Two Seniors Share Willie Bouyer Leadership Award

A pair of Ferris State University senior student-athletes, Casey Haines (Indiana, Pa.) of the men's ice hockey team and Kurt Valley (Bay City/Western) of the men's golf team have been selected as 2009-10 co-winners of the FSU Athletics Department's Willie Bouyer Leadership Award. 

The selection of Haines and Valley marks the eighth time in which there has been co-recipients of the Willie Bouyer Leadership Award.  The award recipients were chosen by a FSU Athletics Department committee. 

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.

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.

Haines was the inspirational leader for the nationally-ranked 2009-10 Bulldog men's ice hockey team, who compiled a 21-13-6 overall record and a third-place showing in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA).  Haines placed second among the squad's scoring leaders with 31 points on 12 goals and 19 assists in 40 games.  He accumulated six multiple-point game outings to go along with a plus 11 efficiency rating this season.  Haines, who tallied a team-leading five game-winning goals, also was counted on in a number of areas not showing up on the scoring summary such as shot blocking, crucial faceoffs, and penalty kill efficiency.  He was a contributing member in Ferris State boasting the nation's top penalty-kill efficiency unit (.884 percent) this 2009-10 campaign.  Off the ice, Haines was heavily involved in the local Big Brothers program and recruited many of his teammates to be active in the organization.  He served as the hockey team's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) representative the last three seasons as well.

Haines wrapped up his four years (2006-10) by amassing 60 career points on 25 goals with 35 assists in 142 appearances.  He also totaled seven game-winning lamplighters, six power-play tallies, three short-handed markers, and a plus six efficiency rating.     

A 2009-10 Division II PING All-Midwest Region Team pick, Valley earned All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) First-Team recognition for the second consecutive season (2008-09 and 2009-10).  Valley was tabbed as the 2009-10 team's recipient of the Bulldog Award, the Leadership Award, and the Most Dedicated Award.  The team captain averaged 74.82 strokes per round (2,469 total strokes) in 33 rounds while producing nine top-20 place performances this 2009-10 campaign.  Valley played a vital role in leading the nationally-ranked Bulldogs to a program record seventh-place tying finish at the 2010 NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championships (May 18-21). 

Valley concluded his four-year (2006-10) career at Ferris State with a 74.67 stroke average (9,409 total strokes) in 126 rounds.  

Besides Haines and Valley, the other 2009-10 nominees for the Willie Bouyer Leadership Award included Kyle Revall (West Lafayette, Ind./Mattawan) of the men's tennis team, Amy Ingle (Battle Creek/Hastings) of women's tennis, and Matt DeHart (Greenville) of the men's basketball team.    

Willie Bouyer Leadership Award Recipients 

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)