| Centre graduate named Kentucky Woman of the Year DANVILLE, KY -- Amanda McCracken, a Centre College athlete who won seven varsity letters while also devoting extensive time to community service, has been honored by the NCAA as Kentucky Woman of the Year. The Fairfield, Ohio, resident was chosen on the basis of her combined achievements in athletics, academics, community service and leadership. As the Kentucky winner, McCracken is a candidate for national woman of the year. She will join 50 other state finalists at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in Indianapolis in October for announcement of the national winner. McCracken is the fifth Centre graduate to become Kentucky woman athlete of the year. A two-sport athlete in track and cross country, McCracken set a school record at the 3000m distance in track. She earned all-conference honors in both sports and all-region in cross country. McCracken twice was voted most improved member of the cross country team, and she served as cross country team captain in her senior year. Centre tapped her for the Briscoe Inman Award in her senior year as well as Female Athlete of the Year. In addition to those athletic achievements, McCracken served as student director of Centre's Adopt-a-Grandparent program. She breathed new life into the project by hosting a campus luncheon for local senior citizens who had attended Centre, using the luncheon to match students with "adopted grandparents." McCracken chose her own "adopted" grandmother in the program, and she also volunteered on a weekly basis with the Big Brother/Big Sister program. Her campus volunteer work brought honors including Volunteer of the Month and the Leslie Randolph Boyd Civic Service Award. An English major, McCracken earned academic honors including dean's list and a French assistantship. She spent a term studying at Centre's residential program in Strasbourg, France. Recently McCracken was chosen by the French government to teach English in the French schools during the coming year. Her work assignment begins in mid-September. McCracken is a graduate of Fairfield High School. Her parents are Patrice and Michael McCracken. Centre College President John Roush said of McCracken's honor: "Centre College is proud to claim Amanda as one of our own and, especially, we thank her for the many blessings she delivered to our college community. Everyone who has known her has been inspired by her unusual ability to shine both as a highly-discplined athlete and a warmly compassionate individual." McCracken was part of the Centre's class of 2000, which brought a record number of honors to the college. McCracken's classmates included a Rhodes Scholar, four Fulbrights, a Truman Scholar and a Goldwater Scholar. - end - Communications Office |