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NCAA News Release
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NCAA Names Shelley Keeler Division III Tennis Most Outstanding Student-Athlete In Honor Of The 25th Anniversary Of Women's Championships
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For Immediate Release
Thursday, May 4, 2006
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Contact(s)
Gail Dent
Associate Director of Public and Media Relations
317/917-6117
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INDIANAPOLIS --- The NCAA has announced that Pomona College graduate Shelley Keeler has been named the Division III Tennis Most Outstanding Student-Athlete for her accomplishments in NCAA championship competition. The honor, which was bestowed as part of the NCAA's 25th Anniversary of Women's Championships celebration, takes into account outstanding performances over the past 25 years.
Keeler qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championships four years in a row in both singles and doubles. In singles, Keeler earned All-American all four years, and capped her collegiate career by winning the singles title in 1992. In doubles, Keeler was again a four-time All-American and won an unprecedented three straight doubles titles--once with Caryn Cranston (1990) and twice with Erin Hendricks (1991, 92). To cap a storybook senior season in 1992, Keeler, a co-captain, led the Pomona team at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles and helped the squad win the NCAA team title.
Keeler's exploits earned her the Volvo Intercollegiate Tennis Coaches Association (ITCA) Senior Player of the Year Award in 1992, and she also earned the Pomona College Most Valuable Athlete Award in 1991. In 1992 she was named the Honda Broderick Award Winner for women's tennis. Her four year win-loss record in singles stands at 29-4 (1989), 24-8 (1990), 30-8 (1991), and 29-5 (1992). In doubles, Keeler earned a four year win-loss record of 26-2 (1989), 19-4 (1990), 26-2(1991), and 30-3 (1992).
Married with two daughters, Keeler, now Shelley Keeler Whelan, lives in Mercer Island, Washington and is a marketing manager. She earned an MBA from the University of Washington in 1998, and a degree in Anthropology from Pomona.
In 1981, the NCAA began sponsoring women's championships, which opened the door to increased athletic and academic opportunities for female athletes. Today, the NCAA sponsors 44 women's championships in 20 sports, providing more than 150,000 women with an opportunity to compete for national titles each year.
An NCAA panel selected the most outstanding student-athlete in the sport of Division III tennis. The panel consisted of current and former coaches, athletics administrators, sports information directors, and coaches association members, who used historical data and championship results to make their decision.
The 2006 NCAA Division III Women's National Tennis Championships begin May 6. The finals begin May 17 at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Keeler will be on-site at the championships and will participate in various activities as well as serve as a guest speaker at the May 19 banquet.
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