Former GVSU Women's Soccer Standout Natalja Stanski Named One of Nine Finalists for the 2010 NCAA "Woman of the Year" Award

INDIANAPOLIS - Former Grand Valley State University women's soccer player Natalja Stanski (Tecumseh, Ont./St. Anne) was named one of the nine finalists for the 2010 NCAA "Woman of the Year" award.  Stanski made the top three finalists in Division II after a record 452 nominations were submitted for the prestigious award.

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The "Woman of the Year" award honors female student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, community service and leadership.

A committee of representatives from NCAA schools and conferences selected the top nine finalists from a pool of 30 honorees. Those individuals were identified from an initial pool of 452 conference and independent honorees representing all three NCAA divisions and multiple sports.

The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will select the national winner. The recipient of the 20th annual award will be announced during the 2010 NCAA Woman of the Year awards event, to be held Oct. 17 in the Indiana Convention Center's 500 Ballroom.

Stanski excelled in the classroom as a student-athlete at GVSU.  She capped her career by earning the NCAA's Elite 88 award at the Division II women's soccer Championship banquet Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009 in Tampa, Fla.

As a biomedical science major with a grade point average of a 4.0 (4.0 scale), Stanski was named the 2009 ESPN The Magazine College Division Academic "All-American of the Year," while garnering College Division Academic All-America First Team, Second Team All-GLIAC, First Team All-Midwest Region, and Daktronics, Inc. All-America First Team honors.

"It's an honor to just be nominated for such a prestigious award, so it's certainly very humbling to make the top 30 nominees," said Stanski. "It's a great way to conclude my career at Grand Valley, and making it this far in the nomination process is truly a testament to the amazing opportunities and education I received as an athlete and student at GVSU."

Stanski earned 2008 GLIAC "Defensive Player of the Year" laurels and was a two-time winner (2008, 2009) of the GLIAC Commissioner’s Award, honoring outstanding academic and athletic accomplishments.  Stanski finished her GVSU career by leading the Lakers to the 2009 Division II Championship and an a career record of 84-4-6 (.926), becoming the most successful senior class in the program’s history.

An avid volunteer on her campus and in her home town of Tecumseh, Ontario, Stanski became an example to other student-athletes by engaging in such activities as tutoring other student-athletes, volunteering at hospitals, working Special Olympics events, and helping at campus blood drives.

"The GLIAC is proud to have a student-athlete honored for such a prestigious award," stated GLIAC Commissioner Dell Robinson. "The honorees are reflective of the best female student-athletes in the areas of academics, leadership, community service and athletics in the country."

The top 30 honorees were nominated by conference and independent members and are representative of multiple sports. Ten honorees were selected from each of the three NCAA divisions.

Three finalists will be chosen from each division to form the nine finalists for the Woman of the Year award. The national winner will be chosen by the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics. The recipient of the 20th annual award will be announced during the 2010 NCAA Woman of the Year awards event Oct. 17 in Indianapolis.

Below are the nine finalists by division (I, II or III):