April 26, 2018

Five finalists named for Tech's 2018 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 Thursday evening, as part of the annual Golden Wings Awards, Tennessee Tech will announce its 2017-18 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 2017-18 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:

Allyson Dunn | Senior | Kingsport, Tenn. | Women's Golf
Dunn has the 11^th best scoring average in the conference and the third-lowest round in program history.

Academically, she was the recipient of the OVC Scholar-Athlete Award and the OVC Medal of Honor.

Among her service activities, she participated with Backpack Buddies, Operation Christmas Child, worked with Missions of Mercy with a remote area medical clinic in Wise, Va., and was a Sunday school teacher at West Colonial Hills Baptist Church.

Dunn served as the vice president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, the vice president of Tech's Gold Circle Chapter of Mortar Board, was a member of the Remote Area Medical Student Leaders Organization and the Chem-Med Club.

Lauren Brewer | Senior | Crestwood, Ky. | Soccer
A two-time All-OVC first-team defender, Brewer helped lead Tech soccer to its longest unbeaten streak in program history and set program records in goals allowed average and save percentage.

Brewer helped found the Love Your Melon Club at Tech, helping to support children with cancer around the world.

She was also a member of SAAC, and also helped with efforts for Relay For Life and Race After Dark.

Callen Griffin | Senior | Hermitage, Tenn. | Softball
One of the most versatile defensive players in the conference, Griffin has been a tremendous presence for the Tech softball team. Through her first 36 games of the season, she has batted .213 with four home runs and 14 RBI and has a .954 fielding percentage.

Griffin has been a five-time selection to the Tech Athletic Director's Honor Roll and twice to the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll.

Among her community service efforts, Griffin worked with Capshaw Elementary and Cedar Hills Senior Living Center, as well as Operation Christmas Child, Backpack Buddies, Toys For Tots, Hoops For Heroes and Habitat For Humanity.

Yaktavia "Shug" Hickson | Senior | Atlanta, Ga. | Women's Basketball
Hickson was one of the top offensive threats in the OVC, averaging 11.9 points, six rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, while shooting 40.5 percent from the floor and 82.8 from the free-throw line. She became a 1,000-point scorer during her career.

She is a member of NAACP, Women of Worth and was a decorator for Black Girls Rock, helped with the annual Great Move-In Day.

Among her community service efforts, she has helped with Fall Fun Fest, the Capshaw Elementary Cougar Run, Read to Succeed at Algood Elementary and an annual basketball clinic for area Girl Scouts.

Madison Stremler | Senior | Franklin, Tenn. | Women's Cross Country / Track & Field
A member of both the cross country and track and field programs, Stremler continues to show marked improvement throughout the year, improving her 5K time by nearly two minutes from the start of the season to the OVC Championships, setting a new personal record.

Stremler has worked with exchange students with the Best Buddies program, the homeless with Room in the Inn, with Heritage Pointe Senior Living and Chattanooga's Help for the Inner City.

The Woman of the Year Award was established in 1991, and 30 winners have been selected in the past 27 years, including three years with co-winners.

The previous winners include:

1991 – Dana Scott (Basketball)
1992 – Cecilia Ramsey (Basketball)
1993 – Bonnie Zoss (Volleyball / Track & Field / Basketball)
1994 – Beth Keylon (Softball)
1995 – Taunya Lovelace (Basketball)
1996 – Merrie Robin Caldwell (Cross Country / Track & Field)
1997 – Dena Adams (Track & 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 & Field)
2015 – Katie Phillips (Soccer)
2016 – Taylor Blazei (Soccer)
2017 – Sarah Brandt (Cross Country / Track & Field)