INDIANAPOLIS---The NCAA has selected the top 30 honorees for the 2009 NCAA Woman of the Year award that will be presented in October.
The award honors female student-athletes who have excelled in academic achievement, athletics, service and leadership.
A committee of representatives from NCAA schools and conferences selected the top 30 honorees from a pool of 132 conference and independent honorees representing all three NCAA divisions and multiple sports. Ten honorees are selected from each NCAA division.
The top 30 will be trimmed to nine finalists – three from each division – in September, and the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics will select the national winner. The recipient of the 19th annual award will be announced during the 2009 NCAA Woman of the Year awards event Oct. 18 in Indianapolis.
The 2008 NCAA Woman of the Year was former Tennessee women’s basketball standout Nkolika Anosike.
The Top 30 honorees by conference and division (I, II or III) are:
| Conference |
Name |
Institution |
Sport(s) |
| ACC (I) |
Amanda Blumenherst |
Duke |
Golf |
| Big East (I) |
Jennifer Kleinhans |
Connecticut |
Field hockey |
| Big Ten (I) |
Ladia Albertson-Junkans |
Minnesota
|
Cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field |
| Big 12 (I) |
Loren Groves |
Kansas State |
Indoor and outdoor track and field |
| Big 12 (I) |
Yolanda Odenyo |
Oklahoma State |
Soccer |
| Conference USA (I) |
Eleanor Waite |
Rice |
Cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field |
| Pac-10 (I) |
Lacey Nymeyer |
Arizona |
Swimming |
| SEC (I) |
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney |
LSU |
Gymnastics |
| Summit (I) |
Laura Hermanson |
North Dakota State |
Soccer, cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field |
| West Coast (I) |
Julie Rubenstein |
Pepperdine |
Volleyball |
| California Collegiate (II) |
Jasimen Bailey |
Cal State Stanislaus |
Indoor and outdoor track and field |
| California Collegiate (II) |
Meghan Haas |
Cal State San Bernardino |
Volleyball |
| GLIAC (II) |
Kathleen Tafler |
Grand Valley State |
Soccer |
| Great Northwest (II) |
Ashley Puga |
Northwest Nazarene |
Cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field |
| Heartland (II) |
Kelsey Yeatts |
St. Edward’s |
Soccer
|
| Independent (II) |
Amie Boles |
Texas Woman's |
Gymnastics |
| Lone Star (II) |
Emily Brister |
West Texas A&M |
Basketball |
| MIAA (II) |
Venessa Lee |
Pittsburg State |
Cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field |
| Northeast-10 (II) |
Kailey Egbert |
Saint Rose |
Soccer |
| South Atlantic (II) |
Anna Atkinson |
Wingate |
Basketball |
| Centennial (III) |
Caitlin Mullarkey |
Swarthmore |
Basketball, soccer, indoor and outdoor track and field |
| IIAC (III) |
Kelsey Steffens |
Wartburg |
Indoor and outdoor track and field, volleyball |
| Liberty League (III) |
Emily Love |
Vassar |
Swimming |
| Midwest (III) |
Tanesha Hughes |
Monmouth (Illinois) |
Basketball, volleyball, indoor and outdoor track and field |
| MIAC (III) |
Katherine Theisen |
St. Thomas (Minnesota) |
Cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field |
| NESCAC (III) |
Elise Tropiano |
Amherst |
Cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field |
| North Coast (III) |
Tracy Menzel |
Kenyon |
Swimming |
| SCIAC (III) |
Rebecca Willis |
Redlands |
Soccer
|
| SUNYAC (III) |
Julia Hopson |
Fredonia State |
Indoor and outdoor track and field |
| UAA (III) |
Dani Huffman |
Emory |
Volleyball
|
