NEWPORT NEWS, Va.—The Atlantic 10 Conference announced Friday the 11 institutional nominees for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year Award. These impressive student-athletes represent six A-10 sports and 10 different A-10 institutions.
Each candidate was chosen by her institution for being an outstanding student-athlete with robust academic success, a strong athletic resume, while sustaining active leadership in her community. The 11 candidates have remarkable credentials, including All-American and Academic All-America honors, conference championships and All-Conference award winners, NCAA Championship success, and campus involvement, including serving as student-athlete leaders as part of the campus, conference and national Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). A brief biography of each candidate, listed alphabetically by institution, is below.
The league’s Council of Senior Woman Administrators will select from the 11 candidates the nominee(s) that will represent the Atlantic 10 Conference in the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year program.
One of the most prestigious NCAA awards, the NCAA established the Woman of the Year Award in 1991 to celebrate the achievements of women in intercollegiate athletics. Now in its 25th year, this unique award recognizes the athletic achievements of outstanding young women, as well as their academic achievements, community service and leadership. To be eligible, these women must have competed and earned a varsity letter in an NCAA-sponsored sport and must have completed eligibility in their primary sport.
2015 NCAA WOMAN OF THE YEAR INSTITUTIONAL HONOREES
Andrea Hoover
University of Dayton | Women’s Basketball
Hometown: Bellbrook, Ohio | Major: Sports Management
Hoover was a member of the Atlantic 10 All-Academic Team for three straight years, and was voted onto the 2015 Capital One Academic All-District Team. She was a five-time member of the A-10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll, and earned the 2015 Dayton Hendall Memorial Award for academic and athletic achievement. Drafted in the third round by the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, Hoover led the Flyers to four straight NCAA appearances and served as a team captain as a junior and senior. She was the A-10 Rookie of the Year in 2011-12, and helped lead UD to an A-10 Championship and the NCAA Tournament. She was an All-Conference First Team selection as a sophomore, junior and senior. She was the Atlantic 10 Women’s Basketball Player of the Year as a junior, leading the Flyers to a second straight A-10 regular season title. She led Dayton to the Elite Eight her senior year, earning NCAA All-Region Team honors. Hoover volunteered extensively during her career, participating in Breast Cancer and Buddy Walks from 2012 to 2014, working with DECA (2012-14), Holy Angels (2013), Habitat for Humanity (2012-14), the MRDD Free Basketball Clinic (2011-14) and Dayton’s Christmas on Campus program (2011-14). She also served as an assistant coach of a pair of local youth girl’s basketball teams (2012-15).
Arielle Love
Duquesne University | Volleyball
Hometown: Maple Heights, Ohio | Major: Sports Marketing
Love has been an Atlantic 10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and Duquesne Dean’s List member in nine of her 10 semesters and she was on the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll 10 out of 10 semesters. She was selected for the 2014 A-10 Volleyball All-Academic Team. A three-time, All-Conference First Team selection from 2012-2014, Love was a Senior CLASS Candidate, an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and an AVCA All-Region selection as a senior. Additionally she was named the AVCA National Player of the Week in 2014. Love also was the 2013 Atlantic 10 Championship Most Outstanding Player and a member of the All-Championship Team after leading Duquesne to its first-ever A-10 title and NCAA Tournament appearance. She has been named A-10 Player of the Week six times through her career and was a member of the 2011 A-10 All-Rookie Team. Love served as team captain for the Dukes and was a volleyball representative on the Duquesne Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). She coached club volleyball teams, worked with the Boys and Girls Club to grow baseball in the inner city, and volunteered at the Maple Heights Community Food Pantry.
