Penn State's Dlugonski and Iowa's Skolaski Named 2005 NCAA Woman of the Year Finalists - BIG TEN CONFERENCE Official Athletic Site

Penn State's Dlugonski and Iowa's Skolaski Named 2005 NCAA Woman of the Year Finalists

Former Big Ten women's swimmers honored

Iowa's Skolaski was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection

Sept. 14, 2005

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PARK RIDGE, Ill. - Penn State's Deirdre Dlugonski and Iowa's Jennifer Skolaski have been selected as finalists for one of the NCAA's most prestigious honors. The 2005 Woman of the Year award recognizes student-athletes in intercollegiate athletics for their outstanding achievements in athletics, academics and community service. This year's finalists averaged a grade point average of 3.82 on a 4.0 scale and have earned or will earn degrees in accounting, American history, communications, French, international studies, kinesiology, microbiology, physical education and social work.

Dlugonski, the Marshall of the College of Health and Human Development/Kinesiology, graduated in May, 2005. The Nittany Lion was a nine-time All-American, four-time All-Big Ten first team selection and a seven-time league champion. She set six Penn State school records and three conference records while leading her team to Big Ten Championships in 2002 and 2005. During her career she was a four-time College Swim Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Academic All-American and a 2005 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American Women's At-Large first team member as chosen by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Skolaski was one of Iowa's two 2005 Big Ten Medal of Honor Award winners and became the Hawkeyes' first four-time NCAA qualifier in women's swimming. The Madison, Wis. native currently holds school records in six events and wrapped up her career ranked in the top 10 all-time best performers list for 11 different individual swimming events. She was a two-time All-American, two-time team MVP and captain while swimming on 15 relays that rank in Iowa's top 10. She was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, served as chair for the 2005 Iowa Student Athlete Advisory Committee (ISAAC) and has earned an NCAA postgraduate scholarship for this year.

The finalists were selected from 352 entries by the NCAA Woman of the Year Selection Committee. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will select the 2005 NCAA Woman of the Year from the 10 finalists and will announce the national winner at an awards dinner in Indianapolis, Ind., on October 29, 2005.