Sept. 4, 2002

COTTRELL EARNS NCAA AWARD

NKU star named Kentucky’s “NCAA Woman of the Year”

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Former Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball player Michelle Cottrell has been named the state of Kentucky’s NCAA Woman of the Year. This prestigious award recognizes outstanding female student-athletes who have excelled in academics, athletics and community leadership, and have completed their collegiate athletics eligibility. Cottrell, a three-time Kodak NCAA Division II All-America selection while at NKU, finished her career as the Norse’s all-time career scoring leader with 2,241 points. She also earned Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year honors three consecutive seasons. The state-level winners include 27 student-athletes from Division I, 12 student-athletes from Division II and 11 student-athletes from Division III. These student-athletes participated in 16 of the 19 sports in which women compete for NCAA championships, including basketball, field hockey, rowing and soccer. A national winner - the NCAA Woman of the Year - will be selected by the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics from among 10 finalists. The finalists will be announced in mid-September. The national winner will be announced at the 2002 NCAA Woman of the Year dinner November 2 at the Westin Hotel in Indianapolis.