October 28, 2007

(INDIANAPOLIS, IN.): Whitney Myers, a former swimming student-athlete at the University of Arizona, is the 2007 NCAA Woman of the Year.

Myers topped Clarion's Jamie Wolf and 7 other finalists from NCAA Divisions I, II and III to win the award.

Myers received the award -- one of the most prestigious that the NCAA bestows--at the 17th annual NCAA Woman of the Year Awards Dinner on October 27, at the Murat Centre Egyptian Room. The award honors female student-athletes who have completed their eligibility and demonstrated academic and athletics excellence, as well as community service and leadership.

A committee comprised of representatives from NCAA member schools and conferences selected the top 30 out of 128 conference and independent nominees, 10 from each division. From the 30 honorees, nine finalists were selected, three from each division. The Committee on Women's Athletics selected Myers from the nine finalists.

ESPN 2 will be taping the show in its entirety and will be broadcasting the event on Friday, December 7 at 4:30pm. ESPN's Sage Steele and Debbie Antonelli will serve as emcees for the evening.

Wolf graduated from Clarion University in May, 2007 with a 4.0 QPA in Molecular Biology. Just this year alone she was selected by CoSIDA as the ESPN The Magazine NCAA Div.II & III All-America of the Year (Scholar Athlete of the Year), The PSAC's Pete Nevins Award as the PSAC "Scholar Athlete of the Year" and most recently was awarded the NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association Award as its Scholar Athlete of the Year presented by Disney's Wide World of Sports.

In her career Wolf set a new NCAA D-II record winning 7 of a possible 8 Division II National Championships. She won both the 1 and 3 meter titles as a freshman in 2004, and in 2005, earning NCAA Division II Female "Diver of the Year" honors in the process. In 2006 she won the 3 meter title, but placed second on 1 meter. In 2007 she won both titles again and set a new NCAA record in wining the 1 meter crown with a score of 453.75 points, topping the old NCAA record by 18.10 points. She also won the 3 meter in 2007 with a score of 499.15, which won by 70 points. She was again named the 2007 NCAA D-II Female Diver of the Year.

CLARION NOTES: Jamie was accompanied at the event by her parents, along with Clarion's Associate A.D. Wendy Snodgrass, Diving Coach Dave Hrovat and Athletic Department Business Manager Dede VanEpps.