PSU's Lee NCAA Woman of the Year Semifinalist

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Pittsburg State's Venessa Lee has been selected as one of 30 semifinalists for the 2009 NCAA Woman of the Year award that will be presented in October, the NCAA announced Thursday.

Lee, a track & field and cross country standout for the Gorillas, was the 2008-09 women's recipient of the Ken B. Jones Award. She also earned All-America honors in both indoor and outdoor track & field in 2009, placing third in the 800 meters at both championships. Lee graduated in May and maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.83 while double majoring in biology (pre-medicine) and Spanish.

The NCAA Woman of the Year Award honors senior women student-athletes who have excelled in the areas of academic achievement, athletics, service and leadership.

A committee composed of representatives from NCAA member schools and conferences selected the top 30 honorees - 10 from each division - from a pool of 132 conference nominees, which included seven student-athletes from independent institutions, representing all three NCAA divisions and multiple sports.

The top 30 will be trimmed to nine finalists - three from each division - next month and the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will select the national winner from that pool of finalists. The recipient of the 19th annual award will be announced during the 2009 NCAA Woman of the Year awards dinner on October 18 in Indianapolis.

The 2008 NCAA Woman of the Year was Tennessee women's basketball standout Nkolika Anosike.