MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University women’s basketball senior center Lanay Montgomery was named a nominee for the Allstate Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Good Works Team® as announced by the organization on Wednesday.
The Pittsburgh native has volunteered countless times at the Bartlett House, which serves the homeless of Morgantown and Monongalia County. She reads to school children as part of the West Virginia University Read Aloud program. She has cooked dinners for families that are residing at the Ronald McDonald house in Morgantown.
For the past two years, Montgomery has served as a volunteer for the West Virginia University Relay for Life. She has a love for teaching young children and has helped out as a volunteer for the WVU Child Learning Center; primarily working with preschool-aged children. She and her teammates have handed out food to students and other members in the community at the WVU Mobile Food Bank.
Montgomery and the Mountaineers have delivered teddy bears and stuffed animals to the City of Morgantown Police and Monongalia County Sherriff’s Office. All of the animals were donated at WVU games the past two seasons. They are given to child victims of crime and trauma.
In addition to donating items to those affected by the southern West Virginia floods, Montgomery and her teammates traveled to Rainelle, West Virginia, on July 15, 2016 to assist with the cleanup effort. They gutted a house, which included removing everything from the floor to the interior walls. The Mountaineers befriended the family during this time and have kept in contact with them. On November 1, 2016, the team played an exhibition game in Clarksburg, West Virginia. All of the proceeds from the game benefit flood recovery efforts in Rainelle.
The Allstate NABC and WBCA Good Works Teams® recognizes players at all levels of college basketball whose charitable involvement and altruistic acts stand out amongst all other student-athletes participating in the sport. From leading an initiative to help end the water crisis in Flint, Mich., to co-founding a non-profit with the mission to improve literacy rates across the country, the players nominated embody the true spirit of teamwork and giving back.
“The positive impact that student-athletes are making on college campuses and communities around the world can sometimes go unnoticed,” said Thomas Clarkson, president of the west territory for Allstate Insurance Company and a member of the 2017 NABC and WBCA Good Works Teams® selection panels. “Allstate is a proud supporter of NCAA® college basketball and takes immense pride in working with the NABC and WBCA to recognize players who continue to make giving back a priority and inspire future generations of athletes.”
Athletic departments and sports information directors across the country nominated the 181 NABC and the 97 WBCA student-athletes for the prestigious honor. Two special voting panels, headlined by former Duke University basketball athlete, two-time NCAA® champion and seven-time NBA All-Star Grant Hill, and former Notre Dame basketball star, two-time Nancy Lieberman Award winner and current WNBA player Skylar Diggins, will select 10-member teams from both the NABC and WBCA, comprised of five student-athletes from the NCAA Division I level and five student-athletes from Divisions II, III and the NAIA. The final roster of 20 award recipients will be unveiled in February.
“It is a joy each year to partner with Allstate in recognizing the many college women’s and men’s basketball players who are performing good works in their respective communities,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle M. Donehew. “This year’s WBCA group of 97 nominees is no exception. They are truly the heroes of our sport and deserve our gratitude. Congratulations to them all.”
Members of the Allstate NABC Good Works Team® will be invited by Allstate, an official corporate partner of the NCAA, to the 2017 NABC Convention and 2017 NCAA Men’s Final Four® in Phoenix, where they will participate in a community service project benefitting the city. Members of the Allstate WBCA Good Works Team® will be recognized during the 2017 WBCA Convention and at the 2017 NCAA Women’s Final Four® in Dallas, and will also participate in a volunteer project in the local community. Allstate is an official corporate partner of the NABC, WBCA and NCAA.
“The growth of the Allstate NABC Good Works Team program in five years has been remarkable with a record-setting number again for 2017,” said NABC Executive Director Jim Haney. “We are very grateful to Allstate for shining a bright light on these men and women in college basketball whose compassion and commitment continue to help so many.”
In addition to Clarkson, Hill and Diggins, the 2017 Allstate NABC and WBCA Good Works Teams® selection panel members include: former college basketball student-athletes Clark Kellogg (Ohio State University / CBS Sports), Len Elmore (University of Maryland / CBS Sports / ESPN) and Alana Beard (Duke University); media members Seth Davis (Sports Illustrated / CBS), Dana O’Neil (ESPN), LaChina Robinson (ESPN / FOX) and Brenda VanLengen (ESPN / FOX Sports); former head coaches Bobby Cremins (Georgia Tech / College of Charleston), Seth Greenberg (Virginia Tech University), Marsha Sharp (Texas Tech University) and Nell Fortner (Auburn University); and current coach Coquese Washington (Penn State University).
Since 2008, Allstate has partnered with the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) as a sponsor of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, which recognizes the off-the-field impact college football student-athletes have on their communities.
More information about the Allstate NABC Good Works Team
® and the Allstate WBCA Good Works Team
® is available at
www.nabc.org and
www.wbca.org.
The following student-athletes have been nominated for consideration to be named to the 2017 Allstate WBCA Good Works Team®:
Abilene Christian University - Sydney Shelstead
Arizona State University - Sophie Brunner
Baylor University - Nina Davis
Belmont University - Sally McCabe
Bucknell University - Sune Swart
Central Michigan University - Jewel Cotton
Chicago State University - Kaylee Allen
Clemson University - Ivy Atkism
College of William & Mary - Alexandra Masaquel
Cornell University - Nicholle Aston
Drake University - Lizzy Wendell
East Carolina University - Gabrielle Holston
Eastern Illinois University - Jalisha Smith
Fairfield University - Kristine Miller
Florida State University - Ivey Slaughter
Gonzaga University - Emma Wolfram
High Point University - Kaylah Keys
Hofstra University - Sydni Epps
Indiana University - Amanda Cahill
Iowa State University - Seanna Johnson
Kansas State University - Kindred Wesemann
Lafayette College - Anna Ptasinski
Lehigh University - Quinci Mann
Marist College - Casey Davidson
Marshall University - Logan Fraley
Mississippi State University - Blair Schaefer
New Mexico State University - Brandee Walton
North Carolina State University - Jennifer Mathurin
Penn State University - Peyton Whitted
Quinnipiac University - Aryn McClure
Rice University - Gabrielle Stanton
Saint Joseph's University - Amanda Fioravanti
Siena College - Kollyns Scarbrough
St. John's University - Sandra Udobi
Syracuse University - Brittney Sykes
Texas A&M University - Alyssa Michalke
Texas Christian University - Jada Butts
Troy University - Caitlyn Ramirez
University of California - Irvine - Mckenzie Piper
University of Delaware - Hannah Jardine
University of Denver - Jesse Spittel
University of Detroit Mercy - Chea Taylor
University of Florida - Brooke Copeland
University of Georgia - Mackenzie Engram
University of Illinois - Kennedy Cattenhead
University of Iowa - Ally Disterhoft
University of Kansas - Kylee Kopatich
University of Louisville - Arica Carter
University of Maine - Sigi Koizar
University of Miami - Khaila Prather
University of Mississippi - Shandricka Sessom
University of Missouri - Lianna Doty
University of Missouri-Kansas City - Justice Collins
University of Northern Iowa – Angie Davison
University of Oklahoma - Maddie Manning
University of South Dakota - Abigail Fogg
University of Texas - Ariel Atkins
University of Toledo - Michaela Rasmussen
University of Virginia - Breyana Mason
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee - Christina Wakeman
Utah Valley University - Britta Hall
Vanderbilt University - Minta Spears
West Virginia University - Lanay Montgomery
Western Michigan University - Meredith Shipman
