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UD’s Geib, Hagerman NCAA Woman of Year candidates 2:24 p.m., Sept. 22, 2005--The National Collegiate Athletic Association has named Leah Geib, who was a standout on the University of Delaware field hockey team, and Lindsay Hagerman, a champion tennis player at Washington and Lee University who is now a graduate student at UD, two of the 10 finalists for the 2005 NCAA Woman of the Year award. The award, which is one of the most prestigious honors bestowed by the NCAA, recognizes scholar-athletes for outstanding achievements in athletics, academics and community service. The finalists were selected from 352 nominees, and the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics will name the national winner on Saturday, Oct. 29, in Indianapolis. In addition to Geib, who earlier was named the 2005 NCAA Woman of the Year for Delaware, and Hagerman, the finalists are Michelle Reeser of the University of Alabama, gymnastics; Alisha Williams of Western State College of Colorado, cross country and track and field; Melissa Lehman of Barry University, volleyball; Jennifer Skolaski of the University of Iowa, swimming and diving; Richelle Simpson of the University of Nebraska, gymnastics; Deirdre Dlugonski of Pennsylvania State University, swimming and diving; Janiva Willis of Winthrop University, softball; and Lauryn McCalley of the University of Tennessee, swimming and diving. Last year’s national winner was Kelly Albin, a lacrosse player from the University of California Davis. Leah Geib
Geib received a bachelor’s degree in communication from UD in May and is currently studying at UD for a master’s degree in that field. She achieved a 3.94 grade point average and ranked 35th among 3,504 graduates in the Class of 2005. Geib participated in UD’s heralded Study Abroad program, visiting Australia, New Zealand and the Fiji Islands, and participated in a host of volunteer activities. She served as a youth mentor for the Delaware Mentoring Council, led work during the 2004 Make a Difference Day at the Emmaus House for battered women and the homeless, served as co-chair of the 2004 Champions for Charity event, worked at Ronald McDonald House and participated as a peer mentor with the campus Blue HENS (Helping Each Newcomer Succeed) program. A co-captain on the 2004 Colonial Athletic Association championship team that competed in the NCAA Division I tournament, Geib was a three-year College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-American and was awarded a $7,500 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Geib said she was honored to learn that she had been named the NCAA Woman of the Year for the state and also a finalist for the national award. “There are a lot of other very deserving scholar-athletes on this campus who dedicate their services to the community, as well,” she said, adding, “I was extremely honored and excited to be named a top ten finalist in the nation, and proud to be representing UD.” The honoree said she selected UD because of its “combination of academics and athletics, its beautiful campus and the fact that it is close to home.” She is a native of Telford, Pa., which is north of King of Prussia. Geib said she found the field hockey team under UD Head Coach Carol Miller to be “very receptive and inviting” upon her arrival on campus. “I loved the team unity and wanted to make an immediate impact for the team,” she said. Among her fondest memories of Fightin’ Blue Hens field hockey are road trips to California and defeating 12-time CAA champion Old Dominion University in the semifinals of the 2004 conference championship tournament, winning the title and competing in the NCAA Division I championship tournament. Geib said she was honored to be named the communication department’s convocation speaker. Other highlights of her career at UD were “meeting new people, participating in charity events sponsored through my honor societies and winning the first CAA championship of any sports team here at UD.”She said her education at UD has provided a “solid foundation for critical thinking and has piqued my interest in a career in academic scholarship.” After earning her master’s, she hopes to continue on to earn a doctorate in communication, becoming either a professor or entering the field of broadcasting. Lindsay Hagerman Hagerman, who won the 2005 NCAA Division III women’s tennis singles national championship, graduated from Washington and Lee with a bachelor’s degree in history. She achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.71.
Hagerman also was awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, which she is using to work toward her master’s degree in American history at UD. She earlier was named the NCAA Woman of the Year for Virginia. A seven time All-American and two time Old Dominion Athletic Conference player of the year, she holds the all-time school records for singles victories with a career record of 117-7 and doubles victories with a record of 108-17. “I feel really honored to have been selected as a finalist,” Hagerman said, adding she has read about the accomplishments of the scholar-athletes nominated for the award and “it is amazing what the honorees have done.” Coming from the small community in Texas, and a university with an undergraduate enrollment of 1,500, Hagerman said she has had to adjust to the size of UD. “I've found everyone to be very welcoming and helpful,” she said, and “I like it here a lot.” Hagerman said the faculty is “wonderful,” and added, “I have a lot of diverse interests in American history but I particularly love Colonial history. UD is in a great location for my interests.” Although the graduate workload is challenging, Hagerman said she has found time to “keep up with tennis” by working as a volunteer assistant coach with the Fightin’ Blue Hens teams led by Head Coach Laura Travis. “They're great players and a lot of fun to be around,” she said. Article by Neil Thomas To learn how to subscribe to UDaily, click here. |
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