Hughes named semifinalist for Woman of the Year award
Release Date: August 27 , 2009
MONMOUTH, Ill. —
Tanesha Hughes (Peoria, Ill./Woodruff) may have been a
thrower on the Fighting Scots track team, but she cleared a hurdle
last week, becoming the Fighting Scots’ second semifinalist since
2003 for the NCAA’s prestigious Woman of the Year award.
Hughes, a three-sport athlete at Monmouth who competed all four
years in volleyball, basketball and indoor/outdoor track, was
selected as one of just 10 representatives from Division III for the
annual Woman of the Year award. This summer, the Monmouth graduate
was named the Midwest Conference’s representative for the award,
given annually to a female athlete who has distinguished herself,
not only in the athletic arena, but also in the classroom and
community. She was the second consecutive nominee from Monmouth to
represent the Midwest Conference, following Ashley Yeast’s
selection last year.
Not only does Hughes make it 2-for-2 in the conference competition,
she joins her basketball coach Melissa Bittner as a
semifinalist, making her the second Monmouth College student-athlete
named to the semifinal field since 2003. As a student, Bittner was
the Illinois state winner in 2003 and a top 10 finalist for the
national award that year.
“The experience of meeting women from other NCAA divisions was
fascinating,” explained Bittner of her trip to the awards in 2003.
“It was interesting to compare backgrounds and experiences. Tanesha
is a good representative for Monmouth. She is a well-rounded and
gifted individual. Her work on the court, in the classroom and in
the community exemplifies the type of student-athlete we graduate at
Monmouth.”
Monmouth – a liberal arts college in western Illinois – has
nominated three women for the award since 2003 and all three have
advanced through the first round of the selection process. Hughes
could join Bittner on another level as a finalist if the selection
committee tabs her as one of three Division III finalists next
month. Only nine women from 132 entrees from all the divisions will
be named to the finals field. That could magnify even more the
college’s successful run in the Woman of the Year competition.
“Tanesha this year, Ashley last year, and Coach Bittner in 2003, are
classic examples of the type of student-athlete we try to recruit,”
said athletic director Roger Haynes. “All three are
well-rounded individuals with a variety of interests and athletic
skills. At Monmouth, we try to nurture that diversity. The fact that
Coach Bittner, and now Tanesha, advanced to the semifinals is a
testament to the job our faculty, coaches and staff have done to
encourage the students’ involvement in a wide range of activities
both on and off the court.”
In the classroom, Hughes earned academic all-conference status 10
times. She was also named to the National Dean’s List and holds
membership in Blue Key honor society and the National Society of
Scholastic Scholars. During her career at Monmouth, Hughes was
involved in more than 15 volunteer activities, including Special
Olympics, Relay for Life and Circle K International.
An outside hitter for volleyball, a center on the basketball team
and a thrower in track and field, Hughes had a stellar senior season
in all three sports. She earned her first All-American award in the
final track meet of her career, placing fourth in the discus at the
NCAA National Outdoor Track & Field Championships, and she earned
her first volleyball and basketball all-conference awards, too. The
five-time Midwest Conference track and field champion’s appearance
at last spring’s outdoor championships was her third appearance at
the meet. In volleyball, Hughes was second on the team in blocks and
third in kills. On the hardwood, the 5-foot-10 Hughes had her
career-best year, leading the MWC in both scoring and (16.3 ppg) and
rebounding (10.2 rpg).
A banquet in Indianapolis on Oct. 18 will honor all 30 women
selected as semifinalists for the Woman of the Year. The field is
selected by a committee from NCAA member schools and conferences.
The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics will select the overall
winner who will be announced at the banquet as the culminating event
of the months-long process.
Hughes graduated in May with a degree in computer science and
currently works as a software specialist for an information system
company outside St. Louis, Mo.
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