COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech University Athletic
Department has announced a list of nine finalists for the
school’s 2014 NCAA Woman of the Year Award, with the winner
to be announced Sunday.
To be eligible for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award, students must
be a senior or graduate student who has completed her athletic
eligibility during 2013-14. Criteria for selecting the award
include both athletic and academic accomplishments, as well as
additional areas such as community involvement and public
service.
The Awards Committee has selected two members each from the
women's basketball, cross country/track and soccer teams, one each
from volleyball and softball, plus one student-athlete who
participated in both soccer and basketball. The golf teams did not
have any seniors on the roster who would have been eligible for the
award. The finalists hail from five different sports plus New
Zealand.
The finalists are:
Kayla Brewer, Jacksonville, Fla., Women’s Basketball
During her year on the Tennessee Tech women’s
basketball team, Kayla Brewer proved to be on of the best defensive
stoppers in the Ohio Valley Conference. Seeing time in all 30
games, including starting 12, Brewer averaged 17.5 minutes per game
while shooting 52.4 percent from the floor. She averaged 3.9
points and 5.6 rebounds on the season, but increase her
productivity to 4.3 points and seven rebounds during conference
play. Her defensive prowess came in the form of shot blocking. She
finished the season with a school-record 61 blocks, 2.03 per game,
to lead the conference as well, and also tied her for seventh in
OVC history. Forty-nine of the 61 blocks, 3.1 per game, came during
conference play to further emphasize her increased level of play
against OVC opponents. Kayla also earned an adidas® Newcomer of
the Week award for her performance over Memphis and Florida
International. Kayla also excelled in the classroom, maintaining a
4.0 GPA while pursuing her master’s in professional studies.
Because of her hard work in the classroom, she earned a spot on the
TTU Athletic Director’s honor roll. She is currently
volunteering with a health care agency that works with those who
are mentally and physically handicapped, she volunteered with local
schools for their Indian run raising money for school supplies, and
she volunteered at the breast cancer run on the TTU campus.
Rebecca Cline, Senior, Spring Hill, Tenn., Cross Country/Track
& Field
Rebecca Cline’s final season on the Golden Eagle
cross country team was her best, as she paced Tech in all six meets
in 2013. Her two best finishes were eighth overall at the JSU
Foothills Invitational and 12th overall at the
Evansville Invitational. For her efforts, she was named the team
MVP. During the track & field seasons, she established
four new individual career-best times, including one during the
indoor season (3,000m) and three (800m, 3,000m, steeplechase)
during the outdoor schedule. A versatile athlete, she ran in three
events indoors and five different events outdoors, posting the
team’s best time in all five categories.
Ashleigh Hancock, Richmond, New Zealand, Volleyball
During her senior season, Ashleigh has to step into a
role she was not 100 percent comfortable with. During her previous
seasons, Ashleigh had always has someone else to share the setter
position with, and each would set three rotations. But in 2013, the
she had to learn to play all the way around, and lead the team. She
averaged a career-high 8.59 assists, 1.67 digs and tallied 41
points. On Sept. 19, She dished out a career-best 53 assists while
digging up another career-high in digs with 14. She tallied three
double-doubles in assists and digs during the season. The Golden
Eagle coaching staff noticed Ashleigh’s improvements on the
court and named her the Most Improve Player in 2013. Ashleigh has
maintained a 4.0 GPA in Dietetics. She has been named to three OVC
Commissioners Honor Roll lists, and earned a Medal of Honor for her
academic success. She also has been named to the TTU Athletic
Director’s Honor Roll each of her semesters at Tech. She also
found herself on the TTU Deans List multiple times. She volunteered
at Cookeville Regional Medical Center as a caterer and at Second
Harvest Food Bank in Nashville. She graduated in May.
Molly Heady, Clarkrange, Tenn., Women’s Basketball
Molly’s work ethic to maintain a 3.75 GPA and still
manage to be one of Tech’s top players, including being named
to the 2013-14 pre-season All-OVC team. A four-year starter, Molly
started every game her senior year, and played a team-high 32.2
minutes per game, enough for 10th in the OVC. She will
go down as one of the most accurate three-point shooters in Tech
history, finishing her senior season with an impressive 45.3
percent from deep, connecting on 48 of 106 shots. She finished the
season averaging 7.5 points per game. She also added 3.6 rebounds
and 1.2 assists. For the second-straight year, Heady has won the
John P. Leadership Award for her demonstrating of what it means to
be a leader on and off the court. Heady was also named one of two
Golden Eagle Award winners for her ability to be the player that
always does what she is asked, with a winning attitude and makes
her teammates better players. Molly has been very active
in the community during her time at Tennessee Tech. Molly is also a
three-year recipient of the TTU President’s Award. The award
is given a student-athlete from each team that represent their
teams and the University by achieving success in both the classroom
and in their sport, and they are also involved in the community and
on campus. She has been named to three OVC Commissioners Honor Roll
lists, and earned a Medal of Honor for her academic success. She
also found herself on the TTU Deans List multiple times. Molly has
volunteered with at least 19 organizations throughout her time at
Tech, including helping multiple times with most of the
organizations. From 2012-2014, Molly volunteered with the local
Girl Scouts of America and was a counselor at a clinic that was
open to all Girl Scouts in Putnam County. She also volunteers at
the local YMCA for their ‘Healthy Kids Day,’ where she
helped to promote active and healthy lifestyles to kids. Molly also
served as a leader for the TTU chapter of Fellowship of Christian
Athletes. Molly received her degree in May.
