Sept. 28, 2004
Las Vegas - Former Rebel softball standout Bridget Byrne was selected as Nevada's NCAA Woman of the Year, an award honoring standout female student-athletes who have achieved excellence in academics, athletics and community leadership.
The NCAA selected a winner from each state, along with Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, to go to the national competition, and Byrne was voted Nevada's. The 2004 state winners represent 12 sports. Thirty winners were from Division I schools, and 11 each from Divisions II and III.
Byrne's selection meant she was among 52 nominations for the 14th Annual NCAA Woman of the Year Award. She was not selected as a finalist.
Byrne, who played centerfield for the softball team from 2001-04, was also extremely active in the Las Vegas community. She participated in Nevada Reading Week, helped coordinate Christmas toy drives with the student-athlete advisory board, spoke at Rotary Club luncheons and went to hospitals to visit kids. Byrne participated in the Chefs for Kids program her freshman year, helped with food drives during Thanksgiving, attended luncheons at Planet Hollywood during Christmas time for kids infected with HIV, worked softball clinics, helped with National Student-Athlete Day and visited elementary schools to discuss the importance of a college education.
Currently studying Spanish overseas in Madrid, Spain, Byrne led the Rebels with a .373 batting average and 72 hits last season and was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII team. Byrne will return to UNLV this spring and will graduate with degrees in Spanish and international business.
A committee composed of representatives from member institutions chose the state honorees. That same committee then chose 10 finalists from among the 52 state winners. Selection criteria included grade-point average, athletics accomplishments and community service.
The 10 finalists are Kelly Albin from Cal, Julie Hardt from Georgia, Abbey Elsberry from Boise State, Megan Grunert from Indiana, Sherita Williams from Michigan State, Kinsey Coles from North Dakota State, Kayla Heising from Wooster College, Shana Robinson from Tulsa, Imani Dorsey from Portland and Melissa Block from Mary Washington College.
The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will choose a national winner from among the 10 finalists. The national honoree will be announced during the 2004 NCAA Woman of the Year dinner October 31 in Indianapolis.
