mid-September. The 12th annual national recipient will be announced at the 2002 NCAA Woman of the Year Awards Dinner to be held Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Westin Indianapolis Hotel in Indianapolis, Ind.

The NCAA Woman of the Year Award honors outstanding female student-athletes who have excelled in academics, athletics and community leadership, and have completed their intercollegiate athletics eligibility. More than 340 student-athletes were nominated for this year’s award by their respective colleges and universities, which were each allowed to submit the names of two nominees if one was an ethnic minority. The selection committee then reviewed the nominees’ academic and athletics accomplishments, community service and involvement activities to determine the state-level award recipients.

A third-team 2001-02 Verizon Academic All-America College Division Women’s Track and Field/Cross Country Team honoree, Buckner was a four-year varsity letterwinner in women’s volleyball and indoor and outdoor track and field at Ferris State. She compiled a 3.69 cumulative grade point average while earning two degrees in applied speech communication and recreation leadership management. The two-time President’s Academic Award recipient also volunteered for a wide variety of community service organizations and held numerous campus leadership positions, including serving as the Lambda Phi Eta National Communication Honor Society Chapter President.

Buckner, who participated in the 21st annual NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships (May 23-25) at Angelo State University’s Multipurpose Sports Complex in San Angelo, Texas, reached the 100-meter hurdle national provisional qualification mark with a first-place school-record time (14.48) at the 2002 GLIAC Outdoor Championships (May 3-4) held at Northwood University’s Fisher Track in Midland, Mich. A second-team 2001 Arthur Ashe Jr. Track and Field Sports Scholar, she finished sixth overall (14.49) in the second heat of the 100-meter hurdle national preliminary round but failed to advance to the national finals.

A seven-time all-conference track and field performer, Buckner earned NCAA-II Indoor All-America recognition last season with an eighth-place (8.86) 60-meter hurdle performance at the 2002 NCAA-II Indoor Track and Field Championships (March 8-9) in the Reggie Lewis Center at Boston, Mass.

Buckner, Ferris’ 2001-02 Helen Bennett Award (outstanding female student-athlete) recipient, registered 10 combined first-place finishes last year in both the indoor and outdoor campaigns. The three-time (2000-02) conference outdoor 100-meter hurdle champion also claimed her second consecutive league indoor 55-meter hurdle title at the 2001-02 GLIAC Indoor Championships (Feb. 22-23) held at Hillsdale College’s Jessie Phillips Arena in Hillsdale, Mich. Buckner, who received Ferris’ 2002 track and field Most Valuable Performer Award, was named to the 2001-02 GLIAC Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field All-Academic Teams.

During her FSU volleyball career (1997-2000), Buckner recorded 1,429 kills, 765 digs and 207 blocks. The three-time (1998-2000) GLIAC All-Academic volleyball pick currently ranks fifth overall among Ferris State's career kills leaders and is fourth in average kills per game (3.01 kpg). A 2000 FSU tri-captain, Buckner led the Bulldogs to a 26-8 overall record as a junior (1999) while becoming the ninth player in school history to register 1,000 career kills. She earned 1999 second-team All-GLIAC honors and was named to the 1999 NCAA-II Great Lakes Region All-Tournament Team.

The 50 state-level winners include 27 student-athletes from NCAA Division I, 12 from NCAA-II and 11 Division III honorees. The student-athletes selected participated in 16 of the 19 sports in which the NCAA conducts women’s championships. Of the 50 state finalists, 12 competed on national championship teams while 20 were honored as athletic All-America performers.