Three Selected As Candidates For NCAA Women of the Year Award

Pixler	Coon	Gruwell

Seattle Pacific track and field and cross country standout Jessica Pixler, Alaska Anchorage basketball player Tamar Gruwell and Western Washington University rower Audrey Coon are among 117 student-athletes representing multiple sports in all three divisions selected as candidates for the 20th annual NCAA Woman of the Year award.

The NCAA chose the athletes this week from 452 nominees submitted by conferences and independent institutions for the award which honors senior student-athletes for their collegiate achievements in service, leadership, athletics and academics.

Later this month 30 finalists – 10 nominees from each of the NCAA's three divisions – will be named.  The top nine – three each from Divisions I, II and III - will be honored and the 2010 NCAA Woman of the Year announced at a dinner in Indianapolis on Oct.  17.

Pixler and Gruwell were the GNAC nominees for the award, while Coon earned an at-large nomination for the award.

Pixler (Sammamish, WA) had a spectacular year winning four national titles in three sports and earning NCAA Division II National Athlete of the Year honors in cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field

Last fall she won her fourth straight GNAC cross country title, her fourth straight regional title and her third straight national title becoming the first female in Division II history to win three individual titles and only the third in any division to accomplish that feat.

She won the conference title in a time of 21:03, then added regional and national titles in times of 20:08.9 and 20:22.6. Both her conference and regional times established course records.

Last winter, she won her fourth straight NCAA Indoor national title in the mile in a time of 4:46.42 and also led the Falcons to a national title in the distance medley relay. She ran the anchor leg as the Falcons posted a winning time of 11:29.88.

In the indoor conference meet, she won the 800 meters and mile in meet-record times of 2:08.28 and 4:40.39, respectively, and also led SPU to a conference title in the distance medley relay in a time of 11:36.32.

This spring she won the 1500 meters at the NCAA national meet – her 12 th career national title - with a time of 4:15.43 after earlier sweeping the 800 and 1500 meters at the conference meet with meet-record times of 2:06.38 and 4:24.01 and anchoring SPU to a win the 4x400 relay in a time of 3:53.78.

In addition to winning 12 national titles including three in cross country, six in indoor track and three in outdoor track, she won 10 career GNAC Athlete-of-the-Year awards, including four in cross country (2006-09), four in Indoor Track and Field (2007-10) and two in Outdoor Track and Field (2007, 2010).

Pixler was selected the GNAC Athlete and Scholar-Athlete of the Year. An English major, she posted a cumulative GPA of 3.93 and three different times was selected the USTFCCCA Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year and twice earned the award for Indoor Track and Field.

Gruwell (Fairfield, CA) averaged 11.1 points and made 74 of 187 three-pointers in earning second team all-conference honors last winter for Alaska Anchorage in earning Team MVP honors.

In 2008-09, she averaged 7.0 points a game on a UAA team that reached the NCAA Division II national semifinals for the second year in a row and posted a 31-4 record. She earned all-tournament honors in the NCAA West Regionals.

Academically she majored in history and earned a 3.93 GPA. She was selected to the Dean's List and Chancellor's List and was a GNAC All-Academic selection. She also serviced on the UAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and participated in the UAA Blood Drive and “Reading With the Seawolves” program.

Coon (Anchorage, AK) led Western Washington to three consecutive rowing national titles between 2007 and 2009 and was a Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association All-American in 2009. During her three years in Varsity 8 shell, the Vikings did not lose to a non-Division I school.

Academically, she earned a 3.96 GPA earning a degree in Spanish and Elementary Education, graduating Magna Cum Laude last December. Among her numerous academic awards, she twice earned CoSIDA Academic All-American honors and was a three-time CoSIDA District 8 Academic all-district selection.