SouthtownStar Athletes On Campus: Liz Phillips up for national award
By Mike Walsh For Sun-Times Media August 31, 2012 8:24PM
Liz Phillips, Washington University (Mo.). | Supplied photo
Updated: October 3, 2012 6:18AM
Washington University (Mo.) women’s track and field athlete Elizabeth Phillips (Lockport) recently was named to the list of the Top 30 National Collegiate Athletic Association Woman of the Year honorees.
The top 30 women, selected from a group of nearly 430 nominees, are composed of 10 honorees from each NCAA division. In September, three finalists will be chosen from each division to form nine finalists for the award. The 2012 Woman of the Year will be announced and the top 30 women will be honored during a ceremony Oct. 14 in Indianapolis.
Phillips, who graduated in May with a degree in biomedical engineering and a 4.0 grade-point average, completed her career as one of the most decorated student-athletes in Washington University history. The Homer Glen native became the first-ever three-time NCAA Elite 88/89 Award winner in any NCAA division.
In 2012, Phillips was named the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America of the Year Division III award winner for women’s track and field/cross country, making her the first track and field/cross country Academic All-America of the Year winner in Washington University history. She earned first-team Academic All-America honors in 2011 and 2012.
A seven-time indoor and outdoor track and field All-American, Phillips ranks in the top three in Washington University history in five different indoor and outdoor events, including holding the outdoor 1,500-meter school record. She was the team captain and finished 40th individually to help the Bears capture their first NCAA Division III National Championship in women’s cross country in 2011.
During her final track and field season, Phillips earned All-America honors with a third-place finish in the mile and as a member of the national runner-up distance medley relay team at the 2012 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships. She capped her stellar career by finishing sixth in the 1,500 to earn All-America honors at the 2012 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Ramble(rs) on
Two Southland residents were among 71 Loyola University student-athletes named to the Horizon League’s 2012 Spring Academic Honor Roll.
Candidates for the Honor Roll must meet three criteria in order to qualify:
They must participate in at least one of the Horizon League’s 19 sports during the most recent (or current) season.
They must complete three semesters (or four quarters, where applicable) as a full-time student at the same member institution.
They must maintain a cumulative 3.20 GPA (on a 4.0 scale).
Honored for their success in the classroom were women’s golfer Ann Vrdolyak and women’s softball player Brittany Gardner.
Vrdolyak is a graduate of Marian Catholic, while Gardner prepped at Sandburg.
