NCAA Woman of the Year award winners representing the states and the District of Columbia were announced September 3, 2002.
The University of Nevada's Jenni Ashcroft was the state of Nevada winner. With a 3.7 GPA in secondary education, Ashcroft graduated in May 2002. A three-time scholar-athlete, the last two years in the WAC and the 2000 season in the Big West, she was also a first-team all-conference selection in the indoor pole vault, in 2001 and 2002. A first-team all-American and all-conference for the outdoor pole vault in 2000 and 2002, she helped the Wolf Pack win the Big West track and field title in 2000 and place second at the WAC Championships in 2001 and 2002.
She was also active in campus and community activities and service, volunteering as a speaker and working with literacy programs at schools, serving as a role model for the Health South Go For It Road Show and was the track and field representative on the campus student-athlete advisory committee (SAAC). She also served as secretary, then vice-president for Champions for Christ. She was a two-year team captain, in 2001 and 2002.
This prestigious award honors outstanding female student-athletes who have excelled in academics, athletics and community leadership, and have completed their collegiate athletics eligibility.
More than 340 student-athletes were nominated for this year's award by their colleges and universities. A committee comprised of representatives from member schools selected the state winners. Jacqie McWilliams, assistant athletics director, Morgan State University, chaired the selection committee.
Each NCAA member institution was encouraged to submit a nominee. In fact, schools were allowed to submit the names of two nominees if one was an ethnic minority. The selection committee then reviewed the nominees' academic and athletics accomplishments, and community service and involvement.
Those chosen as state winners are truly exceptional young women. Of the 50 state finalists, 12 competed on national championship teams. More than 20 were selected as athletic all-Americans. Nearly 45 served as their team captains or co-captains. Two competed in the Olympics. Seven received NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships. Twenty-two represented their fellow student-athletes on their campus student-athlete advisory committees.
In addition, they found time to help in their communities, volunteering for a wide variety of organizations, including hospitals, soup kitchens and the Special Olympics. They helped adults and children learn to read, counseled teens against drug and alcohol abuse, built homes for the needy through Habitat for Humanity, volunteered at a prison ministry and took mission trips overseas. The state winners had an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.66, with four posting perfect 4.0 GPAs.
A national winner - the NCAA Woman of the Year - will be selected by the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics from among 10 finalists. The finalists will be announced in mid-September. The national winner will be announced at the 2002 NCAA Woman of the Year dinner November 2 at the Westin Hotel in Indianapolis. This is the twelfth year that this award - one of the top honors the NCAA bestows - will be given.
Wyoming is not represented this year because no applications were submitted from that state.