Simpson Named Nebraska NCAA Woman of the Year

Lincoln ? Former Nebraska gymnast Richelle Simpson was named the 2005 NCAA Woman of the Year for the state of Nebraska last week, adding to an already impressive record of athletic and academic achievements. The NCAA Woman of the Year awards recognize outstanding female student-athletes who have excelled in academics, athletics and community leadership. A committee of institutional representatives will select 10 finalists from the 51 state winners, based on grade-point average, athletics achievement and community service. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will choose the national winner from among the 10 finalists, who will be revealed in the Sept. 26 issue of The NCAA News. Simpson was chosen as a state winner from a pool of over 350 nominees.

The 2003 NCAA all-around and floor exercise champion, Simpson was a nine-time All-American gymnast at Nebraska. She was an eight-time conference champion, most recently during the 2005 season when she won the all-around, balance beam and floor exercise titles at the Big 12 Championships in Norman, Okla., and was honored as a 12-time All-Big 12 selection. In addition, Simpson, who was the NCAA South Central Regional Gymnast of the Year in 2003 and 2005, led the Huskers to a first-ever No. 1 ranking in 2005 and a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Championships in Auburn, Ala. With her outstanding leadership, NU won Big 12 team championships in three of the last four years.

While earning success in the gym, Simpson garnered numerous accolades in the classroom as well. The Toronto, Ontario, native was a second-team CoSIDA Academic All-American and first-team academic all-district VII honoree in 2005. As Nebraska’s first AAI American Award winner, Simpson earned prestigious postgraduate scholarships from both the NCAA and the Big 12 Conference. She was also the 2005 Nebraska Female Student-Athlete of the Year and was recognized as a three-time academic All-Big 12 team member. In addition, Simpson devoted considerable time to countless charitable organizations in the Lincoln community, serving as a volunteer with Safe Quarters, the Team Spirit Hospital program and was a guest speaker at schools for local youth. Simpson graduated with her bachelor’s degree in French and international studies in May of 2005.

The 2005 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced during the annual awards dinner Oct. 29 in Indianapolis. ESPN personality Danielle Sargent and Kara Lawson, former University of Tennessee, Knoxville, women's basketball standout and a 2003 Woman of the Year top-10 finalist currently playing in the WNBA, will serve as emcees for the evening.