Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
Thrasher Named a Finalist for NCAA Woman of the Year
October 02, 2019 01:46 PM | Rifle
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Former West Virginia University rifle standout Ginny Thrasher has been included as one of nine former collegiate student-athletes selected as finalists for the 2019 Woman of the Year Award, announced by the NCAA on Wednesday.
The Springfield, Virginia, native is the first WVU student-athlete to be selected as a finalist since the award's inception in 1991. She also is the only rifle athlete among the 2019 finalists and is the only nominee to advance in the selection process not sponsored by their school's core conference.
"Being a student-athlete taught me an important lesson: it is possible to do it all, but also harder and more gratifying than one can imagine," Thrasher said in a personal statement to the NCAA.
Thrasher joins the following as Woman of the Year finalists: Adelphi University's Chelsea Abreu (lacrosse), Duke's Virginia Elena Carta (golf), Vassar College's Monica Feeley (field hockey), Swarthmore College's Marin McCoy (soccer), Nebraska's Angela Mercurio (track and field), Kenyon College's Hannah Orbach-Mandel (swimming and diving), Lynn University's Krissy Ortiz (golf) and Southwestern Oklahoma State's Hailey Tucker (basketball).
The nine finalists – including three from each NCAA division – have exhausted their eligibility and have demonstrated excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.
The top-30 nominees will be honored at the 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year Awards Dinner on Oct. 20, held at the Indiana Convention Center, in Indianapolis. The NCAA Committee of Women's Athletics will select the 2019 Woman of the Year at the event.
Thrasher graduated in May with a degree in biomedical engineering and was the only engineering student selected to the West Virginia Order of the Augusta, which recognizes the University's top eight graduating seniors. She also was a 2019 recipient of the Big 12 Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award and was named a 2019 WVU Outstanding Senior.
Additionally, Thrasher was a four-time recipient of the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) All-Academic Team honoree and three-time member of the Academic All-Big 12 At-Large Team. In 2018, Thrasher was a Rhodes Scholarship finalist. She also was a member of the President's and Dean's Lists, as well as the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll and the Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll.
Thrasher spent two years as a member of WVU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). She also spoke at 80 events nationally as a representative of shooting sports and also gave a talk at the school's inaugural TEDxWVU event. She was named a Ms. Mountaineer finalist, an honor recognizing the University's most involved students, and delivered more than 80 additional presentations focused on science, technology, engineering and math throughout the state as an ambassador for the University. She also volunteered at the West Virginia Recovery Center.
Thrasher capped a brilliant, four-year Mountaineer career with three All-America first team honors in 2018-19, bringing her career All-America count to 12. She won individual national championships in both smallbore and air rifle in 2016, and she led West Virginia to two team national championships (2016, 2017), two national runner-up finishes (2018, 2019) and four Great America Rifle Conference (GARC) Championships. She also earned five individual conference titles.
The first gold medalist at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro (women's air rifle), Thrasher has competed internationally several times representing the United States. She was the 2016 USA Shooting Athlete of the Year and a 2016 AAU James E. Sullivan Award finalist, as one of the top amateur athletes in any sport. She remains a member of the U.S. National Shooting Team and hopes to compete in the 2020 Olympic Games.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVURifle on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
The Springfield, Virginia, native is the first WVU student-athlete to be selected as a finalist since the award's inception in 1991. She also is the only rifle athlete among the 2019 finalists and is the only nominee to advance in the selection process not sponsored by their school's core conference.
"Being a student-athlete taught me an important lesson: it is possible to do it all, but also harder and more gratifying than one can imagine," Thrasher said in a personal statement to the NCAA.
Thrasher joins the following as Woman of the Year finalists: Adelphi University's Chelsea Abreu (lacrosse), Duke's Virginia Elena Carta (golf), Vassar College's Monica Feeley (field hockey), Swarthmore College's Marin McCoy (soccer), Nebraska's Angela Mercurio (track and field), Kenyon College's Hannah Orbach-Mandel (swimming and diving), Lynn University's Krissy Ortiz (golf) and Southwestern Oklahoma State's Hailey Tucker (basketball).
The nine finalists – including three from each NCAA division – have exhausted their eligibility and have demonstrated excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.
The top-30 nominees will be honored at the 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year Awards Dinner on Oct. 20, held at the Indiana Convention Center, in Indianapolis. The NCAA Committee of Women's Athletics will select the 2019 Woman of the Year at the event.
Thrasher graduated in May with a degree in biomedical engineering and was the only engineering student selected to the West Virginia Order of the Augusta, which recognizes the University's top eight graduating seniors. She also was a 2019 recipient of the Big 12 Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award and was named a 2019 WVU Outstanding Senior.
Additionally, Thrasher was a four-time recipient of the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) All-Academic Team honoree and three-time member of the Academic All-Big 12 At-Large Team. In 2018, Thrasher was a Rhodes Scholarship finalist. She also was a member of the President's and Dean's Lists, as well as the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll and the Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll.
Thrasher spent two years as a member of WVU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). She also spoke at 80 events nationally as a representative of shooting sports and also gave a talk at the school's inaugural TEDxWVU event. She was named a Ms. Mountaineer finalist, an honor recognizing the University's most involved students, and delivered more than 80 additional presentations focused on science, technology, engineering and math throughout the state as an ambassador for the University. She also volunteered at the West Virginia Recovery Center.
Thrasher capped a brilliant, four-year Mountaineer career with three All-America first team honors in 2018-19, bringing her career All-America count to 12. She won individual national championships in both smallbore and air rifle in 2016, and she led West Virginia to two team national championships (2016, 2017), two national runner-up finishes (2018, 2019) and four Great America Rifle Conference (GARC) Championships. She also earned five individual conference titles.
The first gold medalist at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro (women's air rifle), Thrasher has competed internationally several times representing the United States. She was the 2016 USA Shooting Athlete of the Year and a 2016 AAU James E. Sullivan Award finalist, as one of the top amateur athletes in any sport. She remains a member of the U.S. National Shooting Team and hopes to compete in the 2020 Olympic Games.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVURifle on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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