Oklahoma State University Athletics
Medina Named Oklahoma's NCAA Woman of the Year
September 10, 2005 | Cowgirl Cross Country & Track
There were a total of 51 female student-athletes that were nominated with one from each state. Arizona was the lone state without a nominee, but two student-athletes were nominated from Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.
Medina, a senior from San Cristobol, Venezuela, was selected as an 2004 Cross Country Academic All-American, and was also named United States Track Coaches Association (USTCA) Academic All-American for the 2005 track season.
Medina performed well during the 2004 cross country season, as she finished 19th at the Big 12 Cross Country Championships and 16th at the Midwest Regional Cross Country Championships.
In outdoor track, Medina placed fifth at the Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships, where she set a regional qualifying time of 4:26.05 in the 1,500-meter run.
“We are extremely proud of Valentina,” said Amy Weeks, senior woman advisor. “She is a model student-athlete in the classroom and on the track.
“It is a great honor and a testament to the strength of OSU.”
The NCAA Woman of the Year recognizes outstanding female student-athletes who have excelled in academics, athletics and community leadership.
Chosen by a committee of representatives from member institutions, 29 of the 2005 state honorees are from Division I, while 16 represent Division II and six are from Division III. They represent 15 sports.
The committee of institutional representatives will also select 10 finalists from the 51 state winners, based on grade-point average, athletics achievement and community service. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will chose the national winner from among the 10 finalists. Finalists will be revealed in the September 26 issue of The NCAA News.
The 2005 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced during the annual awards dinner October 29 in Indianapolis. ESPN personality Danielle Sargent and Kara Lawson, former University of Tennessee, Knoxville, women's basketball standout and a 2003 Woman of the Year top-10 finalist currently playing in the WNBA, will serve as emcees for the evening.
This year's state winners were chosen from a pool of 352 nominations, 76 more than in 2004 and the most since 2000, when there were also 352 candidates for the honor. The pool showed an increase in diversity as well, specifically in African-American, international, Asian/Pacific Islander and Latina/Hispanic student-athletes.
