National Collegiate Athletic Association
NCAA News Archive - 2009
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NCAA names Woman of the Year semifinalistsThe NCAA News
The NCAA has selected the top 30 honorees for the 2009 NCAA Woman of the Year award that will be presented in October.
The NCAA Woman of the Year Award honors senior women student-athletes who have excelled in the areas of academic achievement, athletics, service and leadership.
A committee composed of representatives from NCAA member schools and conferences selected the top 30 honorees – 10 from each division – from a pool of 132 conference nominees, which included seven student-athletes from independent institutions, representing all three NCAA divisions and multiple sports.
The top 30 will be trimmed to nine finalists – three from each division – next month and the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics will select the national winner from that pool of finalists. The recipient of the 19th annual award will be announced during the 2009 NCAA Woman of the Year awards dinner on October 18 in Indianapolis.
The 2008 NCAA Woman of the Year was Tennessee women’s basketball standout Nkolika Anosike.
2009 NCAA Woman of the Year finalists:
Division 1
| Conference | Name | Institution | Sport(s) |
| ACC | Amanda Blumenherst | Duke | Golf |
| Big East | Jennifer Kleinhans | Connecticut | Field hockey |
| Big Ten | Ladia Albertson-Junkans | Minnesota | Cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field |
| Big 12 | Loren Groves | Kansas State | Indoor and outdoor track and field |
| Big 12 | Yolanda Odenyo | Oklahoma State | Soccer |
| Conference USA | Eleanor Waite | Rice | Cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field |
| Pac-10 | Lacey Nymeyer | Arizona | Swimming |
| SEC | Ashleigh Clare-Kearney | LSU | Gymnastics |
| Summit | Laura Hermanson | North Dakota State | Soccer, cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field |
| West Coast | Julie Rubenstein | Pepperdine | Volleyball |
Division II
| Conference | Name | Institution | Sport(s) |
| California Collegiate | Jasimen Bailey | Cal State Stanislaus | Indoor and outdoor track and field |
| California Collegiate | Meghan Haas | Cal State San Bernardino | Volleyball |
| GLIAC | Kathleen Tafler | Grand Valley State | Soccer |
| Great Northwest | Ashley Puga | Northwest Nazarene | Cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field |
| Heartland | Kelsey Yeatts | St. Edward’s | Soccer |
| Independent | Amie Boles | Texas Woman's | Gymnastics |
| Lone Star | Emily Brister | West Texas A&M | Basketball |
| MIAA | Venessa Lee | Pittsburg State | Cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field |
| Northeast-10 | Kailey Egbert | Saint Rose | Soccer |
| South Atlantic | Anna Atkinson | Wingate | Basketball |
Division III
| Conference | Name | Institution | Sport(s) |
| Centennial | Caitlin Mullarkey | Swarthmore | Basketball, soccer, indoor and outdoor track |
| IIAC | Kelsey Steffens | Wartburg | Indoor and outdoor track, volleyball |
| Liberty League | Emily Love | Vassar | Swimming |
| Midwest | Tanesha Hughes | Monmouth (Illinois) | Basketball, volleyball, indoor and outdoor track |
| MIAC | Katherine Theisen | St. Thomas (Minnesota) | Cross country, indoor and outdoor track |
| NESCAC | Elise Tropiano | Amherst | Cross country, indoor and outdoor track |
| North Coast | Tracy Menzel | Kenyon | Swimming |
| SCIAC | Rebecca Willis | Redlands | Soccer |
| SUNYAC | Julia Hopson | Fredonia State | Indoor and outdoor track |
| UAA | Dani Huffman | Emory | Volleyball |