GENERAL ATHLETICS: Keenan, Muir, Lilleboe Share Bulldog Of The Year Award

Awards are being handed about by the Ferris State University Athletics Department. One of the biggest handed out is the Dean Davenport "Bulldog of the Year" award.

This year's award was presented to a trio of deserving Ferris student-athletes: Justin Keenan, of the men's basketball team; Tina Muir, of the women's cross country and track and field programs; and Eric Lilleboe of the men's golf team.

Here is an excerpt below from the press release posted by Ferris Athletics Communications:

For the fourth time in Ferris State University Athletics history, including the third time in the last four seasons, three student-athletes have been named the recipients of the Dean Davenport “Bulldog of the Year” Award.

Men's basketball junior Justin Keenan (Grand Rapids/Ottawa Hills) along with junior Tina Muir (St. Albans, U.K.) of the women's track/cross country program and senior Eric Lilleboe (Okemos/Lansing Catholic Central) of the men's golf team were honored as FSU's 2009-10 recipients.

The award winners were selected by a FSU Athletics Department committee. All three are first-time recipients of the prestigious award.

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 Pride" and "Jimmy Swears Courage" Awards at Ferris State.

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