KANSAS CITY, MO. – Lisa Coole was named the NCAA Woman of the Year on Sunday in honor of her academic and athletic achievements and community service.
”I was so honored just to be a state winner, and then to be one of the 10 finalists, to have the NCAA say, ‘You did it,’ … it just makes me feel good,” Coole said. ”I set goals for myself. I’m a really determined person. I’m really hard on myself when I don’t reach them. I didn’t reach all of my goals, but I can at least say I tried my hardest.”
Coole was 1996 NCAA champion in the 100yd butterfly and a three-time medalist in the World University Games. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a 3.62 GPA in biology.
Coole and the other finalists were honored at a dinner Sunday night. The other finalists were Shelly L. Bartlett, gymnastics, Nebraska; Sara A. Bloom, rowing, Bucknell; Virginia Bolenbaugh, gymnastics, Seattle Pacific; Julie Roe-Sumner, basketball, Millikin; Ann Sieckert, volleyball, Augustana, S.D.; Natasha W. Taylor, basketball, West Texas A&M, Meredith P. Willard, gymnastics, Alabama; Stacey Williams, soccer, track, basketball, Wilmington, Ohio College; and Wendy L. Wolff, softball, University of Wisconsin-Parkside.