Gabrielle Clark, a senior from Emory University, was named the 2014 DIII Woman of the Year nominee for tennis as announced by Executive Director Chris Voelz of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda.
She is now designated one of 11 finalists for the prestigious DIII Woman Athlete of the Year honor. This will be voted on at the end of the academic year by national balloting among 1,000 NCAA member schools as part of THE CWSA program, now in its 38th year.
Clark capped off her Emory career with her second NCAA Division III Singles Championship, becoming just the fifth player in Division III women’s tennis history and the second in the program’s history to win multiple singles titles over a career. She was named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division III Player of the Year and picked up her third University Athletic Association (UAA) Most Valuable Player honor.
The senior from Chicago, Ill., closes out her career with a singles record of 108-21 with her 108 wins ranking second all-time at Emory. She finished her career at doubles as the program's all-time leader with 111 victories.
"Being a collegiate athlete has truly been an unbelievable experience,“ stated Clark. “I've grown so much as a player and individual on and off the court. Without the collegiate experience, in particular the Division III experience, I would not be the person I am today."
"Gabbie has been a great leader, competitor and teammate during her time at Emory,” said head coach Amy Bryant. “In addition to the substantial time commitment to her sport, she has been steadfast in giving back to community in a variety of ways. She is an outstanding ambassador for both Emory and the sport of women's tennis, and certainly an inspiration to female athletes.“
All sports nominees from DIII and DII become a finalist for the prestigious 2014 CWSA Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year in their respective divisions, presented in June. The sports nominees are recognized in 11 DIII and DII NCAA-sanctioned sports; cross country, basketball, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, volleyball, and track & field.
THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for 37 years, recognizing superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service. Since commencing its sponsorship in 1986, Honda has provided more than $2.8 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs at the institutions.