Track and field standout Delaina Martin has been selected as one of the Top 30 contenders for the 2007 NCAA Woman of the Year award, as selected by the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics.
From the 30 contenders, 10 from each NCAA division, the Committee on Women’s Athletics will narrow the field to nine finalists, eventually selecting the 2007 NCAA Woman of the Year.
Martin completed her undergraduate studies in May with a 3.67 grade-point average as a mathematics and Spanish major, both in Arts & Sciences. She finished her four-year college career as the school record holder in four events — the 20-pound weight throw and shot put indoors, and the hammer throw and shot put outdoors.
Martin is one of the most decorated track and field athletes in University Athletic Association (UAA) history with 16 All-Conference honors (10 outdoor, six indoor). In indoor competition, she was a three-time UAA champion in the 20-pound weight throw (2005-07) and also won the shot put (2006). Outdoors, Martin claimed league titles in the hammer throw (2005, 2006), the discus (2004, 2005) and the shot put (2006).
She was twice named the field events Most Outstanding Performer in the indoor championships (2006, 2007), garnered Most Outstanding Performer accolades at the outdoor event in 2005, and was named the UAA Rookie of the Year in 2004. Martin also earned All-America accolades as a junior and senior at the NCAA Division III Championships, finishing fourth in the weight throw in 2006 and third in 2007.
The NCAA will salute the achievements and accomplishments of the Top 30 contenders and the nine finalists at the NCAA Woman of the Year awards dinner, to be held Saturday, Oct. 27, at the Murat Centre in Indianapolis.
Women’s, men’s soccer
The women’s soccer team is ranked No. 11, while the men’s team was tabbed No. 23 in the NSCAA/adidas preseason top-25 poll, as announced on the Web site.
The women’s team finished the 2006 season with a program-best 17-3 record and advanced to NCAA Sectionals. The Bears posted a 7-0 record in UAA play, capturing their fourth UAA championship in school history. Sixth-year head coach Wendy Dillinger has guided the Bears to a 69-21-8 overall record, ranking 14th among active Division III coaches with a .745 winning percentage.
WUSTL returns 24 letter-winners and eight starters from last year’s squad.
The men’s team posted a 12-4-2 record in 2006 and finished third in the UAA with a 4-2-1 mark. The Bears fell to Wheaton College (Ill.), 1-0, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
It was the first postseason action for the Red and Green since advancing to the NCAA Second Round in 1999.
Washington U. returns all 11 starters from the 2006 squad, including senior defender Elie Zenner, sophomore forward John Hengel and sophomore goalkeeper John Smelcer.
Zenner, a first-team all-UAA honoree, bolstered a defense that allowed just nine goals all year. Smelcer earned UAA Rookie of the Year honors after posting an 11-4-2 record in net and boasting a 0.53 goals against average, the fourth lowest in team history.