WT Release

List of Conference Honorees

A record 147 NCAA female student-athletes have been named 2015 Woman of the Year honorees by conferences and independent schools.  The Lone Star Conference was represented by recently graduated West Texas A&M women's basketball standout Chontiquah White.

These honorees, selected from a  record 480 school nominees, represent college athletes from 18 different sports spanning all three NCAA divisions. Of those recognized, 57 honorees competed in Division I, 39 in Division II and 51 in Division III.

The Woman of the Year selection committee will next select the top 10 honorees in each division. These top 30 honorees will be announced in early September.  The selection committee will then choose and announce the nine finalists (three from each division) at the end of September. The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics will cast votes among the nine finalists to determine the 2015 Woman of the Year.

The top 30 will be honored and the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year will be named at the annual ceremony in Indianapolis on Oct. 18.

Now in its 25^th year, the NCAA Woman of the Year Award recognizes graduating female student-athletes for excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership.
 
White, a native of Dallas, earned the prestigious President's Award this spring at WT capping an outstanding career both on and off the basketball court for the Lady Buffs.  She helped lead the Lady Buffs to the Elite Eight in back-to-back seasons and to the national championship game in 2014.  This past season, White earned three different All-America awards as she was the Women's Basketball Coaches Association First Team All-America, Women's Division II Bulletin First Team All-America and a Daktronics Third Team selection.  She was named South Central Region Tournament Most Outstanding Player, LSC Player of the Year and LSC Tournament Most Outstanding Player this season. 
 
White was a three-time, first team all-conference selection, earned honorable mention All-America honors in 2014 and broke the school record for career rebounding (929) and games played (129).  She ranks third in free throws made and attempted, fifth in scoring (1,727), sixth in rebounds per game (7.2), seventh in career free throw percentage (77 %) and eighth in career field goals made with 544.  She finished 34 career double-doubles.
 
Not only did White excel on the court, but also in the classroom and community as graduated with a criminal justice degree with a 3.48 GPA and was a two-time LSC All-Academic recipient.  She also was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree and earned WT scholar-athlete awards and been a member of the President's Honor Roll.  She was named "The Outstanding Student Criminal Justice" at WT this past year.
 
In the community, White participated in Habitat for Humanity, Snack-Pack for Kids, Christmas Shoe Box, Adopt-A-Highway cleanup, Buffalo Stampede 5K, Shoes for Orphan Souls, to name a few.  She also participated in her church youth group mentorship and has volunteered at over 30 elementary schools during her time at WT.