Women's Basketball Senior Zoe Anderson Selected As FSU's Willie Bouyer Leadership Award Winner
Note: This is the second of four major FSU Athletics Awards that will be presented over the next week for the 2021-22 campaign.
Big Rapids, Mich. - Ferris State University women's basketball senior forward Zoe Anderson (Rockford) has been selected as the recipinet of Ferris State University Athletics' prestigious Willie Bouyer Leadership Award for the 2021-22 campaign.
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.
"Zoe Anderson is an outstanding choice as our Willie Bouyer Leadership Award winner," said FSU Athletics Director Steve Brockelbank. "Her efforts both on and off the court this past year were instrumental in the success of our women's basketball program. She's a deserving honoree of this prestigious honor.
"In addition to her performance in the women's basketball program, Zoe was also an outstanding leader as the president of our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee," he added.
A four-year letterwinner in the Bulldog program, Anderson was a team captain and multi-year starter for the Bulldogs. She helped FSU to a pair of Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) North Division Championships in her career along with NCAA Tournament berths in both 2020 and 2022. This past season, her play helped inspire FSU to the program's first GLIAC Tournament Championship in school history.
As a senior this year, Anderson started all 32 contests for the Bulldgos and averaged 7.5 points along with 4.4 rebounds per game while also shooting 97% from the free throw stripe. Over her four seasons on the floor for the Bulldogs, she appeared in 90 games and notched nearly 500 points along with 273 rebounds, 80 assists and 43 steals. Anderson was a four-time GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team honoree and played a key leadership role throughout her career as a member of FSU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
"Zoe was the ultimate example of what we want our student-athletes to be," said FSU head coach Kurt Westendorp. "She displayed tremendous character throughout her time on campus and exhibited amazing growth on the court. Her growth helped her earn a starting role, and most importantly, helped her find her leadership voice the past two years.
"Overall, she was such a huge part of our success based on the way she cared for our team, mentored our underclassmen and represented our university every day," he added. "She's been a great ambassador for Ferris State University and is richly deserving of this honor."
Anderson is the fourth-ever Bulldog women's soccer student-athlete in school history to receive the Willie Bouyer Leadership Award. She's also the second-straight Rockford native to claim the distinction as former men's basketball standout Michael Peterson was a co-recipient of the honor a year ago.
The other 2021-22 finalists for the Willie Bouyer Leadership Award included other strong leaders and representatives in men's basketball guard Ben Davidson along with women's soccer's Abigail Gilmore, volleyball's Nina Gorgijevska and football's John Higgins.
Willie Bouyer Leadership Award Recipients
2021-22 - Zoe Anderson (Women's Basketball)
2020-21 - Bri Rogers (Women's Soccer) and Michael Peterson (Men's Basketball)
2019-20 - Travis Russell (Football)
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)