George Washington University Athletics
GW's Sarah-Jo Lawrence Nominated for 2008 NCAA Woman of the Year
9/10/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Sept. 10, 2008
WASHINGTON, DC - Former George Washington women's basketball standout Sarah-Jo Lawrence '08 was one of two Atlantic 10 Conference female student-athletes nominated for the 2008 NCAA Woman of the Year award, the organization announced Tuesday. The honor recognizes outstanding female student-athletes who have excelled academically and athletically in addition to demonstrating strong community service and leadership.
The NCAA announced its list of 130 nominees representing all three divisions Tuesday, with the top 10 honorees in each division to be announced later this month, followed by the selection of the top three honorees per division. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will choose the winner from the top nine honorees, and the Woman of the Year will be announced at an awards dinner in Indianapolis on Oct. 19.
As a four-year letterwinner for the women's basketball team, Lawrence helped the Colonials to 101 victories, four Atlantic 10 regular-season titles, four NCAA Tournaments and back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in 2007 and 2008.
She finished her career ranked 13th on GW's scoring list with 1,373 points in a school-record-tying 130 career games. She was the A-10 Sixth Player of the Year and honorable mention All-Conference as a sophomore after leading the Colonials in scoring as a substitute. In 2007, she was named second team All-Conference and followed up with third team All-Conference honors this season.
In Summer 2007, Lawrence earned a bronze medal with the United States' William Jones Cup team in Taiwan. While participating, Lawrence and her teammates from the Christian-based Athletes in Action spent time visiting with children at an orphanage.
A double major in communications and sociology with a 3.85 GPA, Lawrence was the 2008 A-10 Student-Athlete of the Year for women's basketball and earned third team Academic All-America status from ESPN The Magazine. She was one of 10 finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, which recognizes the nation's top women's basketball student-athletes, and was one of two recipients from all levels of college basketball to receive the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Scholarship. Lawrence also was among the three national finalists for the 2008 Arthur Ashe Jr. Top Female Scholar Athlete award.
Lawrence was instrumental in the development of GW's Jackie Robinson Society program in 2008, was active in both the Student-Athlete Advisory Council and Athletes in Action, and volunteered with Adopt-A-Family, March for Darfur and the WALK NOW! Charity Walk for Autism.
Lawrence, who graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University last May, was one of a select group of the 2008 senior class to receive a Presidential Administrative Fellowship to continue graduate studies at GW.
