All-Americans Vander Laan & Vander Meer Unanimous Picks As Ferris State Dean Davenport "Bulldogs Of Year"

Big Rapids, Mich. - A pair of Ferris State University All-America senior student-athletes have been chosen as the prestigious winners of the Dean Davenport "Bulldog Of The Year" Award for the 2015-16 athletics campaign in an announcement made today.

This year's recipients include two-time Harlon Hill Trophy winning quarterback Jason Vander Laan (Frankfort, Ill./Chicago Christian) of the back-to-back Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Champion Ferris State football program along with talented outside hitter Megan Vander Meer (Grand Rapids) of the two-time league champion Bulldog Volleyball squad. They were selected in voting conducted by the Bulldog head coaches and selected FSU Athletics Department staff members.

Both individuals were recognized as the school's top male and female student-athletes, respectively, for their accomplishments this past season. In 2015-16, both Vander Laan and Vander Meer claimed All-America accolades and both have also ranked among the premier student-athletes across the country.  It marks the second consecutive year in which Vander Laan has earned the honor, becoming only the ninth student-athlete in school history to receive the honor multiple times.

"Jason Vander Laan and Megan Vander Meer were unanimous choices as the Dean Davenport Bulldog of the Year Award recipients this year and both are extremely deserving," said FSU Athletics Director Perk Weisenburger. "Over the past four years, they have been outstanding representatives of their respective programs, our department and the university. 

"Megan had a decorated All-America volleyball career and led our team to a historic season as a senior last fall," he added. "Meanwhile, Jason capped of one of the greatest careers in college football history as a two-time Harlon Hill Trophy winner and achieved the ultimate success in the classroom as a National Scholar-Athlete. Both are outstanding young people and true ambassadors and representatives of Ferris State University and our Athletics programs. We congratulate them on earning the prestigious Dean Davenport Bulldog of the Year Awards."

The Dean Davenport "Bulldog of the Year" Award, which was reinstated in the 2002-03 season following a seven-year absence, is presented annually to the most outstanding Ferris State male and female student-athlete. Award criteria consists of strong athletic achievements (must be a letterwinner and achieve outstanding athletic accomplishment), strong individual character and academic achievement.

The award was renamed in honor of former Ferris State Athletics Director Dean Davenport, who served in the position from 1979-93. During his tenure at Ferris, Davenport was instrumental in the planning of the FSU Sports Complex, the growth of women's intercollegiate athletics, the emergence of Ferris' NCAA Division I men's ice hockey program and the development of the athletics scholarship program. He also led the athletics department to 14 consecutive Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) President's Cup Championships.  Davenport also played a key role in helping found many of the department's key major annual awards.

Vander Laan's selection marks the 13th time a Bulldog football player has been honored as a winner of the Dean Davenport "Bulldog of the Year" Award. Last year, he was the first FSU football player to attain the honor since former standout defensive lineman Jake Visser was a two-time winner in 2007-08 and 2008-09.

Meanwhile, Vander Meer is among 10 volleyball participants to claim the honor, but it represents the first time in which a player from the program has earned the distinction since former All-American Karla Fairbanks claimed the honor in 2004-05.

The other student-athlete nominee finalists for the 2015-16 Dean Davenport Bulldog of the Year Award were Gerald Mayhew (Hockey), Jared Stolicker (Men's Basketball), Bailey Darwin (Softball) and Maddie Haustein (Women's Soccer).

Vander Meer capped off an outstanding Bulldog career by earning 2015 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) First-Team All-America accolades. She joined past legends in three-time honoree Patty Theis (1985-87) and two-time honorees Kathy O'Connor (1993) along with Karla Fairbanks (2003-04) as the only Bulldog players to achieve All-America status multiple years in their FSU careers. Theis was a two-time first team pick and the only previous player to claim first-team All-America laurels from the AVCA in school history prior to Vander Meer's selection this campaign.

This past season, Vander Meer finished with a team-leading 395 kills while posting 392 digs, 52 total blocks and 24 assists. She was tabbed as the 2015 GLIAC Player of the Year along with the GLIAC Attacker of the Year in addition to picking up AVCA National Player of the Week accolades. Vander Meer was also the D2CCA Midwest Region Player of the Year.

