Keenan & Muir Tabbed "Bulldogs Of The Year"

A pair of Ferris State University student-athletes have been named the recipients of the Dean Davenport "Bulldog of the Year" Award for the second consecutive year as senior forward/center Justin Keenan (Grand Rapids/Ottawa Hills) of the men's basketball team and senior Tina Muir (St. Albans, United Kingdom) of the women's track/cross country program were tabbed as repeat winners in 2010-11.

The prestigious award winners were selected in voting conducted by the Bulldog head coaches and selected FSU Athletics Department members.  The duo previously joined former men's golf student-athlete Eric Lilleboe in earning the same recognition following the 2009-10 athletics season.

Both Keenan and Muir become only the sixth and seventh Bulldog student-athletes in school history to receive the award multiple times.  Keenan wrapped up his eligibility for the Bulldogs in 2010-11 while Muir still will have one year remaining in both cross country and track as a fifth-year senior for the Bulldogs next campaign and could join former volleyball standout Patty Theis (1985-88) as the only three-time recipients of the award.

"We were blessed with many outstanding student-athletes this year and so many are worthy of being honored as the Davenport Bulldog of the Year," said FSU Athletics Director Perk Weisenburger.  "However, the exceptional performances turned in by Tina (Muir) and Justin (Keenan) throughout the year were nothing short of remarkable.  In addition, both are quality young people that we are very proud of.  We congratulate Tina and Justin for being named Bulldogs of the Year for the second year in a row."

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 founded the "Bulldog of the Year", "Pete Peterson Bulldog Pride" and "Jimmy Swears Courage" Awards at Ferris State.

The Division II Bulletin National Player of the Year, Keenan paced the GLIAC in scoring for the third year in a row and was the only player in Division II to rank among the nation's top 20 players in both scoring and rebounding this past campaign.  He also became the GLIAC's all-time career scoring leader and only the third player in league annals to win the coveted GLIAC Player of the Year honor twice.

Keenan's play helped the Ferris State men to the 2010-11 NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen and the Midwest Regional Championship Game in Louisville, Ky.  The Bulldogs also captured the GLIAC North Division Championship and hosted the GLIAC Tournament Semifinals and Finals this past season.  Ferris State earned runner-up laurels in both the conference and NCAA regional tournaments.

This year marked the second consecutive year in which Keenan earned All-America accolades. Last season, he became the first Bulldog player in 36 years to claim All-America accolades and FSU's first-ever All-America pick at the Division II level by being named to the 2009-10 State Farm Coaches' All-America Team.  The 6-7, 265-pound frontcourt standout was chosen to participate in the 2011 Reese's Division II All-Star Game and also attained first team All-America honors from both Basketball Times and Daktronics in 2010-11 while earning first team all-region honors for the second consecutive year and All-GLIAC First Team laurels for the third-straight season.

Keenan concluded his Bulldog career by scoring 2,259 career points and ranks second all-time in Bulldog history.  He's also the school's all-time leader with 797 made free throws while ranking third in rebounding (901) and seventh in field goal percentage (.548).

Muir earned All-America honors in two events at the 2011 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships held last month (May 26-28) in Turlock, Calif.  She came in sixth overall in the 5,000 meters on the final day of the meet with a time of 16:40.48 after placing fifth overall while earning All-America acclaim in the 10,000 meters with a school-record time of 34:20.99 in first day action.

Last fall, Muir capped off another steallar cross country season by earning All-America honors for the third-straight year following her performance in the 2010 NCAA-II National Championships (Dec. 4) held in Louisville, Ky. Muir claimed All-America accolades with her school-best 11th-place individual performance at the national meet as the Bulldogs ran to a eighth-place team finish while tying for the highest finish in school history.

Muir, who was also last fall's regional champion, had previously placed 12th at nationals each of the last two seasons. Muir's 11th-place national meet finish marked the highest individual finish ever by a Bulldog women's cross country runner in school history.  She is one of only two women's cross country All-Americans at FSU and the first three-time honoree.

A three-time cross country All-American, Muir also earned the prestigious GLIAC Commissioner's Award for the fall semester and was a league all-academic team selection in both cross country along with track and field in 2010-11. Finally, she was chosen to the Capital One Academic All-District IV College Division Second Team for her efforts this year.

Keenan's selection marks the seventh time a Bulldog men's basketball player has been honored as a winner of the Dean Davenport "Bulldog of the Year" Award while Muir is also the seventh women's track and field/cross country participant to claim the honor.

The other male student-athlete nominees for the 2010-11 Dean Davenport Bulldog of the Year Award were Kyle Wittenbach in men's golf and Jack Swan of the men's tennis team.  The other female student-athlete nominees included Jacqueline DeBoer of women's golf, volleyball's Arielle Goodson and Amy Ingle of women's tennis.

Bulldog of the Year Recipients:
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)