The NCAA News - News & Features

Women's postgraduate scholarships awarded

Recipients preparing for careers in athletics

The NCAA has awarded 10 postgraduate scholarships through the women's enhancement program.

The enhancement program, established in 1988 as a result of a recommendation by the Association's Committee on Women's Athletics, is designed to create better opportunities for women in coaching, athletics administration, officiating and athletics support services.

This year's postgraduate scholarships are being awarded to women who have completed an undergraduate degree and who are seeking admission or have been accepted into an NCAA member institution's sports administration program or a related program that will assist the applicant in developing a career in athletics.

To be considered, applicants must express an interest in preparing for a professional career in athletics administration. The scholarships are for one year only and are valued at $6,000.

Applicants must be entering their first semester or term of their postgraduate studies and must have performed with distinction as members of the student body at their respective undergraduate institutions. The applicant's involvement with extracurricular activities, course work, commitment to the pursuit of a career in intercollegiate athletics and potential for success in such a career also are factors in the selection process.

Five alternates have been named if one of the recipients is unable to accept the scholarship. They are Lisa K. Diebler of the University of Notre Dame, Christine M. Elliott of Lenoir-Rhyne College, Kelly M. Hale of San Diego State University, Courtney L. Poole of Rhodes College and Tanya Zwick of Trinity University (Texas).

Following are biographical sketches of recipients of the 1996 scholarships (including the institution awarding the undergraduate degree and, if different, the institution where the postgraduate scholarship likely will be used).

Christine Mary Chang (San Jose State University)--Chang was a starting guard on San Jose State's women's basketball team and earned academic honors from both the school and the Big West Conference. She graduated in May with a 3.570 grade-point average in human performance and will begin work on a master's degree in physical education at San Jose State this fall. Chang has been a coach, tournament director and team manager with the Golden State Road Warriors of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA). She also has served as a National Youth Sports Program clinic instructor at San Jose State, and she has been involved as a member of the school's Project Teamwork, helping at-risk youths develop personal and social skills. In addition, Chang spent a year as an exchange student in Australia.

Stephanie Louise Deibler (Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales; undecided)--Deibler participated in basketball and volleyball, and was a team captain in softball at Allentown. She has served as an assistant volleyball coach at Northampton Community College, a head basketball coach for seventh- and eighth-grade girls, and as an intern in Lehigh University's athletics business office. Deibler also has been active in the Bethlehem boys' and girls' clubs as a recreational supervisor and teacher. She graduated in May with a 3.730 grade-point average in sports administration and plans to pursue a postgraduate degree in sport management. A member of Allentown's Athletics Advisory Committee, Deibler was given the school's Society for Sport Leadership Award for highest academic achievement.

Tanya Joan Harbert (University of Denver)--A two-time letter-winner in gymnastics, Harbert participated in Denver's Strive for Excellence Program, in which she performed exhibitions at local elementary and middle schools, and spoke to school-age children about achievement in and out of the classroom. She has served as a coach and instructor for several gymnastics organizations and is a certified gymnastics judge. Harbert also served on the school's Smart Choices Committee for two years. An all-American scholar-athlete and a consistent dean's list member, Harbert graduated in June with a 3.710 grade-point average in finance and marketing. She will stay at Denver to begin work on a master's degree in sport management beginning this fall.

Michelle Lynn Malis (University of Arizona)--Malis graduated summa cum laude in 1994 with a degree in nutritional sciences. She currently is enrolled in two graduate classes and will become a full-time student in Arizona's sports administration program this fall. Since her graduation, Malis has served as an assistant volleyball coach at California State University, Bakersfield, and as a head coach at Palo Verde High School. A four-year participant on Arizona's volleyball team as an undergraduate, Malis became team cocaptain as a senior and earned academic honors from the Pacific-10 Conference all four years. In addition, she and her husband created the Zona Volleyball Club, an organization affiliated with USA Volleyball that promotes the development of the sport in southern Arizona.

Nancy Catherine Miller (University of North Florida; Ohio University)--A two-time all-Sunshine State Conference performer in basketball, Miller holds school records in scoring in a game, season and career. She started in all 28 games as a senior and averaged more than 13 points and five rebounds per contest. Named North Florida's female athlete of the year in 1994-95, Miller graduated in May with a 3.870 grade-point average in political science. She plans to pursue a postgraduate degree in sports administration at Ohio University beginning this fall. Miller's community service contributions include volunteering for the Special Olympics, Habitat for Humanity and the Lady Osprey Kid Force, a group of women's basketball players who speak to local school children about the importance of academics and athletics.

Michele Lynn Mohlman (Goucher College; University of Richmond)--Mohlman is a two-time all-American in field hockey and a four-time first-team all-Capital Athletic Conference selection. She captained the team as a senior. Mohlman also is team captain in lacrosse and has played basketball at Goucher as well. She graduated in May with a 3.700 grade-point average in mathematics and English and will attend the University of Richmond this fall to begin postgraduate work in sport management. Mohlman has worked at various camps for high-school student-athletes, including camps at Goucher, Brown University and Johns Hopkins University. She also completed a student internship at the Lacrosse Foundation in Baltimore as an assistant to the director of programs and services.

Angela Beatrice Povoli (Amherst College; undecided)--A June 1995 graduate, Povoli was team captain in volleyball and lacrosse during her senior year. She compiled a 3.400 grade-point average while majoring in political science and Spanish literature. She earned cum laude honors for her thesis in Spanish literature and was awarded the Psi Epsilon Prize for achievement in scholarship, leadership, athletics and character. She spent the past academic year at Amherst as a Hitchcock Fellow, a faculty-appointed position in which she served as an assistant volleyball, basketball and lacrosse coach, and as a physical education instructor. She plans to pursue a postgraduate degree in sports administration.

Bethany Anne Rave (Loyola University [Illinois]; University of Illinois, Chicago)--Rave is a two-time letter-winner in soccer at Loyola who earned second-team all-Midwestern Collegiate Conference honors in 1992. She graduated with a 3.960 grade-point average in history in 1993, then began working for an executive search firm in Chicago. That led to her involvement with Chicago's World Cup Host Committee, where Rave helped coordinate media contacts and compile press kits for the World Cup soccer games in the summer of 1994. Rave also has served as an intern with the United States Soccer Federation, located in Chicago. She plans to enroll in the graduate program in kinesiology at Illinois-Chicago and begin her studies this fall.

Jennifer Lyn Stinchcomb (University of Maine; undecided)--Stinchcomb was awarded an NCAA women's enhancement program postgraduate scholarship last year, but deferred in order to gain admission to the sports management program at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She has spent the last year as a member of Maine's field hockey coaching staff. As an undergraduate at Maine, Stinchcomb was a four-year letter-winner in field hockey and twice earned academic honors from the Field Hockey Coaches Association. She completed an internship in Maine's athletics department, where she played a role in developing recommendations for the design, operation and upgrading of fitness equipment for the school's new health and fitness facility.

Kathryn Camille Vlah (Bucknell University; Ohio University)--Vlah is a four-time member of Bucknell's women's basketball team and is a three-time captain. She was named the team's most valuable player in 1993 and 1994. A three-time member of the Patriot League academic honor roll, Vlah graduated in May with a 3.600 grade-point average in business administration and management. She has served as a member of Bucknell's Gender-Equity Committee President's Task Force and on the Student Committee for Review of New Faculty. Vlah also completed a summer internship with the Santa Fe Railway, where she researched and analyzed the fuel efficiency of high-priority trains. She will begin her postgraduate studies in athletics administration this fall.