FSU's Tommy Hill Claims NCAA Elite 89 Award

FSU's Tommy Hill Claims NCAA Elite 89 Award

Big Rapids, Mich. - Ferris State University men's ice hockey senior co-captain Tommy Hill (Portaage) was honored as the recipient of the NCAA's prestigious "Elite 89" award in conjunction with the 2012 Frozen Four this past weekend (April 5-7) in Tampa, Fla.

Hill officially received the honor while in Tampa and was recognized both at the championship reception for the competing teams on Wednesday night along with being honored at the first intermission of the second national semifinal game on Thursday..

The Elite 89, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers.

The Elite 89 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's 89 championships.

Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above who have participated in their sport for at least two years with their school. They must be an active member on the team, traveling and a designated member of the squad size at the championship.

Hill is the second-ever Bulldog student-athlete to receive the NCAA's Elite 89 Award, as runner Shelby Janutol won the award at the 2012 NCAA Division II Women's Indoor Track and Field National Championships in March.

A finance major, Hill helped lead the Bulldogs to the program's first-ever Frozen Four berth and a trip to the national championship game at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.  FSU closed the year with a program second-best 26-11-5 overall record and won its second-ever Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) Regular-Season Championship.

He concluded his career by appearing in 61 games for the Bulldogs, including a personal career-high 24 contests this season.  He blocked 30 shots during his FSU career and totaled 36 shots while serving a valuable leadership role this past campaign.

For more information on the Elite 89 Award, please visit this link:

http://www.ncaa.com/elite89