Courtney Arno-Templet
© TWU Athletics

DENTON, Texas – Former Texas Woman’s University gymnast Courtney Arno-Templet is one of the top 30 honorees for the 2008 NCAA Woman of the Year award.

The NCAA Woman of the Year honor recognizes outstanding female student-athletes who have excelled in academics, athletics, community service and leadership, and have completed their collegiate athletics eligibility.

A committee composed of representatives from NCAA member schools and conferences chose the honorees – 10 from each NCAA division – from 130 conference and independent honorees. From the group of 30, the top nine finalists will be selected and announced later this month. The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics will choose a national winner from among the top nine finalists. The 2008 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced during the NCAA’s annual awards dinner October 19 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Arno-Templet, a native of Coppell, Texas, was a four-year (2005-08) standout on the Pioneers’ acclaimed gymnastics team. She served as a TWU team captain for three seasons (2006-08), and helped the Pioneers win the USA Gymnastics (USAG) Women’s Collegiate National Championship in 2006 and 2008. She also earned four USAG individual event national titles, two on bars (in 2007 and 2008) and two on beam (in 2006 and 2008). She was an eight-time USAG All-American and a five-time Midwest Independent Conference (MIC) All-Conference selection. She competed as an individual at the NCAA South Central Regional in 2006, 2007, and 2008, and her fifth-place tie on bars at 2007 regional meet was the highest ever finish by a TWU gymnast at a NCAA regional competition.

Arno-Templet also found academic success at TWU. She was a three-time (2006-08) USA Gymnastics Scholar-Athlete, a four-time (2005-2008) MIC Scholar-Athlete, and a four-time (2005-08) National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women Scholastic (NACGC/W) All-American. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing from TWU in May 2007 and is currently enrolled in the school’s executive MBA program. She also has worked on the staff of the TWU Leadership Institute since September 2006.

The NCAA Woman of the Year award would be the second major honor that Arno-Templet has received since concluding her college gymnastics career. On May 4, she received the 2007-08 TWU Athletics President’s Award, the highest honor awarded to a current TWU student-athlete, for demonstrating outstanding excellence in her sport, in the classroom, and in the promotion of TWU athletics.

Arno-Templet is the second TWU gymnast in the last three years to be a contender for the NCAA Woman of the Year award. Bethany Rehm, a Pioneer gymnast from 2003-06, was one of the top nine finalists for the 2006 award.

TWU head gymnastics coach Frank Kudlac believes Arno-Templet is deserving of the NCAA Woman of the Year honor.

“I think Courtney’s got a good shot at winning the award,” said Kudlac. “But regardless if she wins or not, I’m still very proud of her for being one of the final 30 women to be considered. She was the ideal student-athlete for us and it’s exciting to see her be recognized for her efforts.”

The 2007 NCAA Woman of the Year was Whitney Myers, a former swimming standout at the University of Arizona.

 

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