Devon Tabata
Duquesne University | Women’s Soccer
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio | Major: Business Administration
Actively involved in NCAA leadership, Tabata is one of two student-athletes on the NCAA Division I Council and for the past two years has served as the Vice Chair of the Division I National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Her national accolades during that time frame also include serving as the only student-athlete voice on the Division I Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee and sitting on the former Division I Academic Cabinet. She also was a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference (2012-15) and Duquesne campus (2011-15) SAACs. A four-year starting goalkeeper for the Duquesne women’s soccer team, Tabata was the Duquesne 2015 Co-Female Student-Athlete of the Year. She ranks second in program history with a goals against average of 1.29, second in program history with a save percentage of .799 and she ranks third in program history with 17 wins. Tabata has been a member of the A-10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll, the Duquesne Dean’s list and the Dukes’ Director of Athletics Honor Roll in each of her eight semesters. She was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, representing the top 10 percent of her class in the business school and the Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society. Tabata also served as a coordinator and project leader in multiple volunteer efforts, including a Toy Drive, a SAAC Hunger Food Drive (2012-14) and a Shoe Drive (2011-15). She also spearheaded campus and A-10 pledge drive efforts during the 2014-15 year for the It’s On Us campaign, designed to end campus sexual assault.
Michele Daubman
Fordham University | Softball
Hometown: Massapequa, N.Y. | Major: Public Accounting
A member of the A-10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll, Daubman was the Valedictorian of the 2015 Fordham Gabelli School of Business. She also was a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2015. She helped lead Fordham to three straight Atlantic 10 softball titles. She was named All-Region twice (2013, 2014), and had a banner year in 2014, earning A-10 Co-Pitcher of the Year, and the Atlantic 10 Championship’s Most Outstanding Player and All-Conference First Team honors. She also earned wins from the circle in the 2013 and 2015 NCAA Regionals and will play softball professionally overseas with the Neunkirchen Nightmares German Softball Program. Daubman served as team captain as a junior and senior, was a member of the Fordham Leadership Academy (2013-15) and the campus SAAC president during the 2014-15 academic year. She also volunteered with multiple organizations in each season of her four-year career, including Team Impact, American Cancer Society and Sandy Saturdays. She served as a student tutor and volunteered at the Westchester Medical Center Children’s Hospital.
Chakecia Miller
George Washington University | Women’s Basketball
Hometown: Schertz, Texas | Major: Psychology
An NCAA Senior CLASS Award Candidate in 2014-15, Miller was named the Lynn George Outstanding Senior Female Student-Athlete this year. During her final three seasons, she was a two-time member of the A-10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and a six-time member of the GW Athletic Department Dean’s List. She also was the 2013 and 2014 Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar. Miller ranks fourth all-time at GW in career steals (275), 10th in assists (385) and was named to the 2014 Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team. She twice recorded 10 steals in a game, second-highest total in program history. She helped lead the Colonials to the 2015 Atlantic 10 Championship and a berth in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. She served as team captain and was a women’s basketball representative on the GW campus SAAC during her junior and senior seasons. She also was a member of the GW Student-Athlete Leadership Academy, earning Emerging Leader status in 2012, Veteran Leader in 2013 and a Legacy Leader in 2014. Miller volunteered with the Grassroots Project designed to educate at-risk youth about HIV/AIDS prevention from 2012 to 2015. She also worked with Homeless Food Preparation (2012-15), Walk for Autism (2014) and Relay for Life (2015).
