INDIANAPOLIS---The NCAA announced today the Woman of the Year award state finalists representing the states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. This prestigious award – in its 15th year -- honors outstanding female student-athletes who have excelled in academics, athletics and community leadership, and have completed their collegiate athletics eligibility.

Colleges and universities nominated 355 student-athletes for this year’s award, including representatives from Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. The state of Arizona did not submit any nominees. A committee comprised of representatives from NCAA member schools selected the state winners.

Each NCAA member institution was encouraged to submit a nominee. In fact, schools were allowed to submit the names of two nominees if one was an ethnic minority. The selection committee then reviewed the nominees’ academic and athletics accomplishments and community service involvement.

Those chosen as state winners are truly exceptional young women. Of the 51 finalists, 10 competed on national championship teams, 38 were named academic all-Americans and nearly 30 were selected as athletic all-Americans. More than 40 served as their team captains or co-captains.  Fourteen were multi-sport athletes. Ten received NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships. Thirty-three represented their fellow student-athletes on their campus Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAAC) and three served on conference SAACs.

In addition, they found time to help in their communities, volunteering for a wide variety of organizations, including hospitals, soup kitchens, Special Olympics, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Boys and Girls Club, Ronald McDonald House, Habitat for Humanity and the Make-A-Wish foundation.  They helped adults and children learn to read; helped raise awareness and funds to fight breast cancer; and worked with Homeward Bound.  The state winners had an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.76, with six posting perfect 4.0 GPAs. They graduated with a variety of majors, including accounting, animal science, anthropology, applied actuarial mathematics, biology, business administration, classics, English, entreprenurship, French, German, government, health science, history, international studies, journalism, kinesiology, nursing, political science, psychology, social work, sociology, Spanish, sport management and women’s studies.

The state-level winners include 29 student-athletes from Division I; 16 student-athletes from Division II; and six student-athletes from Division III.

These student-athletes participated in 15 of the 20 sports in which women compete for NCAA championships – basketball, bowling, cross country, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, indoor and outdoor track, volleyball and water polo.

A national winner – the NCAA Woman of the Year – will be selected by the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics from among 10 finalists. The top 10 finalists will be announced September 12.

The 2005 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced during the annual awards dinner October 29 in Indianapolis. ESPN personality Danielle Sargent and Kara Lawson, former University of Tennessee, Knoxville, women's basketball standout and a 2003 Woman of the Year top-10 finalist currently playing in the WNBA, will serve as emcees for the evening.

Last year’s national winner was Kelly Albin, a lacrosse standout from the University of California, Davis. She was the third winner from UC Davis since the award’s inception in 1991. The University of Georgia has also produced three national award winners.

Other past winners include: 2003 – Ashley Rowatt, swimming and diving, Kenyon College; 2002 – Tanisha Silas, track and field, University of California, Davis; 2001 – Kimberly A. Black, Olympic gold medal swimmer, University of Georgia; 2000 – Kristy Kowal, Olympic silver medal swimmer, University of Georgia; 1999 – Jamila Demby, track and field, University of California, Davis; 1998 – Peggy Boutilier, lacrosse and field hockey, University of Virginia; 1997 – the late Lisa Ann Coole, swimming, University of Georgia; 1996 – Billie Winsett Fletcher, volleyball, University of Nebraska, Lincoln; 1995 – Rebecca Lobo, basketball, University of Connecticut; 1994 – Tanya Hughes Jones, track and field, University of Arizona; 1993 – Nnenna Jean Lynch, cross country and track and field, Villanova University; 1992 – Catherine Byrne Maloney, swimming, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; and 1991 – Mary Beth Riley-Metcalf, cross country, Canisius College.

2005 Woman of the Year State Winners are: