ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Winthrop University tennis player Megan Kauffman and Radford University women's soccer player Jessica Wollmann have been named the
Big South Conference's co-honorees for Woman of the Year for 2018-19.
The Big South's Woman of the Year Selection Committee picked Kauffman and Wollmann as co-honorees among the nine candidates nominated for the award. Members judged the nominees for their service and leadership, including community services, campus activities and leadership positions; academic achievement; athletics excellence; and a personal statement from each candidate. As the Big South's Woman of the Year, Kauffman and Wollmann are nominated as the conference's candidates for the national NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
This is the third year Winthrop has had a student-athlete selected for this award. Katherine Judge of lacrosse won the Big South Woman of the Year honor for the 2017-18 season and another Winthrop tennis representative, Caitlin Cridland, won the award for 2016-17.
A native of Perth, Australia, Kauffman graduated in May from Winthrop magna cum laude with a degree in exercise science and a GPA of 3.88. She will begin her pursuit of a master's degree in applied physiology and kinesiology with a concentration in human performance at the University of Florida this fall.
Kauffman received the NCAA Ethnic Minority and Women's Enhancement Graduate Scholarship for her postgraduate studies and attended the NCAA's Career in Sports Forum in June. She also received academic recognition on the Big South Presidential Honor Roll, ITA Scholar-Athletes, and Winthrop's President's List and Dean's List.
During her senior campaign, Kauffman played No. 3 singles and No. 1 doubles on a Winthrop squad which finished the regular season with a perfect 9-0 Big South record and won its 21st Big South Conference Championship title. Paired with teammate Lauren Proctor, the duo went 21-11 overall in 2018-19, with a 16-7 dual match record and an 8-1 record in the Big South Conference at the No. 1 position. The duo also earned a berth into the NCAA Division I Doubles Championship in Orlando, Florida, and closed the year ranked No. 48 nationally.
Off the court, Kauffman was involved in Winthrop's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee where she served as the social media chair. In addition, she was enrolled in Winthrop's peer mentor program, logged hours as a tutor and also spent 12 weeks with Charlotte Country Day School as a strength and conditioning intern. She spent time as a volunteer during the 2019 Fort Mill YMCA Polar Plunge, which helped raise funds for Special Olympics South Carolina. She also spent time with the Richmond Elementary Tiger Trot, which targeted health and physical activity in children and the promotion of exercise.
As the Big South selections for Woman of the Year, Kauffman and Wollmann join more than 500 overall nominees for NCAA Woman of the Year, which is now in its 29th year. All school and conference honorees receive an NCAA certificate and will be recognized on www.ncaa.org.
For more information, contact Brittany Lane, assistant athletic director for marketing and communitions, at laneb@winthrop.edu.