Leigh Heffner, Golden, Colo., Soccer
A leader on and off the pitch, Leigh Heffner wrapped up
an historic Golden Eagle soccer career in 2013 after playing in all
1,766 minutes this season for Tech. With over 7,000 minutes logged
in her Tech tenure, the three-year team captain leaves the program
with more minutes played than any other Golden Eagle in program
history. As one of the team’s best defenders, Heffner was a
main stay on the back line of the TTU defense, also adding an
assist, while taking 12 shots on the year. Off the field, the
Golden, Colo. native was a leader on Fellowship of Christian
Athletes (FCA), a vice president of the New Hall North
Environmental Club, and counselor at Kids Across America. Heffner
also played an active role in the community, volunteering weekly at
Park View Elementary School and at both the Royal Family Kids Camp
and Kings Team Camp where she worked with foster children over the
summer. In addition to the vast array of off the field
organizations that Heffner participated, she also earned a spot on
the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll for the fourth consecutive
year.
Taylor Hicks, Cumberland, Maine, Soccer
Taylor Hicks has been a model example of a
student-athlete throughout her career at Tech, showing how to
balance athletics with campus life, leadership positions, and
academics. On the field, the senior defender tallied nearly 1,700
minutes for the Golden Eagles in 2013, upping her career total to
5,818, the fourth most in program history. Off the pitch, the
Derryberry Award nominee, was an active member on both the Honors
Green Committee and Honors Publicity Committee, and served as the
Chair of the Creative Writing Committee. Hicks made her presence
felt within the community as well, volunteering weekly at Northeast
Elementary School, participating in National “Walk to School
Day,” the Race After Dark, TTU’s Great Move-In, Campus
Clean Up, and helped paint the children’s playground at
Northeast Elementary School back in August. Academically, Hicks
made the Dean’s List, Athletic Director’s Honor Roll,
and OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll all four years as a student
at Tech.
Kendall Hooper, Hermitage, Tenn., Softball
Kendall Hooper defined what it means to be a
student-athlete this past year, excelling on the field, in the
classroom, and in the community. In between the lines, the senior
team captain was named to the All-OVC Second Team after hitting
.287 with six home runs, nine doubles, and 28 RBI. Hooper also led
the club with an impressive .351 batting average in OVC play and
was named as the adidas® Ohio Valley Conference Player of the
Week back on Apr. 13 after hitting .467 (7-15) for the week with
two home runs, three doubles, 10 RBI, and six runs scored in
leading Tech to a 3-1 record. Away from the diamond, Hooper was
this year’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) vice
president, the head of the TTU’s Christmas Parade Float
Committee, and was chosen to attend the OVC Leadership Conference.
Within the community, the Hermitage, Tenn. native participated in
Operation Christmas Child Box Loading at First Baptist, Hoops for
Heroes, the Habitat for Humanity Mud Run, and was a women’s
build volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. Academically, Hooper
secured a spot on the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll for the
fifth time in her Tech career and was featured earlier in the year
as a Wendy’s Scholar Athlete of the
Game.
Ellie Iaciofano, Loveland, Ohio, Soccer/Basketball
A two-sport athlete, Ellie Iaciofano capped off an
extraordinary soccer career with an impressive 2013 campaign on the
pitch for the Golden Eagles. A team captain for the third
consecutive season, the Loveland, Ohio native served as the biggest
offensive threat for TTU, leading the team with four goals, four
assists and 12 points to climb the all-time Tech career ranks in a
slew of major offensive categories. Iaciofano moved into a tie for
sixth place on the all-time career list with 15 scores, tied for
fifth with 11 assists, and tied for fifth with 41 points. On the
hardwood, Iaciofano played in 28 games for the Golden Eagles,
averaging 8.2 minutes per contest, giving Tech size and speed in
the paint. Off the field and court, Iaciofano made her presence
felt through a wide variety of leadership, community service, and
academic endeavors. From a leadership standpoint, she was the
Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) president after serving
on the committee for the third consecutive year. Iaciofano’s
list of community service ventures is quite lengthy, including
working at Parkview Elementary School once a week, participating in
National “Walk to School Day” and Northeast
Elementary’s “Field Day,” as well as the Race
After Dark in which Iaciofano supported children and adults in the
race. She also was a Great Move in Day volunteer, participated in
October’s Canned Food Drive, and took an active role in Hoops
for Heroes. In the classroom, Iaciofano was on the Dean’s
List for academic excellence as well as the Athletic
Director’s Honor Roll for the fourth consecutive year.
Meghan O’Donoghue, Senior, Talbott, Tenn., Cross
Country/Track & Field
Meaghan O’Donoghue added two prestigious honors to her
resume at the close of her Golden Eagle running career, in addition
to accepting her degree as a May graduate. She was selected
co-winner of the Derryberry Award for her moral and academic
integrity, campus involvement, good citizenship, leadership
qualities and physical vigor. and she was named CoSIDA Academic
All-District first-team. She graduated with honors, maintaining a
4.0 GPA in French and political science. During the 2013 cross
country season, she ran a season-best 5K time of 20:37.88 at the
Vanderbilt Invitational, and ran in 25 of Tech's 27 cross country
meets during her four-year career, including all 20 during her
final three years. She was recipient of the team’s Most
Dedicated Runner Award. In track, she has competed in the 3,000m,
5,000m and 10,000m races, hitting personal records in the 3,000m
indoor with a time of 11:37.28, the 3,000m outdoor at 11:08.89, and
10,000m with a PR time of 40:49.58. She served as the
secretary of the Tennessee Tech student-athlete advisory committee
(SAAC), was a senator for TTU’s SGA and was awarded the OVC
Academic Medal of Honor four times and made the dean’s list
and OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll from 2010 to 2014.
She has also served as a French tutor and WIN program tutor. Meghan
was also a member of the executive council of TTU’s Newman
Catholic Campus Ministries and served as treasurer from 2012 to
2014.
