Buckner Receives Sports Scholar Recognition
Senior Morgan Buckner of Ferris State University has been recognized as a second-team 2001 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar in women's volleyball and track and field.
Presented by the Black Issues in Higher Education publication, the ninth annual Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars Awards program recognizes the achievements of minority student-athletes from all collegiate institutions. To be eligible for the award, athletes had to be a student of color, post a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher and be an active member of an intercollegiate athletic team during the 2000-01 school year.
A two-sport athlete at Ferris State, Buckner earned a 3.53 grade point average (gpa) during the fall 2000 term and holds a cumulative 3.57 gpa in FSU's recreation leadership management program. One of 21 student-athletes to earn second-team track and field honors, Buckner was among 12 volleyball players earning second-team recognition. A total of 88 athletes were named to one of the four track squads while 47 volleyball players were honored.
A four-year volleyball starter, Buckner completed her eligibility during the fall 2000 campaign and will be a senior on the women's track team in the 2001-02 athletics season.
During her Bulldog volleyball career (1997-2000), Buckner recorded 1,429 kills and 765 digs. She currently ranks fifth overall on Ferris State's career kills chart and is fourth in average kills per game (3.01 kpg). A 2000 FSU tri-captain, Buckner earned 1999 second-team All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) honors and was also named to the 1999 NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional All-Tournament Team. She is a three-time FSU Dean's Academic Award recipient and a two-time GLIAC All-Academic pick in volleyball.
A two-time GLIAC 100-meter hurdles champion, Buckner ranks third all-time in the event on the FSU charts (14.86). She is a five-time All-GLIAC track honoree and was a 2001 NCAA Division II National Indoor Championship provisional qualifier (55-meter hurdles). She presently ranks second in school history in the 55-meter indoor hurdles (8.36) and is fifth all-time on FSU's outdoor high jump list (5-3). During the 2000-01 campaign, Buckner compiled 10 first-place finishes and was named to the 2001 GLIAC Women's Indoor Track All-Academic Team.
The Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars Awards program is a tribute to the legacy of Arthur Ashe Jr. and is presented by the publication on an annual basis. Athletes in 16 women's sports and 12 men's sports received recognition.
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