National Collegiate Athletic Association
NCAA News Archive - 2000
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STAFF WRITER
The 10 finalists for the 2000 NCAA Woman of the Year award include three Olympians, a member of the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx, a Rhodes Scholar finalist and the female winner of the Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship, the NCAA's highest academic honor.
The NCAA Woman of the Year award, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, honors outstanding female student-athletes who have excelled in athletics, academics and community leadership.
This year's finalists also include a world-record holder, NCAA champions and the winners of the Honda Broderick Cup for Division II and for Division III. The finalists are published researchers, future doctors and teachers, and current mentors to children. They have served as tutors and volunteer coaches, assisted the homeless, taught immigrants to read and cared for orphans in China.
A national winner will be selected from the 10 finalists by the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics and announced at the 2000 NCAA Woman of the Year dinner, presented by Rawlings, October 15 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in Indianapolis. This year's theme is "A Decade of Excellence, a Future of Success."
Because of the anniversary, many past winners are expected to attend this year's ceremony.
Following are biographical sketches on the 10 finalists:
Carolin Bouchard
Boston College
Basketball
Bouchard is a two-time all-Big East Conference selection and owns school records for three-point field goals made and attempted in a career. The team captain helped the Eagles to a No. 17 finish in the ESPN/USA Today poll for 2000 and was selected to compete for Canada at the Olympics in Sydney.
Graduating summa cum laude, the accounting major was named Boston College's Outstanding Female Scholar-Athlete four times and became the first student-athlete in school history to earn the university's highest honor, the Edward H. Finnegan Award. The Rhodes Scholar candidate also earned an NCAA postgraduate scholarship.
Bouchard appeared on Big East public service announcements, promoting diversity and tolerance. She also volunteered for the BC Athletics Pen Pal Program, the Higher Education and Assisted Reading program and numerous projects through the BC Women's Basketball Community Service program.
Bouchard: "During my time at Boston College, I learned that goal-setting, effort and teamwork can lead to success not only in basketball but in every aspect of life. Participating in college basketball has given me much more than I could have imagined. I discovered things about myself that I never knew, learned skills that will be with me throughout life, and became a more complete person."
Amanda Colby
Bates College
Volleyball
A middle hitter for the Bates volleyball team, Colby was an all-conference selection in 1999 and 2000, as well as a second-team all-American last year, leading her team to a second-place finish in the New England Small College Athletic Conference.
A biochemistry major, Colby was a second-team GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2000, and she is a three-time academic all-conference pick as well. Her work has been published in the research journal "Chiralty," and she was selected as a Merck fellow, receiving a grant to conduct independent research and help organize a scientific lecture series.
Colby has served as a mentor for local elementary school children, and she's also participated in numerous "read-ins" at the school. Her volunteer positions have included being a teacher's assistant, tutoring chemistry students and coaching high-school tennis. She's also served as a resident coordinator at her dormitory and as a lab assistant.
Colby: "The ups and downs of my own competitive experience as a collegiate athlete and the feedback I've received from coaches and players has taught me powerful lessons. When preparing to present my senior thesis to a group of faculty, I found myself going through the same motions as I do before an athletics competition. My involvement in athletics has helped me harness my energy, maintain my focus, and hold myself to high standards in many aspects of my life. For this, I will always be grateful."
Jessica Dailey
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Track and field/cross country
A twelve-time all-American in track and cross country, Dailey has served as team captain in both sports. She's a five-time first-team all-Southeastern Conference pick and a five-time second-team selection for the perennial conference winning Razorbacks.
Dailey is a summa cum laude graduate in journalism and a two-time GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-American. She's spent six consecutive semesters on the Fulbright College Honor Roll and Arkansas honor roll, and she's a three-time SEC academic first-team selection. She's also competed in a campus-wide moot court competition.
Dailey's work in the community has included assisting elementary students as a Hispanic Literacy Volunteer; working with the Arkansas Athletes Outreach, a character-building program for schoolchildren; and participating in an initiative with local libraries called "Let's read with the Lady 'Backs." Dailey also has assisted the St. Thomas Aquinas parish with youth activities and served underprivileged children in the Razorbacks for Christmas program.
Dailey: "The discipline I've learned through sports has taught me about balancing the competing demands of daily life. Perhaps someday my achievements and the way I went about reaching them can be the inspiration for a young girl to make the right choices and pursue life with that same balance that has made me a better person."
Jayne Even
North Dakota State University
Basketball
Even was honored as the Division II Women's Basketball Player of the Year and the winner of the Division II Honda Broderick Cup, signifying her as Division II's top female student-athlete. Even was the North Central Conference's scoring leader and player of the year and helped North Dakota State to a national runner-up finish in 2000.
