The NCAA News - News & Features

Woman of the Year finalists announced

The NCAA has announced the 10 finalists for the 1996 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.

The award recognizes young women in intercollegiate athletics for their outstanding achievements in athletics, academics and community leadership.

The finalists are Mary-Alice Brady, track and field, Boston College; Amy S. DeVasher, swimming, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa; Kristi Kloster, cross country and track and field, University of Kansas; Marya Morusiewicz, volleyball, Barry University; Kathleen Nichole (Nikki) Nicholson, volleyball, University of Georgia; Jenni Rademacher, basketball, North Dakota State University; Annette Salmeen, swimming, University of California, Los Angeles; Samantha Salvia, field hockey, Old Dominion University; Katie Smith, basketball and track and field, Ohio State University; and Billie Winsett-Fletcher, volleyball, University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

The 10 finalists were selected by a special committee made up of athletics administrators from NCAA member institutions. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will select the 1996 Woman of the Year from among the finalists, and the winner will be honored at an awards dinner October 6 at the Westin Crown Center Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri.

The finalists' grade-point averages range from 3.480 to 4.000, with an overall average of 3.800. They include an Olympic gold medalist (Salmeen), a Rhodes Scholar (Salvia) and a four-time NCAA Division II basketball champion (Rademacher).

Three of the finalists are volleyball players, and three are involved in track and field. Two each are swimmers and basketball players, and there is one field hockey player.

This year is the sixth the award has been presented. The 1995 winner was Rebecca Lobo, basketball player from the University of Connecticut.

Woman of the Year finalists:

Mary-Alice Brady, Boston College, track and field: Holds school records for four separate relay teams...All-America as a member of the eighth-place distance medley relay team at the 1995 indoor championships... Majored in political science...1996 GTE/ CoSIDA academic all-America first team...Big East Conference academic all-star team... Served for three years on the student-athlete board...Headed the annual student-athlete food drive... Organized annual Christmas party for Boston inner-city children.

Amy S. DeVasher; University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa; swimming: Earned all-America honors in the 200 and 400 freestyle and 200 medley relays at the 1994 NCAA Division I championships, helping her team to a ninth-place finish...Holds school records in the 200 medley relay and 200 and 400 freestyle relay...Majored in biology...Phi Beta Kappa...Named as one of the 1996 top five seniors at Alabama...NCAA and Southeastern Conference postgraduate scholarships...Volunteered for the Tuscaloosa Women's Center and Special Olympics...Member of the Alabama student-athlete advisory board.

Kristi Kloster, University of Kansas, cross country and track and
field: Undefeated in the 800 meters throughout the 1996 Big Eight Conference season...Won the 800-meter run at the 1996 NCAA Division I indoor championships, repeating her 1994 victory in the same event...Four-time Big Eight champion in the 800-meter run, twice indoors and twice outdoors...Majored in psychology and human development...1996 GTE/ CoSIDA academic all-America first team... Volunteered more than 200 hours to the Headquarters Counseling Center...Volunteer for the Hilltop Child Care Center and the KU Infant and Toddler Child Care.

Marya Morusiewicz, Barry University, volleyball: Led Barry to the 1995 NCAA Division II championship... Holds numerous all-time school records, including digs (980) and aces (164)... Majored in sports medicine/athletic training...1996 Sunshine State Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year...1995 GTE/ CoSIDA academic all-America first team...Active in the Praxis (Environmental Group) Recycling Program and the Hunger Awareness Committee...Volunteered many hours to the BUCS Tutoring Team and Easter Seals.

Kathleen Nichole (Nikki) Nicholson, University of Georgia, volleyball: Two-time all-America second-team honoree...Two appearances in the U.S. Olympic Festival...Led team to top-20 rankings and NCAA tournament each season...Three-time all-South region first-team selection
...Majored in microbiology... Two-time GTE/CoSIDA academic all-American...Southeastern Conference honor roll for three years... Phi Beta Kappa...Named as one of Glamour Magazine's Top Ten College Women in 1995...Volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, Athens Homeless Shelter and Georgia Special Olympics.

Jenni Rademacher, North Dakota State University, basketball: Leaves with four consecutive NCAA Division II women's basketball titles...Undefeated 1994-95 season...Two-time NCAA Elite Eight all-tournament team selection...Majored in physical education...1996 GTE/CoSIDA academic all-district and two-time academic all-North Central Conference selection...Served as student-athlete council president...Active in the Just Say No drug program in elementary schools and the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program at junior high schools.

Annette Salmeen; University of California, Los Angeles; swimming: First UCLA woman swimmer to win an individual NCAA title, capturing the 200 butterfly and setting a pool and school record...1996 Pac-10 champion in the 200 and 100 butterfly...Won Olympic gold medal as a member of the U.S. 800 freestyle relay team...Finished 12th in the 200 butterfly...Majored in chemistry...
NCAA postgraduate scholarship winner...Received the UCLA chemistry department award for excellence in chemistry and biochemistry...Donated time to Christmas in April.

Samantha Salvia, Old Dominion University, field hockey: Three-time first-team all-Colonial Athletic Association...Ranked fourth nationally in assists in 1995...Member of 1992 NCAA Division I championship team...Participant in the U.S. Olympic Festival, member of the United States National Training Squad and United States Under-21 National Team... Majored in environmental engineering...Rhodes Scholar...Old Dominion University Presidential Scholar... Member of the Presidential Committee for Academic Integrity...Volunteered for the Norfolk Boys and Girls Club.

Katie Smith, Ohio State University, basketball and track and field: Two-time Kodak and USBWA first-team all-American...Big Ten Conference player of the year...Big Ten's all-time leading scorer (men and women)...Three-time first-team all-Big Ten... Member of the USA Basketball Junior World Championship Team, Goodwill Games Team and Jones Cup Team...Majored in zoology...CoSIDA/GTE Academic All-American of the Year...Two-time first-team CoSIDA/GTE academic all-
American...Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor winner...Participated in the "Right to Read" week, Toys for Tots, American Heart Association Heart Walk.

Billie Winsett-Fletcher; University of Nebraska, Lincoln: volleyball: Led the Nebraska volleyball team to the 1995 NCAA Division I championship...NCAA Final Four all-tournament team...Two-time all-Big Eight selection...All-Big Eight Tournament team member...Three-time U.S. Olympic Festival medalist...Majored in secondary education... Three-time Phillips 66 Big Eight all-academic first team...
Volunteer for the "School is Cool" Jam and the UNL Shadowing Program...Active member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.