INDIANAPOLIS -- Olympic swimming hopeful Whitney Myers, who
set 14 school records at the University of Arizona, is the 2007
NCAA Woman of the Year.
Myers, a science education major from Oxford, Ohio, received the
honor at a dinner Saturday night in Indianapolis. The annual award
honors female student-athletes for their contributions in the
classroom, on the athletic field and in their community.
She was selected from an initial field of 128 nominees.
"My coach preached that if I can get you to grow as a person,
then I can get you to grow as an athlete," Myers said. "It made
me well-rounded."
Myers was a first team all-American in seven different swimming
events and a top-three finisher at the NCAA Division I Swimming and
Diving Championships in eight events. The two-time NCAA record
holder is training for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
She was a member of the U.S. Women's National Swimming Team from
2004-06, finishing third at the 2004 Olympic Trials. She was fourth
at the 2005 and 2007 World Championships and qualified in five
events for the 2008 Olympic Trials.
Besides volunteering with local Girl Scout troops, in elementary
schools and at a pharmacy, Myers was on the dean's list every
semester and received academic all-American and Pac-10 all-academic
honors for four consecutive years.
"You always felt as if you were too busy, or too stressed,"
she said, "but then you sign up for your next activity and have a
great time."