The mass communications major was named to the GTE/CoSIDA College Division Academic All-American second team for 2000, and she also earned an NCAA postgraduate scholarship.
Even was the student-athlete spokesperson for the United Blood Services and also volunteered as a Bison Buddies coach, a Big Sister and helped with sandbagging efforts during the 1997 flood. Even was a reading mentor in the Fargo schools and organized a bike race for the St. Paul's Newman Center.
Even: "A letter addressed to me arrived one afternoon at the Bison Sports Arena. A single mother who regularly attended our games with her son, Jacob, authored the letter. She wrote from her soul and intensely shared the impact I made on Jacob by simply taking time to talk and be with him after our games. I was shocked and humbled by her kind words, and I realized the impression I made. ... Through participation in basketball, volunteer activities and academics, I was able to continually improve and display the principles of leadership, responsibility, teamwork and dedication. By exhibiting these qualities, I became a positive role model for children like Jacob."
Alia Fischer
Washington University (Missouri)
Basketball
A three-time Women's Basketball Coaches Association Division III Player of the Year, Fischer helped Washington to three consecutive national titles and a 68-game winning streak. The Honda Broderick Award, given to the division's top female student-athlete, and the Lucy Lopata Award, given to the top female athlete at Washington, are just two of the honors bestowed to the school's all-time leader in scoring, rebounds, blocked shots and field-goal percentage.
Fischer graduated with majors in French and marketing, earning an NCAA postgraduate scholarship. She was honored as the GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year for 2000 and was a first-team Academic All-American team three other times during her career.
Besides volunteering for Mentor St. Louis and a community clean-up program called "Into the Streets," Fischer was a member of the school's Thurtene Honorary. The group is composed of the top 13 juniors at the university -- based on leadership, char-
acter and community service -- and the group organizes the largest and oldest student-run carnival in the country.
Fischer: "As a basketball player at Washington University, I experienced numerous team and individual accomplishments; however, the impact of athletics on my life cannot be measured in games won, points scored or records broken. Athletics provided me with a family away from home and relationships and experiences that I will cherish forever. Basketball gave me the opportunity to reach out to others and embrace the vibrancy of the campus, and it taught me the true meaning of balance."
Emily Haley
University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)
Track and field/cross country
A team captain in track and cross country, Haley helped lead the Tommies to a first-place finish in the 400 relay in 1997. Haley, who has run on four conference championship relay teams, is a 14-time all-conference top-three finisher. She also participated on the 1997 team that finished second in the NCAA cross country championships, as well as on the 1,600 relay team at the 1998 NCAA championships.
Haley, who has nearly perfect marks, graduated summa cum laude with a degree in history and also is a premedicine major. Haley is a national dean's list honoree, an all-American Scholar and a 2000 GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-District selection.
Haley traveled throughout the world several summers as part of a youth mission with Royal Servants International, including a stint in a Chinese orphanage. She also has volunteered with autistic children, collected books for the Books for Africa project, and even performed at charity fund-raisers as a unicycling clown. She's served as a youth leader on a mission to Mexico, and is active with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Haley: "I am a cancer survivor, and I have learned to make the most of life and to thank God for His many blessings. When I was in the process of cancer treatment, running became both a physical and emotional outlet for me. Following my entrance into remission, my involvement in collegiate athletics enhanced my ability to feel healthy and alive once again. Seeking excellence fosters character, and it is my hope that character is a trait by which I am known."
Anna Hallbergson
Barry University
Tennis
An all-American doubles player in 1998 and an all-conference pick in 1999, this team captain also found success in singles, where she was all-conference both years. A leader on and off the court, Hallbergson was selected as Barry's Most Outstanding Senior in women's tennis this year, when she led Barry to a berth in the NCAA championship.
A summa cum laude graduate in biology and premedicine, Hallbergson earned perfect marks throughout her collegiate career. Hallbergson is the female recipient of the NCAA Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship, the Association's highest academic honor, and she has been chosen both the Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the Outstanding Biology Major at Barry for the last two years. A three-time winner of the National Collegiate Natural Sciences Award and a two-time GTE/
CoSIDA Academic All-American, Hallbergson also is a published researcher.
She dedicates four hours per week to the Big Brothers/Big Sisters mentor program, and she also is a volunteer tutor and a biology mentor on campus. A Barry University Ambassador, Hallbergson also has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and the Jackson Memorial Hospital adopt-a-floor program.
Hallbergson: "Having set my goal to become a physician several years ago, I came to Barry not only to perform on the tennis court, but also to excel in the classroom, as a campus leader and as a member of the community. ... As an undergraduate premedical student-athlete, I have developed as a team player, a leader and as an independent critical thinker. My experience from involvement in academic classes, research, campus activities and athletics will serve me not only in medical school but also as a doctor and researcher."
