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Sept. 6, 2007 NEW ORLEANS - Fourteen of the 30 conference nominees for the NCAA's Woman of the Year award competed in cross country and/or track & field, including Wake Forest's Michelle Sikes, a Rhodes Scholar recipient and the 2007 NCAA Division I outdoor champion in the 5,000 meters. Of those 14 student-athletes, 12 competed in outdoor track & field, 10 in indoor track & field and seven in cross country. Basketball had the next highest amount of nominees with five student-athletes among the group of 30. Now in its 17th year, the Woman of the Year award honors exceptional female student-athletes who excel in academics, athletics and community leadership. The nominees have completed their collegiate athletics eligibility. Many of the nominees competed in multiple sports. A committee comprised of representatives from NCAA member schools and conferences selected the top 30 out of 128 conference and independent nominees. The 30 nominees earned an overall grade point average of 3.83, with seven posting a 4.0 GPA. There are 10 conference winners from each of three NCAA divisions. A national winner will be selected by the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics from a group of nine finalists. The top nine finalists will be announced later this month, and the 2007 Woman of the Year will be announced October 27th in Indianapolis. Last year's national winner was Anne Bersagel, a cross country and track & field athlete from Wake Forest. Brief summaries of the track & field and cross country athletes who are among the final 30 nominees for the NCAA Woman of the Year: Atlantic Coast Conference Sikes, the 2007 Division I Outdoor Track & Field Scholar Athlete of the Year, clocked a meet record of 15:16.76 in winning the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Sikes majored in mathematical economics at Wake Forest and was named a Rhodes Scholar. Big Ten Conference Gall wrapped up her outstanding collegiate career with a Big Ten title and ninth-place finish at the NCAA Championships in the 10,000 meters. A four-time All-American in cross country and track & field, Gall recently completed her master's degree in journalism. California Collegiate Athletic Association Tucker was a two-year member of the Cal State Dominquez Hills cross country team, leading the Toros in each of her senior races. She received the Arthur Ashe Jr. Award, a national honor given to undergraduate students of color who have excelled in athletics and academics. Division III Independents A six-time All-American in track & field, Parker placed third in 100 meters and fourth in the 200 meters at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships. The health science major graduated with a GPA of 3.74. Parker belonged to several campus organizations and served a summer internship with the Atlantic Care Regional Medical Center. Great Northwest Athletic Conference Kaempf finished second in the GNAC cross country championships and earned all-conference honors four times. She also competed in skiing and outdoor track & field for the Seawolves, earning six All-America certificates. Kaempf made the Dean's List five times at Alaska-Anchorage. Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Lone Star Conference Aguilar was a two-time NCAA Division II champion in the pole vault, winning the indoor and outdoor titles in 2006. She won three Lone Star Conference titles and set an NCAA Division II indoor record of 13'7" earlier this year. Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Winkle was a seven-time All-American in track & field (long jump, 400 and both relays) and averaged 14.1 points and 10 rebounds a game during her four years on the Calvin basketball team. In addition to volunteering at local public schools, Winkle majored in mathematics and graduated with a 3.966 GPA. Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Weinmann earned All-American honors in the shot put and won MIAC titles in both the shot and weight throw. She served as president of the Physics and Astronomy Club and participated in a holiday gifts program for the local community. Weinmann was a double major in mathematics and chemistry, graduating with a 3.986 GPA. New England Small College Athletic Conference Garrahan won a remarkable distance triple at the 2007 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & field and Field Championships, finishing first in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, and also the 5,000 and 10,000-meter races. Garrahan's performance spurred Amherst to a fourth-place team finish. Garrahan majored in psychology and political science, graduating with a grade point average of 3.68. She participated in numerous campus and church activities while at Amherst. Southeastern Conference Guliford won three SEC indoor individual titles and earned All-America honors as a member of Tennessee's distance medley relay at the 2005 NCAA Indoor Championships. She received Tennessee's Community Service Award earlier this year. Guliford majored in biochemistry and hopes to become a pediatrician. University Athletic Association Martin completed her undergraduate studies in May with a 3.67 GPA as a mathematics and Spanish major. She was a three-time UAA champion in the 20-pound weight throw and collected five UAA outdoor titles in the hammer, discus and shot put. Martin is currently teaching algebra at a Texas high school in the "Teach for America" program. University Athletic Association Nothelle received an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship after graduating from Case Western Reserve with a 4.0 GPA as a biology and German major. She earned three letters as a member of Case's cross country team, earning All-America honors last fall. She has also volunteered with the Free Clinic of Greater Cleveland. Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Barnes earned All-America honors three times in the pole vault, winning the NCAA Division III outdoor championship in 2005. Barnes, a kinesiology/human performance major, twice earned All-District Academic honors and carried a 3.68 grade point average. |
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