August 29, 2012

Release courtesy of Rob Bentley, Associate Athletics Communications Director, Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Mich. - Former Ferris State University All-American Tina Muir (St. Albans, U.K.) might not be competing for the Bulldogs any longer, but that hasn't stopped the standout runner from earning major recognition.

This week, Muir was chosen as one of the top 30 nominees for the prestigious 2012 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.  A total of 30 individuals were chosen from among 133 conference winners and nearly 430 nominees overall.  Recently, Muir was tabbed as an assistant coach for track and field/cross country at La Salle University in Philadelphia as she pursues a graduate degree.

Muir, who was the nominee from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic COnference (GLIAC), was among the top 10 in NCAA Division II as the 30 individuals include 10 from each of the three NCAA levels of competition.

The list of 30 will be narrowed down to nine finalists with the 2012 NCAA Woman of the Year chosen by the NCAA Committe on Women's Athletics.  Three finalists from each division will form the nine finalists for the 22nd annual award in September.

The NCAA will salute the achievements and accomplishments of the Top 30 honorees at the 2012 NCAA Woman of the Year awards dinner to be held on Oct. 14 in Indianapolis at the Indiana Convention Center's 500 Ballroom.

Overall, the top 30 honorees reflect the pillars of the Woman of the Year award, with outstanding achievements in academics, athletics, community service and leadership.

Muir is among three former Bulldog student-athletes to receive national recognition in the NCAA Woman of the Year balloting over the last 10 years.  In 2006, former Bulldog track/cross country runner Jenny Irwin became the second FSU student-athlete to be named a national finalist for the honor by being among the top nine finishers.  Former Bulldog standout Morgan Buckner (1997-02), who participated in both volleyball along with track and field at Ferris, placed among the top 10 finalists after being chosen as Michigan's statewide recipient under the previous selection format in 2002.

Muir wrapped up her collegiate eligibility as an 11-time All-American in women's track and field/cross country for the Bulldogs this past spring.

She concluded a stellar career as one of FSU's most decorated student-athletes ever by taking second place in the 5,000 meters on the final day of competition at the 2012 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships on May 26 in Pueblo, Colo. Her runner-up effort enabled her to claim All-America laurels for the 11th time in her collegiate career and the second time in the meet following a fourth-place national finish in the 10,000 meters.

That performance came on the heels of a third-place showing in the 5,000 meters at this year's NCAA-II Indoor Track and Field Championships where she also earned All-America honors as member of the school's distance medley relay team that placed fourth overall.

Last fall, Muir led the Bulldogs in her last collegiate cross country race by finishing a personal-best seventh overall and sixth in scoring position at the 2011 NCAA Division II National Championships to earn All-America accolades for the fourth-straight season. She is the only four-time All-American in FSU women's cross country history and her performance represented the highest individual finish ever for the Bulldogs, who tied for the best team finish in school history (eighth).

The 2011 GLIAC Cross Country "Athlete of the Year" won the league's individual cross country crown for the second time and twice claimed GLIAC "Runner of the Week" laurels last fall. Her efforts helped FSU to a number three national ranking and league runner-up finish.

Besides her athletic accomplishments, Muir also was chosen to the 2011-12 Capital One Division II Academic All-America First Team for cross country and track.  She claimed All-GLIAC and GLIAC All-Academic Team honors four-straight years and was a three-time recipient of the prestigious GLIAC Commissioner's Award for Excellence.  Last month, she was tabbed for the third consecutive time as the female recipient of FSU's prestigious Dean Davenport "Bulldog Of The Year" honor.