Aug. 29, 2001
LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky rifle letterwinner Taryn Lewis was honored as one of 50 state winners of the NCAA Woman of the Year award, it was announced by the organization Tuesday.
The award recognizes outstanding female student-athletes who have excelled in academics, athletics and community leadership and have completed their collegiate athletics eligibility.
“The community service and community involvement are what really helped me grow in college,” Lewis said. “It was one of the most important things that I did during my four years at UK. To be honored for that is very flattering and appreciated.”
“I’m very excited for Taryn,” Coach Harry Mullins said. “All of her hard work over the last four years has paid off. She was very dedicated, both in the classroom and as a team captain for us. It’s a very great honor for her and our program.
Lewis, who graduated in May with a degree in finance and Spanish, was a leader in competition during her four-year career at UK. The Flemington, N.J., native was named second-team All-Mid American Rifle Conference in 1998 and 2001, while leading her team to a second-place finish at the 2001 NCAA Rifle Championships in April.
Lewis excelled in the classroom as well, graduating with a 3.7 GPA. She was named Academic All-SEC three times, while being named to the Athletics Director’s Honor Roll six times. Lewis was named to the Dean’s List each semester during her sophomore, junior and senior seasons, and also was awarded a prestigious UK Merit Scholarship during her senior year.
Lewis’s dedication to hard work and excellence also could be seen in her leadership at Kentucky. She was a three-year member of the Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Society and UK’s student-athlete advisory committee, serving as president in her junior and senior years. She represented UK at the SEC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee meeting in 2000.
Lewis is currently pursuing her MBA at UK. She was honored in May with the H. Boyd McWhorter Post-Graduate Scholarship awarded by the SEC.
“I’m so happy to see this very deserved honor go to Taryn and her team,” said Micki King, senior women’s administrator. “Rifle has consistently been one of our most successful varsity programs at UK, but doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves. I’m happy to see one of our shooters be recognized for her exemplary efforts.”
The NCAA will select 10 finalists for the national award in September. Lewis, along with the other state winners, will be honored at a dinner in Indianapolis, Ind., on Oct. 21 where the national winner will be announced.
