Two Bulldogs Are Women Of Year Nominees

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Big Rapids, Mich. - A pair of former Ferris State University All-America student-athletes, Tina Muir (St. Albans, U.K.) and Ashley Huntey (Stanwood/Morley-Stanwood), are among the 429 nominees announced today for the prestigious 2012 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.

A total of 429 female student-athletes, spanning NCAA Divisions I, II and III, were nominated for the 22nd annual NCAA Woman of the Year Award. 

Muir wrapped up her collegiate eligibility as an 11-time All-American in women's track and field/cross country for the Bulldogs this past spring while Huntey finished her FSU volleyball career as an All-America selection last fall.

Huntey and Muir are among only nine student-athletes from a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) institution nominated this year.  The list also includes Grand Valley State's Lauren Buresh, Northwood's Kristin Cameron, Allison Heming of Lake Erie, Krista Kasuboski of Michigan Tech, Wayne State's Catherine Leix, Michelle Rogers of Tiffin along with Alycia Wright of Saginaw Valley State.

The award honors graduating female student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout the collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership.

Each year, every NCAA member college and university is encouraged to honor its top graduating female student-athlete by submitting her name for consideration.

Conferences then select one or two women from the nominees to represent their conference. Those names are then sent to the Woman of the Year selection committee, which chooses the top 10 honorees in each division.

From among those 30 candidates, the selection committee determines the top three in each division and announces the top nine finalists in September. Finally, members of the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics will vote from among the finalists to determine the 2012 NCAA Woman of the Year.

Muir concluded a stellar career as one of FSU's most decorated student-athletes ever by taking second place in the 5,000 meters on the final day of competition at the 2012 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships on May 26 in Pueblo, Colo. Her runner-up effort enabled her to claim All-America laurels for the 11th time in her collegiate career and the second time in the meet following a fourth-place national finish in the 10,000 meters.

That performance came on the heels of a third-place showing in the 5,000 meters at this year's NCAA-II Indoor Track and Field Championships where she also earned All-America honors as member of the school's distance medley relay team that placed fourth overall.

Last fall, Muir led the Bulldogs in her last collegiate cross country race by finishing a personal-best seventh overall and sixth in scoring position at the 2011 NCAA Division II National Championships to earn All-America accolades for the fourth-straight season. She is the only four-time All-American in FSU women's cross country history and her performance represented the highest individual finish ever for the Bulldogs, who tied for the best team finish in school history (eighth).

The 2011 GLIAC Cross Country "Athlete of the Year" won the league's individual cross country crown for the second time and twice claimed GLIAC "Runner of the Week" laurels last fall. Her efforts helped FSU to a number three national ranking and league runner-up finish.

Besides her athletic accomplishments, Muir also was chosen to the 2011-12 Capital One Division II Academic All-America First Team for cross country and track.  She claimed All-GLIAC and GLIAC All-Academic Team honors four-straight years and was a three-time recipient of the prestigious GLIAC Commissioner's Award for Excellence.  Last month, she was tabbed for the third consecutive time as the female recipient of FSU's prestigious Dean Davenport "Bulldog Of The Year" honor.

Huntey, a three-time All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) and GLIAC All-Academic Team honoree, claimed AVCA Division II All-America Third Team honors last fall after leading the Bulldogs to a league title and the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Semifinals on the volleyball court. Huntey received GLIAC Player of the Week accolades four times in her senior season and became only the seventh player in FSU history to notch both 1,000 career kills and digs.

The team captain led the GLIAC in points (472) and ranked second in kills (404) in the fall 2011 campaign. A three-time GLIAC All-Academic Team selection, Huntey totaled 10 or more kills in 25 matches.

Additionally, she was named to the Capital One Academic All-District First Team and also received both AVCA and Daktronics All-Midwest Region First Team honors as FSU posted a 27-4 overall record and a first-place 18-1 league mark. Huntey was a recipient of the prestigious GLIAC Commissioner's Award for her accomplishments.

Most recently, Huntey was chosen as the recipient of Ferris State's Willie Bouyer Leadership Award for her efforts.

The top 30 honorees will be honored, and the 2012 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced, at the annual ceremony in Indianapolis on Oct. 14.