Kayle Stevenson Receives Helen Bennett Award

Kayle Stevenson (Holland/West Ottawa), a member of the 2010 Ferris State University softball team, was recently named the 2009-10 recipient of the school's Helen Bennett Award as the Bulldogs' outstanding senior female student-athlete.

Stevenson played a key role this season in Ferris State registering a 26-16 overall record, which included a third-place 17-9 mark in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) standings. 

The award, which is in its 24th year of existance and is named in honor of late university faculty member Helen Bennett, is sponsored annually by the Ferris Professional Women's (FPW) organization to a senior female student-athlete who combines performance both athletically and academically.  Bennett was the wife of longtime FSU golf and track & field coach Norm Bennett (1956-71), who began the award in her memory and was later inducted into the Bulldog Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001.  

A 2010 Daktronics Inc. All-Midwest Region Second-Team selection, Stevenson turned in a 12-6 pitching record with a 1.98 earned run average in 124.0 innings this spring.  The two-time (2009 and 2010) All-GLIAC Second-Team honoree chalked up five shutouts, 16 complete games, 84 strikeouts, and held the opposition to a .204 batting average as a starter in all 20 appearances this campaign.  She was named the GLIAC Pitcher of the Week (April 26) this season. 

Academically, Stevenson claimed GLIAC All-Academic Team laurels for the third consecutive year (2008-10) this campaign.  A season ago (2009), she received a Division II Athletics Directors Association (DII ADA) Academic Achievement Award along with achieving the FSU President's Academic Award for having the softball team's highest cumulative grade point average.  

Stevenson closed out her productive three-year (2008-10) Ferris State career with a 27-8 pitching record and ranked among the program's all-time pitching leaders in several statistical categories.  She's currently listed first in best winning percentage (.771), eighth in earned run average (1.54), tied for eighth in shutouts (eight), 10th in strikeouts (188), tied for 11th in appearances (55), 12th in victories (27), and starting assignments (44), 14th in innings pitched (263.0), and 15th in complete games (27).   

Stevenson's selection marks the fifth time in which a softball student-athlete has earned the award.  Previous recipients include Niki Moeggenborg (1996-97), Anne Bentley (1999-00), Katie Kraai (2007-08), and Holly Bruntjens (2008-09).  

FPW is a university organization which encourages and promotes women by providing opportunities to consider and act on common interests and issues.  Active membership is open to individuals employed at Ferris State University, their spouses and retirees.  

Helen Bennett Award Recipients:
1986-87 -- Kris Johnson (Women's Volleyball) and Sandy Davison (Women's Basketball)
1987-88 -- Karen Kramer (Women's Basketball)
1988-89 -- Janna Biggs (Women's Volleyball)
1989-90 -- Dawn Lowe (Women's Volleyball)
1990-91 -- Kelly Stosik (Women's Volleyball)
1991-92 -- Karen Volkers (Women's Volleyball)
1992-93 -- Monica Ferguson (Women's Cross Country/Track & Field)
1993-94 -- Elizabeth Berry (Women's Tennis)
1994-95 -- Melissa Thomas (Women's Track & Field)
1995-96 -- Melissa Petty (Women's Volleyball)
1996-97 -- Nikki Moeggenborg (Softball)
1997-98 -- Kristen Campbell (Women's Tennis)
1998-99 -- Sherri Harris (Women's Volleyball)
1999-00 -- Anne Bentley (Softball/Women's Tennis)
2000-01 -- Pam Preston (Women's Cross Country/Track & Field)
2001-02 -- Morgan Buckner (Women's Volleyball/Track & Field)
2002-03 -- Suzanne Batten (Women's Tennis)
2003-04 -- Molly Potvin (Women's Basketball)
2004-05 -- Crystal Flutur (Women's Cross Country/Track & Field)
2005-06 -- Jenny Irwin (Women's Cross Country/Track & Field)  
2006-07 -- Erin Miller (Women's Basketball)
2007-08 -- Katie Kraai (Softball)
2008-09 -- Holly Bruntjens (Softball)
2009-10 -- Kayle Stevenson (Softball)