Sept. 16, 2002

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Angela Knopf (Colorado State) and Shannon Bowles (Utah) are listed among 10 finalists for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. This award, now in its 12th year, recognizes young women in intercollegiate athletics for their outstanding achievements in athletics, academics and community service.

A two-time MWC Volleyball Player of the Year, Knopf was also a four-time Dean's list honoree in mathematics. She earned Academic All-America honors as a junior and senior, and first-team All-America accolades in 2001. Currently a member of the 2002 U.S.A. National Volleyball Team, Knopf led the Rams to the NCAA Sweet 16 two straight years and was a member of two conference championship teams. Knopf is expected to graduate in December 2003.

Bowles graduated cum laude from Utah in May 2002. An NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient, Bowles earned Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-America honors and was named the Mountain West Conference Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. An NCAA Top VIII award nominee, she also earned Dean's list and athletics director's honor roll four straight years. As a member of the Utah gymnastics team, Bowles led Utah to the NCAA championships in 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2002. She was named North Central Region gymnast of the year in 2002 and earned First-team All-America in floor exercise, 2002; all-around, 1998, 2002; balance beam, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002; and uneven bars, 1998.

The NCAA Woman of the Year finalists were selected by a committee comprised of athletics administrators from NCAA member colleges and universities from more than 340 entries. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will select the 2002 NCAA Woman of the Year from among the 10 finalists. The national winner will be announced at an awards dinner November 2 at the Westin Hotel in Indianapolis.