Schmitt Named Wisconsin's NCAA Woman of the Year

NEWS RELEASE
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Matt Stanek * Sports Information Director * 780 Regent Street * Madison, WI 53715 * Phone: (608) 265-6406 * www.uwsa.edu/wiac/

RELEASED: Monday, September 12, 2005

Schmitt Named Wisconsin's NCAA Woman of the Year

Stevens Point, Wis.--Former University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point student-athlete Tara Schmitt has been named the NCAA Woman of the Year for the state of Wisconsin.

The award honors outstanding female student-athletes who have excelled in academics, athletics and community leadership. Schmitt was selected among all senior female student-athletes in 2005 from NCAA schools in all divisions in Wisconsin.

Schmitt, who graduated in May with a degree in Physical Education and competed in basketball, soccer and track and field, is one of 51 state winners who will be honored at a dinner on Oct. 29 in Indianapolis. From the 51 winners, 10 finalists are selected in late September and a national Woman of the Year will be announced at the banquet. Schmitt was one of six Division III student-athletes to win her state award and was also one of two three-sport athletes to be honored along with Alaska-Anchorage's Mindy Lindquist.

Schmitt, who was the Division III female recipient of the Woody Hayes National Scholar Athlete award last January, is the second UW-Stevens Point athlete to earn the state's NCAA Woman of the Year award in its 15-year history. Swimmer Becca Uphoff was the Pointers' only previous honoree in 2000. In fact, Schmitt's selection marks the sixth straight year a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference student-athlete has been the state's winner.

Her award continues a remarkable run of UW-Stevens Point student-athlete success. In addition to Schmitt's National Scholar-Athlete award, UW-Stevens Point has had two winners of the NCAA Top VIII Award over the past four years as well as 24 Academic All-Americans during the past six years.

Schmitt is currently teaching physical education in the Brookfield School District and is serving as an assistant varsity volleyball coach at Brookfield East High School this fall. She will be the junior varsity girls' basketball coach at Brookfield East this winter.

A Brookfield native and Waukesha Catholic Memorial High School graduate, Schmitt posted a 3.85 grade point average while earning nine varsity letters. She helped the women's basketball team to two final four appearances in her four seasons and played on four NCAA tournament qualifying soccer teams. Schmitt also ran track for one year and anchored the winning 4x100-meter relay squad in 2002. In addition, Schmitt has been very active in community organizations and was president of the school's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for two years.

Schmitt compiled a combined 167-31-6 record during her basketball and soccer career. She was the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year and scholar athlete award winner in 2004 in soccer while earning her fourth All-Conference selection. Schmitt was also named to the all-final four team, while helping the Pointers to the national championship in basketball in 2002.

In her role with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Schmitt helped organize events with regard to the WIAC Food Drive, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Salvation Army bell ringing. She was also a student director of the campus intramural program.

UW-Oshkosh's Kay Mikolajczak was last year's Wisconsin winner, while Kelly Albin, a lacrosse player from California-Davis was the national winner.

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