April 30, 2017

Tech Athletics names five finalists for 2017 Woman of the Year Award

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It’s the highest honor a Tennessee Tech student-athlete can receive. A player who excels on the field, in the classroom and in the community. By the end of their collegiate career, they stand as a shining example of what a Golden Eagle is supposed to be.

By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It's the highest honor a Tennessee Tech student-athlete can receive. A player who excels on the field, in the classroom and in the community. By the end of their collegiate career, they stand as a shining example of what a Golden Eagle is supposed to be.

On Monday, as part of the annual Golden Wings Awards, Tennessee Tech will announce its 2016-17 winner of the Woman of the Year Award.

To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be a senior or graduate student who has completed his athletic eligibility during the 2016-17 season. Criteria for selecting the award include both athletic and academic accomplishments, as well as additional areas such as community and campus involvement and public service activities.

The five finalists, in alphabetical order, include:

Sarah Brandt | Senior | Oroville, Calif. | Cross Country / Track and Field
During her career at Tech, Brandt claimed the OVC record in the Distance Medley Relay, as well as the Tech records in the 1,500m outdoor, the 4x800m indoor, the 4x800m outdoor and the Distance Medley Relay indoor. She previously held the school record in the 800m indoor, 800m outdoor, 1,600m indoor, 4x400m indoor and 4x400m outdoor. She has previously won the Golden Wings Newcomer of the Year award and the cross country team's Golden Eagle Award and was a finalist last year for the Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year.

Academically, Brandt holds a 3.93 grade point average in interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis in journalism and communications. She has been a three-time selection to the Tech Athletic Director's Honor Roll and was a 2016 selection on the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll. She was a selection to the USTFCCCA Division I All-Academic Team.

Outside of the university setting, Brandt is a Petty Officer Third Class Master at Arms in the U.S. Naval Reserve. She also interned with Tech's Communications and Marketing department.

Among her service activities, Brandt has served with Rotaract, the university level of Rotary, as well as serving as a student activist for the Americans for Liberty group and as a member of the university's Speech and Debate team. Brandt also traveled to the Dominican Republic on a mission trip in March delivering supplies and labor to the Hogar El Faro Orphanage, and also served as a camp counselor last summer for Rotary's Camp Royal youth leadership conference.

Abi Gearing | Senior | Libertyville, Ill. | Soccer
This past season, Gearing was not only one of the top defenders in the OVC, but was also one of the top scorers in the league as she ranked seventh in scoring with six goals and 14 points. She earned her second-straight all-OVC first-team nod, along with teammate Kari Naerdemann, to become the first two Golden Eagles to earn back-to-back first-team selections since 2002-03.

Academically, Gearing posted a 3.93 grade point average in special education. She was a member of the Tech Athletic Director's Honor Roll every semester and was on the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll three times. She also earned the OVC Academic Medal of Honor twice and was awarded the OVC's Scholar Athlete Award, the conference's highest individual honor for a student-athlete.

Gearing was an active member and head of the community service committee in the Studen-Athlete Advisory Committee. She helped coordinate the group's Hoops for Heroes initiative, and was also the president of the Tech chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She also volunteered with the Knoxville-area Rescue Mission, with local food pantries and at local elementary schools. In 2015, she also traveled to the Dominican Republic for a mission trip.

Hannah Goolsby | Senior | Cookeville, Tenn. | Basketball
As a member of the Tech women's basketball team, Goolsby became the 29^th member of the 1,000-point club, scoring 1,059 points as she also pulled down 345 rebounds and dished out 213 assists. She shot 32 percent from the field and 34.1 from 3-point range and 73.7 from the charity stripe, averaging nine points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 30.7 minutes per game. She had double-digit scoring in 15 of Tech's 30 games this season.

Academically, Goolsby has a 3.73 grade point average in multidisciplinary studies and elementary education. She was an OVC Academic Medal of Honor recipient, and has twice been named to the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll and six times to the Tech Athletic Director's Honor Roll.

In the community, Goolsby volunteered with Mustard Seed Ranch, the Capshaw Cougar Run, the Girl Scout Basketball Clinic, the Rotary Pancake Breakfast and the Fall FunFest.

Gabby Perez | Senior | Covington, La. | Softball
Perez has been a four-year member of the Tennessee Tech softball team, helping lead the Golden Eagles to a 2015 OVC tournament championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. She has played in 35 games this season – the team's season is still in progress – and is batting .269 with eight runs scored.

Academically, she has a 3.65 grade point average in EXPW with an emphasis in fitness and wellness. She has been a frequent presence on both the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll and the Tech Athletic Director's Honor Roll.

Perez also spearheaded a campus-wide food and supply drive for flood victims in her home state of Louisiana in Fall 2016.

Whitney Robertson | Senior | Clarksville, Tenn. | Golf
Robertson has continually set the bar high for the women's golf team, setting the program's freshman scoring record at 78.12, set the team's OVC Championship scoring record as a sophomore, then set the program scoring mark through 54 holes as a junior. She was named all-tournament at eight different tournaments, including two OVC Championships. She was also selected to the 2015 All-OVC team and to the 2013-14 All-Newcomer team.

Academically, Robertson compiled a 3.49 GPA in EXPW with a focus on pre-occupational therapy.

On campus, she has been involved with Mountain Project, a discipleship and leadership program, as well as Generation Send, a church planting and leadership initiative.

In the community, Robertson has worked with Relay for Life, the Capshaw Cougar Run, the Algood Middle School golf team, the Cookeville Rescue Mission and the Fall FunFest.

The Woman of the Year Award was established in 1991, and 29 winners have been selected in the past 26 years, including three years with co-winners.

The previous winners include:

1991 – Dana Scott (Basketball)
1992 – Cecilia Ramsey (Basketball)
1993 – Bonnie Zoss (Volleyball / Track and Field / Basketball)
1994 – Beth Keylon (Softball)
1995 – Taunya Lovelace (Basketball)
1996 – Merrie Robin Caldwell (Cross Country / Track and Field)
1997 – Dena Adams (Track and Field / Cross Country)
1998 – Rachel Melchiorre (Volleyball)
1999 – Amber Clark (Basketball)
2000 – Diane Seng (Basketball / Volleyball) / Collin Carmichael (Basketball)
2001 – Rachael Gobble (Basketball) / Adrienne Fortmann (Softball)
2002 – Janet Holt (Basketball)
2003 – LeeAnne Mongar (Softball)
2004 – Alexis Boyd (Soccer) / Andrea Brown (Basketball)
2005 – Laura Sidorowicz (Volleyball)
2006 – Anne Morrow (Volleyball)
2007 – Kayla Garrison (Golf)
2008 – Beth Boden (Softball)
2009 – Kappy Lang (Volleyball)
2010 – Teresa Craig (Volleyball)
2011 – Brooke Mayo (Soccer)
2012 – Lindsey Reed (Soccer)
2013 – Kellie Cook (Basketball)
2014 – Meghan O'Donoghue (Cross Country / Track and Field)
2015 – Katie Phillips (Soccer)
2016 – Taylor Blazei (Soccer)