INDIANAPOLIS, IN -- Former University of Delaware All-American and current field hockey graduate assistant coach Leah Geib is one of 10 finalists for the 2005 NCAA Woman of the Year award, one of the most prestigious honors the NCAA bestows.

The award recognizes senior student-athletes in intercollegiate athletics for their outstanding achievements in athletics, academics and community service. Each NCAA institution may nominate one graduating female student-athlete for the award and an NCAA committee selects the NCAA Woman of the Year for each of the 50 states.

A University of Delaware student-athlete has now been selected as the state winner 13 of the 15 years since the program was started in 1990-91 but Geib is the first to advance to the top 10 finalists. 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.

Also a finalist is Lindsay Hagerman (Wichita Falls, TX), a former standout tennis player at Washington & Lee University who is currently serving as an assistant coach for the Delaware men’s and women’s tennis teams this fall while attending graduate school at UD. She won the 2005 NCAA Division III women’s tennis singles national championship this past May and graduated with a 3.71 grade point index as a history major. 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.

Geib, a native of Telford, PA (Souderton High School), earned her degree in communications with honors (3.92 gpa) from Delaware in May and is currently enrolled in graduate school at Delaware. She is serving as a graduate assistant coach for defending Colonial Athletic Association champion field hockey team led by head coach Carol Miller.

A two-time College Sports Information Directors of American District 2 All-Academic selection, Geib was a four-year starter for the nationally-ranked Delaware field hockey squad, leading the squad to a four-year mark of 52-32, including a record of 15-7 in 2004 when the Blue Hens captured the Colonial Athletic Association title and advanced
to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1988. Earlier this summer she was granted an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship, becoming just the sixth UD student-athlete to be honored with the prestigious award.

Geib earned all-conference honors all four years, was a three-time all-region selection, and earned second team STX/National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-American honors in 2004. She was fourth on the team in scoring this past fall with 21 points on seven goals and seven assists while serving as team co-captain.

She started 83 of 84 career games and scored 24 goals and dished 20 assists. She holds the UD record for career games played and ranks No. 5 all-time in assists and No. 14 all-time in points scored. Geib twice was named the CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year for field hockey and was also a member of the NFHCA National Academic team and CAA Academic Honor Roll.

Geib was also a member of the Golden Key National Honor Society, the UD Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), served as tutor and peer mentor at UD, served on the UD Athletics Governing Board, served on the Congressional Youth Leadership Council, and was active with Homeward Bound Inc., Champions for Charity, Ronald McDonald House, and other charitable organizations.

This year's NCAA Woman of the Year finalists have an average grade point index of 3.82 on a 4.00 scale, six received an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship, and seven were involved with the NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAAC) on their campuses. Seven of the finalists are from NCAA Division I institutions, two from Division II, and one from Division III.

The other finalists are: Michelle Reeser of Alabama (gymnastics), Alisha Williams of Western (CO) State College (cross country/track), Melissa Lehman of Barry (volleyball), Jennifer Skolaski of Iowa (swimming), Richelle Simpson of Nebraska (gymnastics), Deirdre Dlugonski of Penn State (swimming), Janiva Willis of Winthrop (softball), and Lauryn McCalley of Tennessee (swimming).