McMichael Named To Final 10 For Collegiate Softball Player Of The Year
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- Mississippi State junior all-American Iyhia McMichael was one of 10 finalists named to the final watch list for the Amateur Softball Association's 2003 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, the organization announced Wednesday afternoon.
The ASA, the national governing body of softball in the United States, presents the award which is considered the Heisman Trophy in women's collegiate softball and is the only national player of the year award. It is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country. The final list is comprised of 10 players that represent seven colleges and five different conferences.
Four of the top 10 finalists from 2002 return to the 2003 list. Those players include Keira Goerl and Natasha Watley from UCLA, Lovieanne Jung from Arizona and Cat Osterman from Texas. UCLA teammates Keira Goerl and Tairia Mims join Watley on the list, as does Alicia Hollowell from Arizona. Other listees include Lauren Bay from Oklahoma State, Lindsay Chouinard from DePaul and Jessica van der Linden from Florida State.
"That is an outstanding group of players," said Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller. "What a tremendous honor to be selected as one of the top 10 players in the country. Iyhia is in elite company. It is definitely something she has earned with great play this season."
The top three finalists will be announced May 13 and the winner of the 2003 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award will be honored May 21 at the opening ceremonies of the NCAA College World Series in Oklahoma City, OK. The winner will be recognized and presented with the Player of the Year trophy during the ASA National Council Meeting in Orlando, FL, in November. A replica of the award will be placed in a permanent display in the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City along with photos of the winner. An additional replica of the award will be presented to the player's academic institution.
Photos of each of the finalists along with current statistics can be found on the USA Softball web page at www.usasoftball.com under the College Corner section.
UCLA catcher Stacey Nuveman was selected as the inaugural winner of the award in 2002 after leading her Bruins to the Pac 10 title and a berth into the Women's College World Series.
The Amateur Softball Association, founded in 1933, is the National Governing Body of amateur softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. As the National Governing Body, the ASA is responsible for identifying, selecting and training male and female athletes to compete in World, Pan American and Olympic competitions. It is also responsible for promoting and growing the sport of softball across the country.