Eight standout student-athletes will be honored as this year’s NCAA Today’s Top VIII during the NCAA Honors Celebration January 7 at the 2007 NCAA Convention in Orlando.

The Today’s Top VIII honorees, recognized for their athletics success, academic achievement and community service, are Alison Crocker, Dartmouth College, skiing and rowing; Laura Gerraughty, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, indoor and outdoor track and field; Ryan Koch, St. Cloud State University, football and outdoor track and field; Adrianne Musu Jackson-Buckner, State University College at Oneonta, indoor track and field; Beth Mallory, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, indoor and outdoor track and field; Heather O’Reilly, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, soccer; Catherine Osterman, University of Texas at Austin, softball; and Kate Richardson, University of California, Los Angeles, gymnastics.

Three-time all-American in cross country skiing

Four-time World Cup competitor and second American finisher at the 2005 U.S. Nationals in skiing

U.S. Junior National Rowing Team member

ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American

Peer mentor and intern at a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers laboratory in Hanover, New Hampshire

Astronomy research intern at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona

Four-time NCAA champion and two-time national runner-up in the shot put

NCAA national indoor record holder in the shot put

Thirteen-time Atlantic Coast Conference champion in the shot put, discus throw, hammer throw and weight throw

Won the shot put at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trails

Three-time academic all-American

Won North Carolina’s Mildred McCaskill Award, which recognizes scholarship, athletics and community service

Certified USA Track and Field official

2006 Division III national champion in the 200-meter dash

Two-time indoor and four-time outdoor track and field all-American

NCAA postgraduate scholarship recipient

2006 NCAA Woman of the Year finalist

ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American

Chair of school SAAC’s diversity committee

NCAA postgraduate scholarship recipient

Draddy Trophy finalist

Three-time all-American in the decathlon

ESPN the Magazine college division Academic All-America Team Member of the Year for track and field

Boys and Girls Club volunteer

Athletes in Action leader

Kids Against Hunger volunteer

2005 NCAA discus champion and four-time all-American in the discipline

Three-time Southeastern Conference discus champion

Silver medalist in the discus and hammer throw at the 2003 Junior Pan-Am Games

NCAA postgraduate scholarship recipient

ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American

Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society member

Participated in school’s women’s chorus and university chorus

Voted most outstanding offensive player at the 2006 Women’s College Cup

Honda Award winner in soccer

Two-time first team all-American and Hermann Trophy finalist (2004) and semifinalist (2005)

Member of the U.S. Women’s National Team since 2002; 2004 Olympic gold medalist

ESPN the Magazine’s Academic All-American of the Year

Carolina Outreach volunteer

Member of North Carolina SAAC executive board

Four-time Big 12 pitcher of the year; three-time Big 12 female athlete of the year

Three-time USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year

Member of the U.S. National Softball Team since 2003; 2004 squad won Olympic gold

Two-time Honda Award winner

Two-time ESPN ESPY Award winner as the Best College Female Athlete

Big 12 Conference Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship recipient

Pen pal volunteer; Christmas Bureau Adopt-A-Family outreach member

Five-time NCAA champion and 13-time all-American

2006 Pacific-10 Conference gymnast of the year.

Pacific-10 2006 Woman of the Year honoree; Honda Award nominee

Three-time ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American

NCAA postgraduate scholarship recipient

UCLA SAAC member

Undergraduate academic assistant at the Vancouver (Canada) Spinal Cord Research Center