A four-year starter and letterwinner for the Bulldog Volleyball squad, Vander Meer led FSU to back-to-back GLIAC Championships the past two seasons. The three-time all-conference choice earned all-tournament team accolades several times in her career and helped FSU capture the prestigious Colorado Premier Invitational Championship in 2015. She was also a key player as a sophomore on FSU's 2013 squad that advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight and previoulsy earned honorable mention All-America accolades as a junior in 2014.

As a senior in 2015, Vander Meer's performance helped FSU post a nation-best 33-3 overall record and a number one national ranking for the first-time ever. This past season, the three-time all-conference choice finished among the conference leaders in several statistical categories during FSU's memorable campaign. Behind her performance, FSU won its second-straight GLIAC Regular-Season Championship and claimed the school's second consecutive GLIAC Tournament title while earning the right to host the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Tournament where FSU finished as the regional runner-up. The two-time all-region pick concluded her career by guiding FSU to a combined 106-26 (.803) overall record in her four seasons.

"Megan had an exceptional career at Ferris State and we're proud of all her accomplishments," said FSU head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm. "She played with the heart and soul of a Bulldog every day, fighting to help her team succeed and goes down as one of the truly great players in Ferris State history."

Vander Laan officially capped off one of the most historic collegiate football careers in history by being chosen as the recipient of the 2015 Harlon Hill Trophy presented to NCAA Division II's Most Outstanding Player for the second consecutive year last fall. Vander Laan signed with the National Football League's (NFL) New York Jets and is currently preparing for training camp with the franchise as a tight end prospect.

The standout signal caller became only the fourth player ever in the history of Division II football to receive the coveted Harlon Hill Award twice and the first since current NFL standout Danny Woodhead in 2006 and 2007. It also marked the first time ever a player from the GLIAC and the state of Michigan received the honor for a second time as past GLIAC winners Curt Anes (2002) and current Detroit Lions tailback Joique Bell (2009) each attained one of the most recognized awards in collegiate sports only once in their respective careers.

As a senior last fall, Vander Laan became the greatest rushing quarterback in NCAA college football history at any level, concluding his career with 5,953 total yards on the ground. He also became the first player in NCAA history to top 1,000 yards rushing and passing for four consecutive seasons. The four-year starting quarterback finished with more than 14,000 yards of total offense and ranks as the GLIAC's all-time leader in career yardage while setting numerous other school and league marks. His 81 career rushing TD's are the second-most by a QB in the history of college football and represent the most in NCAA Division II history.

The senior signal caller led the Bulldogs to a cumulative 37-9 overall mark, two Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles, two NCAA playoff appearances and back-to-back unbeaten regular seasons as the Ferris State quarterback. The two-time GLIAC Player of the Year and three-time All-American finished his senior campaign passing for 2,625 yards and 27 touchdowns while rushing for 1,542 yards and 24 more scores. Behind Vander Laan's play as the signal caller, Ferris State again ranked among the nation's top offensive units, ranking among the top 10 last fall in total offense, scoring offense and rushing.

Along with being the Harlon Hill Trophy recipient, he was also chosen as the 2015 Division II Conference Commissioners Association National Offensive Player of the Year for the second time and named to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-America First Team for the second-straight year. The NCAA Division II National Scholar-Athlete of the Year was tabbed as the 2015 CoSIDA Division II Football Academic All-American of the Year for his efforts in the classroom and was one of 12 finalists for the Campbell Trophy, which is also known as the Academic Heisman of college football, while becoming a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete. Additionally, he was tabbed as the nation's top small college quarterback outside of the Division I level by being chosen to the Associated Press Little All-America First Team for the second year in a row.

Vander Laan helped the Bulldogs finish with an 11-1 overall record for the second-straight year this past season. FSU captured the school's second GLIAC Championship in a row while capping off back-to-back unbeaten regular seasons. The Bulldogs won their last 25 consecutive regular-season games with Vander Laan at the offensive controls and posted the school's first NCAA Playoff victory in 19 years during the 2015 season. In his final two seasons, the Bulldogs won 22 of their 24 games overall.

