Bouyer Leadership Awarded To Matt DeHart
Senior guard/forward Matt DeHart (Greenville) of the Ferris State University men's basketball team has been chosen as the recipient of the FSU Athletics Department's Willie Bouyer Leadership Award for the 2010-11 campaign.
The Willie Bouyer Leadership Award, which is regarded as the most prestigious of the FSU Athletics Department's four annual major honors, is named in memory of Ferris State's first All-America football student-athlete Willie Bouyer. Bouyer was tragically killed in his hometown of Detroit in 1977. The recipient is chosen by a FSU Athletics Department committee.
Candidates for the award are judged on their strong inspirational leadership and dedication to fellow Ferris State student-athletes. The nominees also should be involved outside of athletics in other college and community activities along with participating on a varsity athletics team for at least two years. The Willie Bouyer Leadership Award was reinstated upon the conclusion of the 2002-03 season following a seven-year absence.
"Matt is an exemplary young man, a natural leader and is very deserving of this award," said FSU Athletics Director Perk Weisenburger. "He was a big part of the success our men's basketball team achieved in making it to the "Sweet 16" this season plus he was a fixture on our Student-Athlete Advisory Board. Matt is a wonderful choice as the recipient of this leadership award in the name of Willie Bouyer."
A former walk-on, DeHart concluded his FSU career as one of the
program's all-time bests in three-pointers made and three-point
percentage. He tallied nine points and four rebounds a game
this past season while making the third-most three's (78) in school
single-season history. The 6-4, 185-pound DeHart
also picked up Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
(GLIAC) North Division Player of the Week honors this season and
finished the year as one of the league leaders in three-pointers
made and three-point percentage.
Behind the play of DeHart and three other members of the senior
class, the Ferris State men concluded the 2010-11 season by
reaching the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen and the Midwest
Regional Championship Game in Louisville, Ky. The Bulldogs
also captured the GLIAC North Division Championship and hosted the
GLIAC Tournament Semifinals and Finals this past season.
Ferris State earned runner-up laurels in both the conference and
NCAA regional tournaments.
In addition to his success on the court, DeHart has also been
active off the floor by serving as a member of FSU's
Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He was also involved as a
student-athlete representative on the selection committee to hire a
new athletics director last summer and has served as a basketball
camp coordinator for Eagle Village. The two-time (2009-10 &
2010-11) GLIAC All-Academic Team honoree was a four-year
letterwinner for the Bulldogs.
DeHart is the third men's basketball player in school history to
receive the Willie Bouyer Leadership Award, following in the
footsteps of Kurt Stevens (1985-86) and Jeffrey Shanahan
(2005-06).
The other 2010-11 nominees for the Willie Bouyer Leadership Award
included Zach Redmond of the men's ice hockey
team, men's golf team member Joe
Brown along with Jack Swan of the men's
tennis squad.
Willie Bouyer
Leadership Award Recipients
2010-11 – Matt DeHart (Men's
Basketball)
2009-10 – Casey Haines (Men's Ice
Hockey) and Kurt Valley (Men's Golf)
2008-09 – Holly Bruntjens
(Softball)
2007-08 – Raquel Hansen (Women's Golf)
and Katie Kraai (Softball)
2006-07 – Danielle Baucher (Women's
Volleyball) and Raquel Hansen (Women's Golf)
2005-06 – Brittny Godlewski (Women's
Volleyball) and Jeffrey Shanahan (Men's Basketball)
2004-05 – Brittny Godlewski (Women's
Volleyball) and Navreet Gill (Softball)
2003-04 – Melissa Worsley (Softball) and
Derrick McIver (Men's Ice Hockey)
2002-03 – Steve Picucci (Mens' Cross
Country and Men's Track & Field)
1995-96 – Benny Roe (Football)
1994-95 – Tim Christian (Men’s Ice
Hockey)
1993-94 – Jere Getzinger (Wrestling and
Football)
1992-93 – Dave Morin (Baseball)
1991-92 – Erica Thomas (Women’s
Basketball)
1990-91 – Mark Kamppinen (Baseball)
1989-90 – Doug Mooney (Wrestling) and Jody
Johnson (Softball)
1988-89 – Jim Beson (Football and
Wrestling)
1987-88 – Sam Sweet (Men’s Track and
Field)
1986-87 – Paul Surmont (Cheerleading
– Bulldog Mascot)
1985-86 – Kurt Stevens (Men’s
Basketball)
1984-85 – Steve Piotraczk (Football), Katy
Kelley (Women’s Basketball)
1980-81 – Fred Kirkland (Football and Men's
Track & Field)