Release courtesy of Ferris State University's Athletic Communicatin Department

The Ferris State University women's golf program can add another name to its list of ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans as senior Raquel Hansen (West Olive/Holland) of the nationally-ranked Bulldogs has attained 2008-09 Academic All-America First-Team status in the Women's At-Large College Division. The announcement was made today (June 11) by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

With her selection, Hansen owns the distinction of being the first Bulldog women's golf student-athlete to be tabbed as a first-team honoree and the second individual in the program's history to earn ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American plaudits. Former FSU standout Becky Hoffman was a two-time (2006-07 and 2007-08) Academic All-America Second-Team selection.

Hansen, a marketing/professional golf management major, recorded a team second-best 78.66 stroke average (2,281 total strokes) in 29 rounds for 10th-ranked Ferris State in the 2008-09 season. Her stroke average this season currently ranks 11th best among Ferris State's all-time single-season leaders. The 2008-09 All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) First-Team pick placed among the top 20 individual golfers in nine tournaments this campaign, which included seven within the top 10. Hansen, who is a two-time (2007-08 and 2008-09) winner of the program's Bulldog Award, played a key role in guiding Ferris State to a sixth-place tie at the 2009 NCAA Division II Women's Golf Championships (May 13-16) in Findlay, Ohio.

A three-time (2005-06, 2006-07, and 2007-08) National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) Scholar-Athlete, Hansen achieved all-conference second-team laurels in each of her previous three seasons (2005-06, 2006-07, and 2007-08). She also garnered GLIAC All-Academic Team kudos the last two seasons (2006-07 and 2007-08). Hansen claimed academic all-district IV honors in consecutive seasons (2007-08 and 2008-09), earning second-team kudos in 2007-08 before becoming a first-team member in 2008-09.

Hansen concluded her four-year (2005-09) career at Ferris State presently ranking fifth among the program's all-time stroke average leaders at 79.89 (8,549 total strokes) in 107 rounds.

The Women's At-Large program includes the sports of bowling, crew, fencing, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, skiing, tennis and water polo. To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30 in a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

Hansen is the 25th student-athlete in Ferris State's Athletics history to garner Academic All-America recognition and joins Jake Visser (Coopersville) of the Bulldog football team as ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans for the 2008-09 athletics season.

Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.

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