Kristy Kowal
University of Georgia
Swimming and diving
The winner of eight individual NCAA championships in swimming, Kristy Kowal is the holder of one world record and eight American records. A member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic team and a multiple-event all-American, Kowal led the Bulldogs to NCAA team championships in 1999 and 2000. Kowal has been a Southeastern Conference champion 13 times, and last season she became the first woman in conference history to win the 100 and 200 breaststrokes for four consecutive years.
Kowal, who majored in early childhood education, would like to become a teacher. She has been a Georgia Presidential Scholar and named to the dean's list numerous times. Last year, she was selected as a Ramsey Scholar, an award bestowed on the top-10 student-athletes at Georgia. Kowal is a second-team GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-American, and she was picked for the College Swim Coaches Association all-academic team in 1998, 1999 and 2000.
Kowal has received the "Peach of an Athlete" award from the Atlanta Boy Scouts for her community service efforts. She's served as a volunteer with the Safe Kids project -- helping ensure children are safe in their car seats -- and as a speaker at a 1999 Youth Education through Sports clinic. Kowal has served food at homeless shelters, collected food and clothing for needy families and spoken to elementary children about the importance of academics.
Kowal: "Swimming has taught me discipline to balance my swimming career around my academics. I strive to show the same competitiveness in the classroom as I do in the swimming pool because I know that when my swimming career is finished, my education will be priceless. ... One of the most important lessons I have learned through my success in swimming is the value of being a role model. I have worked in swim camps talking to children, and I see in their eyes that they are looking up to me and hanging on every word I speak. I realize the importance of setting an example to them, not only as an athlete but also as a student. In the future, I aspire to be an elementary school teacher. I know my children in the classroom will look up to me as a role model, and it is my duty to teach them that the value of an education never runs out."
Gabrielle Rose
Stanford University
Swimming and diving
A 22-time all-American, Rose is a three-time NCAA champion and team co-captain who helped lead the Cardinal to a 1998 national championship, second-place finishes in 1997 and 1999, and a third-place finish in 2000. Rose -- whose mother is from Brazil and whose father is from the United States-- swam for Brazil in the 1996 Olympics, but she is on the U.S. Olympic team for the Sydney Games.
Rose graduated from Stanford this June with a degree in American Studies, and she is a first-team Pacific-10 Conference academic selection.
Rose has served as a volunteer swim instructor for children, and she's also helped organize the Youth Olympics, an annual event at Stanford. She represented women's swimming on the Cardinal Council, a Stanford forum that discusses student-athlete concerns, and she also has spoken to children at middle schools, high schools and Stanford Swimming Camps about the value of academics and athletics.
Rose: "As co-captain, my vision was for the team to put our whole hearts and minds into training and believe in each other as champions. Though underdogs for the first time in years, we asked the team to commit fully to Stanford's winning tradition and to one another so we could become the closest team of our four-year Stanford swimming experience. ... I leave my collegiate career knowing that all the hard work and sacrifice, personally and as a team, paid off. In that final test, I found the depth of commitment and connection with my team and uncovered something far greater than myself. My vision for the team had become a reality."
Phylesha Whaley
University of Oklahoma
Basketball
Whaley, the 2000 Big 12 Conference Player of the Year, earned a number of athletics accolades in 2000 while helping Oklahoma to the conference championship and an NCAA tournament Sweet-16 finish. The team captain and four-time team most-valuable player is Oklahoma's all-time leading scorer and an all-American, as well as a third-round pick in the Women's National Basketball Association draft, where the forward became a member of the Minnesota Lynx.
A sociology major, she graduated in May and has been honored twice as an all-Big 12 academic team member. Whaley also has been selected four times as a Sooner Scholar and as a member of the Commissioner's Honor Roll.
Whaley has volunteered for Meals on Wheels, Sooner Big Sis, City Sights Tour, Special Olympics and the Children's Miracle Network. For many of those projects, she served as team leader. Whaley also was a member of the Oklahoma Student-Athlete Advisory Board, and she was selected as an OU Athletic Leader, the athletics director's leadership award.
Whaley: "Growing up in the small town of Slaton, Texas, in a single-parent home, I learned early on in life that pursuing a college education was important to me and my family. ... The use of time management became vital as I took an active role in the team's community-service projects. I became a leader and role model for the underclassmen. I learned how to balance all the demands, on and off the court, that a Division I athlete must face. Each was a challenge for me at first. With the help of the coaching staff, my determination and support from my family, I became an educated woman who learned she has something to offer others and who learned the value of giving back to whatever community I belong to. Oklahoma's athletics department's internal slogan is 'Building Champions for Life.' I am real proof that the saying is a reality at OU."