Woman of the Year | Division I Finalists

Lisa Koll, Iowa State University

Conference: Big 12 Conference
Major: Biology
Sports: Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field

Excerpt from personal statement: “I have learned there is no substitute for passion or teamwork and that being a part of something greater than one’s self is unsurpassed in its ability to generate connections between people.”

Koll, a cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field student-athlete, was the first woman to win four straight Big 12 Conference titles in the same event (10,000 from 2007-2010). Koll is the all-time women's collegiate record holder in the 10,000 meters (31:18:07), and the fifth person to win the national title in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, the same year, a record that hadn't been touched since 1998.

Koll graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in biology. While a student at Iowa State, she was ranked in the highest two percent in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences during her sophomore, junior and senior years.

A seven-time Big 12 First-Team Academic All-Conference recipient, Koll was named the Women's Division I Outdoor Track Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2008. She served three years as team captain and regularly participates in motivational and outreach presentations for youth.
 

Brittany Rogers, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

Conference: Southeastern Conference
Major: Elementary Education
Sport: Softball

Excerpt from personal statement: “It would be inaccurate to claim I am the person I am today purely by my own exertion, for I am simply a piece of the puzzle, a representation of the incredible mentors I encountered in my lifetime.”

A four-time all-SEC First Team member, Rogers was named the 2006 SEC Freshman of the Year and selected for the SEC All-Tournament Team. In addition, Rogers was selected to the SEC All

Defensive Team for two consecutive years and was a top- 25 finalist for the USA Softball Player of the Year. Her team made appearances in the 2008 and 2009 Women's College World Series and she was named to the 2009 Women's College World Series All-Tournament Team. She was also named a National Fastpitch Coaches Association First Team All-American in 2008.

Rogers' community service involvement includes three years of coordinating the Alabama softball team's Project Angel Tree, and the Halloween Extravaganza for local children. Rogers also remains active in the community by speaking to young softball players and youth at various elementary schools.

Rogers, a recipient of the Arthur Ashe Sports Scholar award, and an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, has appeared on the University of Alabama's President's List and Dean's List multiple times. An elementary education major, she was a member of the campus Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for three years and served as the organization's president for 2008-09.
 

Justine Schluntz, University of Arizona

Conference: Pacific-10 Conference
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Sport: Swimming and Diving

Excerpt from personal statement: “Studying engineering as a female generated many challenges, but by working through these, I learned to persevere in the face of adversity in any setting.”

After suffering a season-ending injury her freshman year, Justine Schluntz began to mentor younger athletes and get involved in the community around her. Justine has volunteered for Big Brothers/Big Sisters for two years, taught swim lessons to children and volunteered with Casa de los Ninos, in which she spent time with children and helped distribute Christmas gifts.

Schluntz, a 2010 Rhodes Scholar, will research the viability of harnessing tidal energy from the oceans to use as a renewable resource at Oxford University. She was a finalist for the Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship and the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. The University of Arizona presented Schluntz with the Robie Medal at commencement, which is given to a student who exhibits “promise for the future.”

Schluntz was an NCAA National Champion for the 200- and 400-meter medley relay two consecutive years and was named to the Pac-10 First Team All-Academic Swim Team for three consecutive years. A 16-time NCAA all-American, she helped Arizona win the 2008 Division I women's team championship.

In addition to being named Athletics Academic Champion and Distinguished Scholar, she was named the Athletics Valedictorian at the University of Arizona and graduated summa cum laude.