USA TODAY International Edition
Swimmers top NCAA Woman of Year list
The 2005 NCAA Woman of the Year Award winner will be named Saturday in Indianapolis from a class of 10 + nalists. The award is given annually to a senior student- athlete in intercollegiate athletics who demonstrates exceptional achievement in athletics, academics
and community service.
Eligibility for the award requires each athlete to have
earned a varsity letter in an
NCAA- sponsored sport and to
have played during the 2004-
05 academic year. Nominees
can be selected from schools
in Division I, II and III and must
have a minimum GPA of 2.5
out of a 4.0 scale.
The candidates are judged
on service and leadership, academic achievement, athletics
excellence and a personal
statement that describes the
bene + ts of having been a studentathlete. The + nalists:
Deirdre Dlugonski,
Penn
State. Earned multiple allAmerica honors as a member of swimming relay teams. Graduated with the highest GPA in the klinesiology department.
Leah Geib,
Delaware. Female student representative on the university’s athletics governing board, + eld hockey all- American and a coach with the U.S. Field Hockey Association Futures Program.
Lindsay Hagerman, Washington and Lee University. NCAA Division III tennis singles champion in 2005; won Marjorie Berkley Award as outstanding female student- athlete in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.
Melissa Lehman,
Barry. Member of Division II volleyball national championship teams in 2001 and ’ 04; president of the National Communication Association Honor Society.
Lauryn McCalley, Tennessee. Swimming and diving AllAmerican, 2001-04; member of the U.S. national team; Southeastern Conference scholar- athlete award winner, 2001-05.
Michelle Reeser,
Alabama. SEC gymnastics scholar- athlete of the year for 2005; all- American; member of 2002 national championship team.
Richelle Simpson, Nebraska. Three- time top- three + nisher at the NCAA gymnastics championships in all- around and = oor exercises, two- time + rst- team academic all- Big 12 Conference.
Jennifer Skolaski, Iowa. The + rst female swimmer at Iowa to advance to NCAA nationals all four years, two- time academic all- Big Ten.
Alisha Williams, Western State ( Colo.). Track and crosscountry, summa cum laude graduate, America Reads tutor.
Janiva Willis,
Winthrop. Three- time all- Big South softball selection, volunteerwith Big Brothers Big Sisters.
The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico has + led a grievance against New Mexico State head football coach Hal Mumme, alleging he discriminated against a now- released Muslim player by repeatedly questioning him about al-Qaida. The grievance + led Tuesday on behalf of former Aggie running back Muammar Ali also alleges the football staff required the team to recite the Lord’s Prayer at the end of each practice. Mustafa Ali said his son and the family would not discuss the grievance. However, he said Ali has been contacted by at least + ve Division I- AA football programs about a possible transfer.
Bobby Valentine became the + rst foreign manager to win the Japan Series when his Chiba Lotte Marines completed a four- game sweep of the Hanshin Tigers with a 3- 2 victory Wednesday. Lee Seung- yeop drove in all three runs as the Marineswon their + rst Japan Series title in 31 years.
uNew York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has been offered a three- year contract worth more than $5 million.
Kansas City Wizards teammates Jimmy Conrad and Chris Klein won MLS season awards Tuesday. Conrad was selected as the MLS Defender of the Year and Klein was chosen Comeback Player of the Year. Real Salt Lake mid +elder Brian Kamler was recognized as the U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year and
Brian Hallwas voted the Referee of the Year. The 28 year-old Conrad capped a strong year in which he started his + rst MLS All- Star game, started for the MLS team that played Real Madrid and also played for the U.S. national team during the CONCACAF Gold Cup and in a World Cup quali + er against Guatemala. It’s Klein’s second comeback award. He won it in 2002 after tearing ligaments in his right knee the previous season. In August 2004, Klein tore up his left knee.
Guillermo Coria, hoping to earn a berth in the seasonending Masters Cup, advanced to the second round of the Swiss Indoorswith a 6- 2, 6- 4 tenniswin against Alberto Martin of Spain on Wednesday. Coria is the top seed after No. 1ranked Roger Federer and French Open champion Rafael Nadal withdrew. Both already have berths in the Masters Cup in Shanghai. Three berths are left; Coria is ranked sixth in the standings. By Todd J. Van Emst, AP
ACLU # les grievance against N.M. State coach Valentine wins World Series — in Japan Two Wizards take MLS season honors Coria breezes at Swiss Indoors Formula One adjusts schedule for 2006 Elsewhere
The Formula One season, which opened in Melbourne the last 10 seasons, will start in Bahrain next year so the race doesn’t clash with the Commonwealth Games in the Australian city. The season begins March 12 and includes the same 19 races that were on the 2005 calendar. Melbourne was moved to April 2.
. . .
Indiana sophomore basketball guard
A. J. Ratliff had surgery on his injured right thumb Tuesday and will be out inde + nitely. Ratliff was injured during practice Monday, coach Mike Davis said Tuesday in a statement. . . . The NCAA refused Newberry College’s appeal to be left off a list of colleges whose American Indian mascots, logos and nicknames will be banned in postseason play starting next year. The school, which uses “ Indians” as its nickname, can appeal to the NCAA Executive Committee. . . .
Golfer Sean Fister won the world long drive championship at Mesquite, Nev. He earned $100,000 for a distance of 377 yards, 31⁄
inches. Stacey Shinnick was the women’s
2 winner with a drive of more than 311 yards.