Kelsey Haycook
La Salle University | Women’s Soccer
Hometown: Point Pleasant, N.J. | Major: Nutrition
A two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American (2013, 2014) and a two-time NSCAA Scholar All-American (2013, 2014), Haycook was named the La Salle 2014 Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She was CoSIDA Academic All-District and NSCAA Academic All-Region in each of those years as well. She also was a two-time member of the A-10 Women’s Soccer All-Academic Team (2013, 2014). A four-year starting forward for the Explorers, Haycook was named All-American by the NSCAA twice (2011, 2014). A semifinalist for the prestigious MAC Hermann Trophy in 2014, she also was the 2014 A-10 Offensive Player of the Year, the 2011 A-10 Rookie of the Year, a four-time All-Atlantic 10 selection and a four-time NSCAA All-Region team member. She set program records for points and goals in a season and a career, including tying for third in the NCAA in scoring in 2014 with 20 goals. A team captain, she led La Salle to two A-10 titles (2012, 2013), three regular season championships (2011, 2012, 2014) and four NCAA Tournament appearances. Throughout her career, she worked with multiple soccer organizations as a coach, trainer and camp supervisor. Haycook also volunteered with the La Salle Health Fair (2011-14), the La Salle Relay for Life (2011-14) and the “Trash Bash” (2012-14). From 2012-14, she participated in the Physical Therapy Works and the Tuesday Morning Pheed Philadelphia breakfast. Additionally, she has been an event volunteer at Point Pleasant Recreation for the past seven years.
Rachel Hilliard
University of Massachusetts | Women’s Cross Country and Track & Field
Hometown: Hookstown, Pa. | Major: Biology
A 2015 recipient of the prestigious Atlantic 10 Postgraduate Scholarship, Hilliard was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and a four-time member of the A-10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll. She also was on the UMass Dean’s List eight times. She won the William Field Alumni Achievement Award for excellence in biology and won the College of Humanities and Fine Arts achievement award. Hilliard was the UMass Female Outstanding Scholar-Athlete honoree for 2014-15. She ranks top five in Minutewomen history in the 3,000 meters (second), the mile (third) and the 1,500 meters (fifth). She has earned multiple All-Conference and All-New England honors (2014-15) in cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field, including All-Atlantic 10 in cross country in 2014 and All-A-10 in the indoor 3000 meters in 2014. Hilliard was a member of the campus SAAC, and she served as treasurer of the Animal Science and Pre-Veterinary Club in 2014-15. She was a peer mentor for the Honors College during her final two years, was an Undergraduate Immunology Researcher (2012-15), and a Therapeutic Riding Volunteer in each of her four years. Hilliard organized the Run with a Minutewoman program and the Amherst Survival Center Food Drive in 2015. She served as a veterinary intern and worked with the Donkey Club to provide medical care to donkeys and alpacas. She participated and organized other community service initiatives in 2015, including a toy drive and a National Walk to School Day.
Alyson McGonigle
University of Richmond | Women’s Cross Country and Track & Field
Hometown: Chester Spring, Pa. | Major: Business Administration
McGonigle was the recipient of the Charles W. Harris Scholarship and she was profiled by the Robins School of Business. She was a member of the Atlantic 10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and the Richmond Dean’s List. She also was a featured speaker at the Richmond Promise Capital Campaign Culminating Event. An USTFCCCA Division I All-Academic Team Member, McGonigle has been All-Atlantic 10, winning gold medals in the A-10 Indoor Championships in the 800 meters (2013), and the distance medley relay (2015). She also was a member of the gold medal 4 x 800 UR relay team (2015) She also claimed top-three A-1-0 Championship finishes indoor 4 X 800 (second in 2015), the indoor 800 meter (third in 2015) and the outdoor 1,500 meters (third-= in2015). A team captain and member of the UR campus SAAC, McGonigle also was a senior leader with Kairos in 2012-14, serving as the campus outreach coordinator in 2014-15. She was the Chair of the Campus Ministry Service in 2014-15 and was a research assistant for university marketing in 2015. McGonigle served as an event coordinator for Habitat for Humanity, and she was a 2014 Christmas Carol event coordinator for Little Sisters of the Poor. She founded the Chance to Play World Pediatric Project in 2012-13, and volunteered with the St. Joseph Villa Nursing Home in 2014-15.
