INDIANAPOLIS---The NCAA announced today the Woman of the Year award 30 conference finalists representing Divisions I, II and III.  This prestigious award – in its 16th year – honors outstanding female student-athletes who have excelled in academics, athletics and community leadership, and have completed their collegiate athletics eligibility.

The format for selecting the Woman of the Year changed this year, with conferences nominating 121 student-athletes. A committee comprised of representatives from NCAA member schools and conferences selected the conference winners.

Those chosen as conference winners are truly exceptional young women. Of the 30 finalists, six competed on national championship teams; 13 were named academic all-Americans; and 21 served as their team captains or co-captains. Fourteen were multi-sport student-athletes; nine received NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship; and 16 represented their fellow student-athletes on their campus Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAAC).

In addition, they found time to help in their communities, volunteering for a wide variety of organizations, including United Way, American Cancer Society, Habitat for Humanity, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Headstart, YMCA, Make-A-Wish Foundation and also served as volunteers in schools, hospitals and churches.

The conference winners had an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.67, with one posting a perfect 4.0 GPA. They graduated with a variety of majors, including economics, political science, mathematics, psychology, marketing, exercise science, history, literature, English, Spanish, pre-med and pre-dentistry.

There are 10 conference winners from each division. These student-athletes participated in 16 of the 20 sports in which women compete for NCAA championships.

A national winner – the NCAA Woman of the Year – will be selected by the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics from among nine finalists. The top nine finalists will be announced October 25.

The 2006 Woman of the Year will be announced during the annual awards dinner October 28 in Indianapolis. CSTV personality Danyelle 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 co-hosts for the evening.

As part of the Woman of the Year weekend, finalists will assemble mini-barns for Habitat for Humanity homes on Saturday, October 28 as their community service project. The build will occur at the 1700 block of Roosevelt Avenue from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Last year’s national winner was Lauryn McCalley, a former diving standout from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She was the second swimming and diving student-athlete from Tennessee to be honored since the award’s inception since 1991.

Other past winners include: 2004 – Kelly Albin, lacrosse, University of California, Davis; 2003 – Ashley Rowatt, swimming and diving , Kenyon College; 2002 -- Tanisha Silas, track and field, University of California, Davis; 2001 -- Kimberly A. Black, swimming, University of Georgia; 2000 -- Kristy Kowal, swimming, 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 and diving, University of Georgia; 1996 – Billie Winsett-Fletcher, volleyball, University of Nebraska; 1995 – Rebecca Lobo, basketball, University of Connecticut; 1994 – Tanya Jones, track and field, University of Arizona; 1993 – Nnenna Jean Lynch, cross country and track and field, Villanova University; 1992 – Catherine Byrne, swimming and diving, University of Tennessee; and 1991 – Mary Beth Riley, track and field, Canisius College.

2006 Woman of the Year conference nominees are:

Anne Bersagel, Atlantic Coast Conference (Division I), Wake Forest University, cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field

Adrianne Musu Jackson-Buckner, State University of New York Athletic Conference (Division III), State University College at Oneonta, field hockey, indoor and outdoor track and field

Courtney Bumpers, Atlantic Coast Conference (Division I), University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, gymnastics

Maureen Burns, Northeast-10 Conference (Division II), Bryant College, field hockey and lacrosse

Keira Carlstrom, The Patriot League (Division I), American University, cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field

Lindsey Dietz, North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (Division II), University of Minnesota Duluth, basketball

Nicole DeYong, Independent (Division II), University of Alaska Anchorage, skiing and cross country

Erika Eisenhut, Liberty League (Division III), Union College (New York), basketball and soccer

Janelle Engle, Colonial Athletic Conference (Division I), Old Dominion University, field hockey

Elizabeth Guernsey, New England Small College Athletic Conference (Division III), Trinity College (Connecticut), rowing

Alyse Hasty, Gulf South Conference (Division II), Delta State University, softball

Angela Homan, Southeastern Conference (Division I), Auburn University, cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field

Jennifer Irwin, Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (Division II), Ferris State University, cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field

Cortney Kjar, Northwest Conference (Division III), University of Puget Sound, soccer

Maja Kovacek, Mountain West Conference (Division I), University of New Mexico, tennis

Sarah Lowe, Southeastern Conference, University of Florida, basketball

Victoria Martinez, Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (Division II), Adams State College, cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field

Renee Neuner, University Athletic Association (Division III), University of Chicago, soccer

Amanda Newton, Great Lakes Valley Conference (Division II), Drury University, basketball

Katherine Pederson, Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (Division III), Central College (Iowa), indoor track and field and volleyball

Angela Pfeiffer, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (Division III), Concordia College (Moorehead), indoor and outdoor track and field

Bethany Rehm, Independent (Division II), Texas Woman’s University, gymnastics

Kate Richardson, Pacific-10 Conference (Division I), University of California, Los Angeles, gymnastics

Julia Rudd, Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (Division III), University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field

Jodie Schoppmann, State University of New York Athletic Conference (Division III), State University College at Potsdam, cross country

Christyn Schumann, Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (Division III), Trinity University (Texas), indoor and outdoor track and field

Christine Sinclair, West Coast Conference (Division I), University of Portland, soccer

Greta Trotman, Sunshine State Conference (Division II), Barry University, tennis

Shannon Wommack, Southern Conference (Division I), University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field

Martina Moo Young, South Atlantic Conference (Division II), Wingate University, golf