Edited: September 26, 2003
KENYON'S ROWATT A FINALIST FOR NCAA WOMAN OF THE YEAR
Kenyon's Ashley Rowatt (Louisville, KY/duPont Manual) was one of 10 finalists for the 2003 NCAA Woman of the Year Award, the NCAA announced today.
The award, one of the most prestigious honors the NCAA bestows, recognizes young women in intercollegiate athletics for their outstanding achievements in athletics, academics and community service.
Rowatt, who is now attending Vanderbilt University Medical School, was named theNCAAWoman of the Year for the state of Ohio earlier this month. She adds these honors to an already impressive list of credentials. During her four-year career on campus, she was named an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship winner and was selected as one of the two national winners of the 2002-03 Verizon Academic All-America of the Year award, given to the most outstanding student-athletes in all NCAA sports. She was the first Kenyon athlete and the first swimmer ever to win the honor. Additionally, Rowatt collected the NCAC Scholar-Athlete award, was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and was named the winner of Kenyon's Robert Brown Jr. Prize for biology research. Rowatt was named the College’s Senior Athlete of the Year and also earned the Jess Willard Falkenstine Award for leadership and integrity in athletics. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in molecular biology and a 3.96 grade point average.
In the water, Rowatt was a four-year qualifier for the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships and was a part of three national championship teams. She won three individual national titles, two national relay titles and earned thirteen athletic All-America awards. This past season at the national championship, Rowatt won the 400-yard individual medley and was a part of the winning 800-yard freestyle relay team. She also placed third in the 200-yard breaststroke and third in the 500-yard freestyle.
Squeezed between her time in the classroom and her time in the pool, Rowatt performed a multitude of volunteer work and extracurricular activities. She served as a tutor and counselor for area youth, she played flute in the Kenyon symphonic wind ensemble, attended bible study classes, was the College’s NCAC student-athlete representative, and among a long list of other tasks she also was a Kenyon Summer Science Scholar.
Rowatt and the other nine finalists for the 2003 NCAA Woman of the Year award include two NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipients, and eight of the 10 finalists are or were involved with NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAAC) on their campuses and in their conferences. This year's finalists, who have an average grade-point of 3.82 on a 4.000 scale, graduated or will graduate with degrees in majors such as neuroscience, finance, molecular biology, civil engineering and physical education. They are volunteers who worked with Special Olympics, collected food and supplies for a sexual assault and domestic violence center, participated in mission trips to Mexico, tutored children with special needs and more.
Of the finalists, five are from Division I member institutions, two from Division II and three from Division III. They competed in a variety of sports, including gymnastics, fencing, softball, volleyball, basketball, rowing, tennis and indoor and outdoor track and field, representing schools in Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia.
The 10 finalists for 2003 are:
Ashley Jo Rowatt, Ohio, Kenyon College, swimming and diving. Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky.
Kristin B. Sterner, Alabama, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, gymnastics. Hometown: Ionia, Michigan.
Susan Churchwell, California, University of California, Davis, softball. Hometown: Lake Forest, California.
Elia Burrill, Colorado, United States Air Force Academy, fencing. Hometown: Truckee, California.
Victoria Courmes, Florida, Barry University, tennis. Hometown: Bastia, France.
Melissa D. Jones, Illinois, Monmouth College (Illinois), volleyball, basketball, indoor and outdoor track and field. Hometown: Port Byron, Illinois.
Tiffany Kyser, Indiana, Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, basketball. Hometown: Indianapolis.
Joanna Hingle, North Carolina, Duke University, rowing. Hometown: Alexandria, Virginia.
Kara Lawson, Tennessee, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, basketball. Hometown: Alexandria, Virginia.
Erika Paige Proko, Virginia, Washington and Lee University, tennis. Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina.
The finalists were selected by a committee comprised of athletics administrators from NCAA member colleges and universities from more than 340 entries. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will select the 2003 NCAA Woman of the Year from among the 10 finalists. The national winner will be announced at an awards dinner November 1, at the Indianapolis Downtown Marriott in Indianapolis.
This is the 13th year that the Woman of the Year Award has been given. Last year's winner was Tanisha Silas, an indoor and outdoor track and field standout from the University of California, Davis. Other past winners include: 2001 - Kimberly A. Black, Olympic gold-medal swimmer, University of Georgia; 2000 - Kristy Kowal, swimming, University of Georgia; 1999 - Jamila Demby, track and field, University of California, Davis; 1998 - Peggy Boutilier, lacrosse and field hockey, University of Virginia; 1997 - the late Lisa Ann Coole, swimming and diving, University of Georgia; 1996 - Billie Winsett Fletcher, volleyball, University of Nebraska, Lincoln; 1995 - Rebecca Lobo, basketball, University of Connecticut; 1994 - Tanya Hughes Jones, track and field, University of Arizona; 1993 - Nnenna Jean Lynch, cross country and track and field, Villanova University; 1992 - Catherine Byrne Maloney, swimming and diving, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; and 1991 - Mary Beth Riley-Metcalf, cross country, Canisius College.
