Carley Dubbert Tabbed As FSU's Willie Bouyer Leadership Award Recipient

Note: This is the first of four major FSU Athletics Awards that will be presented between now and Friday for the 2018-19 campaign.

Big Rapids, Mich. - One of the all-time winningest seniors in school history who led the Bulldog women's soccer squad to the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance last fall has been tabbed as the recipient of Ferris State University Athletics' prestigious Willie Bouyer Leadership Award for the 2018-19 campaign as standout forward Carley Dubbert (St. Joseph's) earned this year's distinction.

Dubbert played a lead role as one of the squad's team captains in her final campaign as the Bulldogs reached the D2 Sweet Sixteen. She was also an All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) recipient for the third time in her collegiate career and departed as one of the winningest seniors in program history.

The Willie Bouyer Leadership Award, which is regarded as one of 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.

"Carley Dubbert has been an outstanding leader and ambassador for Ferris State Soccer for the past four years and played a huge role in leading our team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance and a record-breaking season last fall," said FSU Athletics Director Perk Weisenburger. "She's a terrific student-athlete who departs as one of the all-time winningest players in school history and one of our top performers in the classroom.

"As a team captain, she has set a wonderful example for younger players both on and off the field," he added. "She is a great choice as the recipient of this leadership award that bears the name of the late Willie Bouyer."

Dubbert is a three-time GLIAC Academic Excellence Award recipient and dean's list honoree, and received the GLIAC Commissioner's Award in 2017 and 2018 for her accomplishments both on and off the field. She was named to the Google Cloud Academic All-District Team in 2018 and recently received the GLIAC's prestigious Pat Riepma Postgraduate Scholarship.

As a senior this past season, Dubbert led the Bulldog women's soccer squad to its most historic season in school history. Behind her leadership, the Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the first time in program history, winning their first two games en route to a Sweet Sixteen finish. The senior captain tallied 23 points with eight goals and seven assists in 24 outings. She notched 76 total shots, including 37 on net and finished with three game-winning markers for the Bulldogs.

During her final campaign, Dubbert was also an all-region choice for the Bulldogs, who were ranked nationally a majority of the season for the first time in school history. FSU finished second in the GLIAC regular-season standings, which was the team's highest finish ever, and also made its first-ever appearance in the GLIAC Tournament championship game. Dubbert was a two-time United Soccer Coaches Scholar-Athlete Award recipient in addition to being a four-year starter and letterwinner at Ferris State.

Dubbert, with a near perfect grade point average, is a member of the Ferris State College of Pharmacy Class of 2022. She attended pharmacy school while completing her final year of soccer eligibility.

Dubbert is the first-ever Bulldog women's soccer student-athlete in school history to receive the Willie Bouyer Leadership Award.

The other 2018-19 finalists for the Willie Bouyer Leadership Award included strong leaders and representatives such as Abby Nakfoor (women's basketball), Katie Placek (volleyball), Greg Williams (men's basketball) and Travis Russell (football).

Willie Bouyer Leadership Award Recipients
2018-19 - Carley Dubbert (Women's Soccer)
2017-18 - Noah King (Men's Basketball)
2016-17 - Anthony Darkangelo (Football) and Jenna Way (Volleyball)
2015-16 - Alexis Huntey (Volleyball/Women's Basketball)
2014-15 - Drew Lehman (Men's Basketball)
2013-14 – Simon Denis (Men's Ice Hockey)
2012-13 – Samantha Fordyce (Volleyball)
2011-12 – Ashley Huntey (Volleyball)
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)