Hannah Robinson
St. Bonaventure University | Women’s Cross Country
Hometown: Sayre, Pa. | Major: Biology
Robinson is one of 14 individuals to receive the prestigious Atlantic 10 Postgraduate Scholarship in 2015. She has been a member of the A-10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and the SBU Dean’s List each semester of her career, and she won the St. Bonaventure Merit Award. She also earned Co-Honorable Mention for the Instrumental Music Award at Bona. Robinson posted the third-best 6K time in school history and the fourth best 5K time during her career. She also helped the Bonnies to the 2013 Little Three cross country title. A team captain, she also created and organized Fishing for the Cure. Robinson worked as a biochemistry and Spanish tutor and was a lab assistant/grader for the organic chemistry department from 2013-15. Active in the community, Robinson participated in the Warming House and SafeTEEN Coalition, served as a pianist at the Sayre Area Agency on Aging (2012-15), at Litchfield United Methodist Church (2011-15) and at Roulette United Methodist Church (2013-15). She also served as a scorekeeper at high school basketball games from 2011-13, and participated in Safety Town and Stranger Danger in the 21st Century in 2015.
Lindsay Friedman
Saint Louis University | Softball
Hometown: Pontiac, Ill. | Major: Biology
Friedman’s four-year career was filled with academic honors, including being an Academic Student-Athlete All-American, a member of the Atlantic 10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and SLU Dean’s List each semester, and receiving the Vice President Scholarship each year. She was a nominee for Saint Louis’ annual Service & Leadership Award in 2015 and was named to the A-10 Softball All-Academic Teams in 2014 and 2015. An outfielder on the diamond for the Billikens, she was named First Team All-Conference in 2014 and 2015. She earned the SLU Female Athlete of the Year in 2015, she was Saint Louis’ 2015 Outstanding Overall Female Student-Athlete and she won the SAAC Distinguished Service Award. As a three-year member of the SLU campus SAAC, Friedman also represented the Billikens on the Atlantic 10 Conference SAAC. She also was a Huddle Leader for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), and was a peer mentor for Responsibillikens. Friedman volunteered extensively in the community, including assisting with food preparation for homeless shelters and campus kitchen. She worked with SPENSA, the special needs soccer association, and Relay for Life in 2014-15. She was a counselor at the FCA camp for high school females in 2013-14. In 2014, Friedman worked with the Humane Society and participated in SLU campus days of service and fundraisers. She also worked in Nicaragua with Global Brigades building homes and offering medical services in 2014-15.
Kiara Porter
Virginia Commonwealth University | Women’s Track & Field
Hometown: Yorktown, Va. | Major: Financial Planning
A 2015 recipient of the prestigious Atlantic 10 Postgraduate Scholarship, Porter was also a member of the National Honor Society of Collegiate Scholars. She was a three-time USTFFCCCA All-Academic honoree (2012-14) and she graduated this spring from VCU Cum Laude. She earned Dean’s List Honors four times as a freshman, sophomore and junior, and was a member of the A-10 Track & Field All-Academic Teams in indoor and outdoor in each of the three years in the Atlantic 10. Porter was a five-time All-American earning All-American honors in the outdoor season in 2013, 2014 and 2015, and on the indoor side in 2014 and 2015. This includes an eighth-place finish in the 2015 NCAA Outdoor championship 400 meters. She also was a three-time Atlantic 10 Most Outstanding Performer, once at the conference indoor championship and twice at the outdoor championship (2013 and 2014). In three years in the A-10, she won 18 individual conference championships in sprint events (60 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters) and relays (4X100 and 4X400), and is the VCU school-record holder in the 60, 100 and 400 meters. She also was a member of the school record-holding 4X100 and 4X400 relay teams. Porter served as team captain as a junior and senior and led VCU to an A-10 Indoor title as a senior, giving the Rams their first Atlantic 10 track & field championship while setting the A-10 and Mackal Field House record in both the 60 meters and 400 meters at that 2015 championship. She volunteered each year at the Richmond Marathon and at the Maymount Cross Country Festival. Porter participated in the Meet the Rams, Make a Change program designed to raise money for the Massey Cancer Center. She also helped elementary students with math at JA Chalkley Elementary School in 2015.