The NCAA News - News and Features

October 27, 1997

Coole named NCAA's '97 Woman of the Year

Lisa Ann Coole, a record-setting swimmer at the University of Georgia, was named 1997 NCAA Woman of the Year October 19.

Coole received the award at the seventh annual NCAA Woman of the Year awards dinner at the Westin Crown Center Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri.

"This is just amazing," Coole said. "This is nice closure to what has been a wonderful career. It recognizes what the college experience was all about -- academics, athletics and service.

"Everyone was so deserving and I feel for the committee because it had to make a very tough decision. All the nominees are winners."

Coole emerged from more than 400 nominees to win the award. A special selection committee chose 51 state winners, including the District of Columbia, and narrowed the field to 10 national finalists. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics selected the Woman of the Year from the 10 finalists.

The Woman of the Year award honors academic and athletics excellence as well as community service and leadership.

Coole graduated from Georgia with a 3.620 grade-point average while majoring in biology. She was a two-time NCAA champion and 26-time all-American during her four-year swimming career at Georgia. She also won gold, silver and bronze medals at the World University Games in 1995 and has been named to two national swim teams.

A native of Rockford, Illinois, Coole was an active volunteer throughout her college career. She was involved with the Athens-Clarke County mentor program and an Athens-area homeless shelter for three years and twice was a volunteer for National Student-Athlete Day.