Geer, Scandalis named NCAA Woman of the Year top 30 honorees
SAN FRANCISCO - The NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee has named the top 30 candidates from a record 480 school nominees for the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year award. The committee selected 10 women representing each of the three NCAA divisions and 12 different sports. Among the top-30 candidates are two former Pac-12 standouts: ARIZONA's Margo Geer and USC's Zoë Scandalis.
The top 30 candidates reflect the pillars of the Woman of the Year Award, demonstrating excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership. In late September, the selection committee will name nine finalists – three women from each division. The 2015 Woman of the Year, selected by the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics, will be announced Oct. 18 at a ceremony in Indianapolis.
Geer (Milford Center, Ohio), a former Wildcat swimmer, was an accomplished student-athlete in the pool and in the classroom, also volunteering in the community. A 27-time All-American, she was a member of the U.S. National Team from 2012-2015 traveling to compete at the World Championships in Kazan, Russia, in 2012. At the 2012 Olympic Trials, she placed 12th in the 100-meter freestyle semifinal and advanced to the finals of the 50-meter freestyle where she placed seventh. Geer owns the school record in the 100-yard freestyle and won three NCAA titles in her career - one in the 50-yard freestyle and two in the 100-yard freestyle. She also helped to set school records in the 400-meter free relay, the 800-meter free relay and 400-meter medley relay. She won two Pac-12 individual freestyle titles in 2013, one at the 50-yard distance and another at 100-yards, while also helping the Wildcats win three relay crowns.
A business management major with a 3.66 grade point average, Geer was named the 2015 Pac-12 Woman of the Year. She graduated cum laude recording a 4.0 in her final two semesters, was a two-time Academic All-Pac-12 selection and was named CSCAA Scholar All-American in 2013 and 2014, as well. In 2013, she was the winner in a business communications case competition and has actively participated in business-related research experiments at the Eller Collge of Management. Geer served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and attended the Pac-12 Leadership Conference which collaborated with all 12 institutions discussing issues associated with student-athletes. She has spent countless hours in the community, spending time at the Boys and Girls Club, YMCA, Casa Maria Soup Kitchen, Lend a Hand for Senior Citizens, The Havens Women’s Shelter, Special Olympics and local youth groups in a variety of sessions including organizing meets, speaking events and outreach.
Scandalis (San Diego, Calif.) of USC was a four-year letterwinner in tennis and had a 3.86 GPA in political economy. She was an ITA All-American and helped the Trojans win three Pac-12 titles. During her tenure at Troy, Scandalis helped her teams to two NCAA Semifinal appearances and was named the 2012 ITA National Player to Watch as a freshman. She landed a pair of first team All-Pac-12 selections and twice was picked to the second team. She also set the record for Pac-12 Player of the Week honors, collecting six awards during her career. Ranked as high as No. 7 in the nation in both singles and in doubles while at Troy, Scandalis finished her action at USC with a 108-48 career singles record and a 103-53 career doubles record.
Off the court and outside the classroom, Scandalis has been extremely active in community service and campus activities. A member of Trojan Athletic Senate all four years, she was involved with the Community Bowl, the Rose Cup and Athletes in Action on campus. But her commitment to service extended beyond campus, too. Some of Scandalis' most rewarding work was done as a mentor to 7th and 8th grade girls at the 32nd Street School. That passion for outreach prompted Scandalis to get involved with Girl Up -- the United Nations Campaign for Adolescent Girls.