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Hughes is Midwest Conference Woman of the Year nominee
Release Date: July 9 , 2009
MONMOUTH, Ill. —
Monmouth
College’s Tanesha Hughes (Peoria, Ill./Woodruff) may have
ended her athletic career with the Fighting Scots, but the
three-sport athlete is still in NCAA competition, and this time it’s
on the national stage.
Hughes, who was a
four-year competitor in volleyball, basketball and indoor/outdoor
track, was named the Midwest Conference representative for the
NCAA’s prestigious Woman of the Year award, given annually to a
female athlete who has distinguished herself, not only in the
athletic arena, but also in the classroom and community. She becomes
the second consecutive nominee from Monmouth, following Ashley
Yeast’s selection last year. Hughes is the third woman in the
history of the college to advance past the first round of
selections. Current women’s basketball coach Melissa Bittner was the
Illinois state winner in 2003 and a top 10 finalist for the national
award.
An outside hitter for
volleyball, a center on the basketball team and a thrower in track
and field, Hughes had a stellar senior season in all three sports.
She earned her first All-American award in the final track meet of
her career, placing fourth in the discus at the NCAA National
Outdoor Track & Field Championships, and she earned her first
volleyball and basketball all-conference awards, too. The five-time
Midwest Conference track and field champion’s appearance at last
spring’s outdoor championships was her third appearance at the meet.
In volleyball, Hughes was second on the team in blocks and third in
kills. On the hardwood, the 5-foot-10 Hughes had her career-best
year, leading the MWC in both scoring and (16.3 ppg) and rebounding
(10.2 rpg).
In the classroom,
Hughes earned academic all-conference status 10 times. She was also
named to the National Dean’s List and holds membership in Blue Key
honor society and the National Society of Scholastic Scholars.
During her career at Monmouth, Hughes was involved in more than 15
volunteer activities, including Special Olympics, Relay for Life and
Circle K International.
Hughes will learn in
August if she is one of the top ten honorees from Division III to
advance to the semifinals to compete against the semifinalists from
Divisions I and II. In September, three finalists will be selected
from the field of semifinalists from the three divisions. All 30
women will be honored at a banquet in Indianapolis on Oct. 18. The
overall winner will be announced as the culminating event of the
Woman of the Year competition.
Hughes, who graduated in May
with a degree in computer science, is the daughter of Anisha Hughes
of Peoria.
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