"Jason had a huge impact on our institution and we're proud of him and what he stood for not only as a football player, but also for how he impacted our community for the past four years," said FSU head coach Tony Annese. "He's a remarkable young man who has brought distinction to our program and school. Jason is such a humble individual who has represented our program in a first-class manner and I firmly believe there's not been a finer or better person in college football out there both on and off the field."

Bulldog of the Year Recipients:
2015-16 - Jason Vander Laan (Football) and Megan Vander Meer (Volleyball)
2014-15 - Jason Vander Laan (Football) and Samantha Johnson (Women's Track & Field/CC)
2013-14 – CJ Motte (Men's Ice Hockey) and Anna Rudd (Women's Track & Field/CC)
2012-13 – Kyle Bonis (Men's Ice Hockey) and Anna Rudd (Women's Track & Field/CC)
2011-12 – Taylor Nelson (Men's Ice Hockey) and Tina Muir (Women's Track & Field/CC)
2010-11 – Justin Keenan (Men's Basketball) and Tina Muir (Women's Track & Field/CC)
2009-10 – Justin Keenan (Men's Basketball), Eric Lilleboe (Men's Golf), and Tina Muir (Women's Track & Field/CC)
2008-09 – Jake Visser (Football), Mikinzie Stuart (Women's Track & Field/Cross Country)
2007-08 – Jake Visser (Football), Rachel Folcik (Women's Basketball), and Becky Hoffman (Women's Golf)
2006-07 – Mike Klobucher (Football), Rachel Folcik (Women's Basketball), and Kristie Smilanich (Women's Soccer)
2005-06 – Dennis Springs (Men's Basketball), Jenny Irwin (Women's Cross Country and Women's Track & Field)
2004-05 – Carlton Epps (Men's Basketball), Karla Fairbanks (Women's Volleyball)
2003-04 – Derek Fudge (Football), Lucy DeMartin (Women's Basketball)
2002-03 – Chris Kunitz (Men's Ice Hockey), Kathryn Bobbie (Women's Golf)
1995-96 – Bill Love (Football), Theresa Luciow (Softball)
1994-95 – Bill Love (Football), Shelli Gaul (Women's Track & Field)
1993-94 – Ed Philion (Football), Kathy O'Connor (Women's Volleyball & Women's Basketball)
1992-93 – Monty Brown (Football), Jodi Raab (Women's Basketball)
1991-92 – Dan Hutcheson (Wrestling), Monica Ferguson (Women's Cross Country/Track & Field)
1990-91 – John DePourcq (Men's Ice Hockey), Karen Volkers (Women's Volleyball)
1989-90 – Paul Cochran (Men's Track & Field/Football), Karen Volkers (Women's Volleyball)
1988-89 – Jarvis Walker (Men's Basketball), Penny Bailey (Women's Track & Field/Cross Country)
1987-88 – Dave DenBraber (Football), Patty Theis (Women's Volleyball)
1986-87 – Brad Morris (Wrestling), Patty Theis (Women's Volleyball) and Karen Kramer (Women's Basketball)
1985-86 – Scott Kelly (Baseball), Patty Theis (Women's Volleyball)
1984-85 – Paul Jungck (Wrestling), Sharon Sanders (Women's Volleyball)
1983-84 – Terry Schumacher (Wrestling), Leigh Feenstra (Women's Volleyball)
1982-83 – Bruce Faccio (Football), Monta Ware (Women's Basketball) and Linda Spicer (Women's Volleyball)
1981-82 – Tim Smelser (Wrestling), Vicki Williams (Women's Basketball)
1980-81 – Rick Baillergeon (Men's Basketball), Terri Fraser (Women's Volleyball & Women's Basketball)
1979-80 – David Sall (Football), Roxanne Abramouski (Softball)
1978-79 – Tim Herman (Men's Basketball), Sharon Lipinski (Women's Basketball)