October 23, 2008
ALISON LESHER ’08 HONORED BY NCAA IN WOMAN OF THE
YEAR CEREMONY
Former Le Moyne College national champion Alison Lesher ‘08
was honored during the 2008 NCAA Woman of the Year celebration held
in Indianapolis, Ind. on Sunday, October 19th at the Murat Centre.
Lesher was one of 30 female student-athletes to be honored by the
NCAA as a top-10 finalist in Division II.
Lesher, a biology major, was named to the Le Moyne College Dean's
list for eight semesters and was a Presidential Scholar recipient
all four years while at the college. In addition to her
institutional academic achievements, Lesher also garnered
Northeast-10 academic awards as well. She was a three-time
Northeast-10 All Academic selection and was named to the
Commissioners Honor Roll on four occasions.
Lesher's accomplishments in the classroom also carried over to the
pool. In March, she became the first Le Moyne swimmer and one of
only two Northeast-10 student-athletes to ever win a national
championship in the sport of swimming. Lesher earned All-American
status as she finished first in the 200-yard butterfly event to cap
off her final year of collegiate competition. Among her athletic
accomplishments, Lesher was a five-time All-American, was named the
Most Valuable Swimmer of the 2006 and 2007 Northeast-10
Championships and won 10 conference championships in her collegiate
career. She currently holds eight different school records.
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| Photos compliments of the Lesher Family |
The NCAA established the Woman of the Year Award in 1991 to
celebrate the achievements of women in intercollegiate athletics.
The award is unique because it not only recognizes the athletic
achievements of outstanding young women, but also their academic
achievements, community service and leadership.
NCAA member institutions from all three divisions nominate their
own woman of the year. 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. From 130
conference and independent honorees, the selection committee chose
30 women – 10 from each division – and then selected
three finalists from each division. From the nine finalists, the
NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics selected the 2008 Women
of the Year.
Nkolika Anosike, a member of the University of Tennessee
women’s basketball team, was named the 2008 NCAA Woman of the
Year.
