Lake Forest swimmer Becky Shaak has been named the Midwest Conference (MWC) nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award in 2013.
The NCAA Woman of the Year Award honors senior student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership.
Shaak was one of four student-athletes up for the 2013 Woman of the Year nomination and the depth of the nominees was impressive according to Heather Benning, chair of the MWC Awards Committee. "The quality of the nominees was outstanding," said Benning. "It was humbling to not only read about the high athletic and academic achievements, but also the many ways in which they are engaging both on their campus and the communities of which they are a part."
Shaak, a senior economics and mathematics major from Vienna, Virginia, won 23 conference titles in ten different events over the last four years. She was a four-time champion as a part of the 400-freestyle relay team and won three gold medals in the 500- and 1,650-freestyle as well as the 400-individual medley. She finished her career holding eight conference records (five individual, three relay).
In addition to her league championships and records, Shaak was the MWC Swimmer of the Year in 2010 and 2012 and was named a NCAA All-American twice. She won All-American honors in 2011 with a seventh place finish in the 400-individual medley and in 2013 by posting the fourth-fastest time at the national meet in the 1,650-freestyle.
Outside of the pool Shaak was a two-time member of the MWC Academic All-Conference team and is eligible for the award for her senior season. Shaak was also presented with the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship which is awarded seasonally to only 29 men and 29 women from all three divisions of the NCAA.
Shaak also lent a helping hand in numerous community service and campus activities. She assisted Special Olympians the last two years when Lake Forest College hosted the Special Olympics Regional Swim Meet and she was a three year member of the Relay for Life team. She made a significant commitment to volunteer work with the residents at Lake Forest Place, an elderly community located a few miles from campus, and to fund-raising for the Ted Mullin Hour of Power, which benefits cancer research.
"I applaud all of our nominees and congratulate Becky on her tremendous accomplishments throughout a record setting career," said Midwest Conference Commissioner Chris Graham. "Becky is the epitome of a Midwest Conference student-athlete and an outstanding representative of the 3000-plus student-athletes in our league."
In August, the top ten honorees per division will be announced for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. In September, the field of 30 semifinalists will be narrowed to three per division. The top ten honorees and the nine finalists from Divisions I, II and III will be honored and the 2013 NCAA Woman of the Year winner announced at a dinner in Indianapolis in October.
In 2012 alone, 429 student-athletes were nominated by their institutions. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics (CWA) manages the nomination process and selections and since the program's inception in 1991, over 2,600 women have been recognized as state or conference honorees.
