Trinity's Lee Selected SCAC Woman of the Year

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- In exclusive voting by the Senior Woman Administrators of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, Brigette Lee of Trinity University has been selected the 2016 SCAC Woman of the Year.

In addition to being recognized as SCAC Woman of the Year, Lee will be nominated for the 26th annual NCAA Woman of the Year Award.

The NCAA Woman of the Year Award honors graduating student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, community service and leadership.

Lee’s selection as Woman of the Year represents the fifth overall SCAC WOTY honor for Trinity and the institution’s second consecutive honor following Emily Jorgens’ selection in 2015.

A two-time Capital One Academic All-America At-Large selection, Lee has been tabbed as an Academic All-District 8 Team honoree and a Women’s Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar each of the last three seasons.

On the course, Lee qualified for the All-SCAC Women's Golf Team in each of her four years of competition. Last April, Lee tied for seventh place at the conference championship, and earned All-SCAC Second Team honors as the Tigers won their second SCAC championship in the past three seasons. Lee placed 10th in the 2015 SCAC Championship, for All-SCAC Second Team accolades. She finished third in 2014, and made the All-SCAC First Team, sparking Trinity to the conference crown. Lee began her collegiate career by capturing the individual SCAC title in 2013. She was named the SCAC Women's Golfer-of-the-Year, and the SCAC Freshman Golfer-of-the-Year. This season, Lee was also selected for the SCAC All-Sportsmanship Team.

A Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major who graduated this spring with a 3.97 GPA, Lee was the 2016 recipient of the Trinity University/Ian Thompson Award for Academic Excellence for Premedical studies. The SCAC Academic Honor Roll four-time honoree has also served as president and vice president of Trinity's American Medical Student Association. Included in Lee's volunteering efforts were the Teen Medical Academy, Methodist Hospital, Faith Family Clinic, and First Tee Golf Program. The future physician plans to attend the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.

"My academic, athletic and community involvements have all helped shape the person I am today,” said Lee. “School ignited my intellectual curiosity and a thirst to keep learning more. Working on a research project and writing the paper taught me how to collaborate with others. Through golf, I developed patience and discipline. Golf also taught me to never give up.”

Lee attributes her many community service experiences as the catalyst behind her developing an interest in medicine.

“Community service instilled a desire to give back and help others, ultimately sparking my aspiration to become a physician,” said Lee. “I know the experience as well as the skills I learned in the classroom, on the golf course and in the community will be invaluable when I am a doctor so I can provide the best care for my patients.”

Lee was one of seven outstanding nominees considered by the SCAC Woman of the Year Committee. The other candidates were:

● Olivia Dilorati, swimming, Colorado College
● Sofia Vega, tennis, Texas Lutheran University
● Sioned Kirkpatrick, soccer, Texas Lutheran University
● Kaitlyn Foster, volleyball, Southwestern University
● Lauren Wheeler, swimming, Austin College
● Kelsie Jackson, basketball, Schreiner University

As SCAC winner, Lee will be nominated for the NCAA Woman of the Year award, one of the most prestigious honors the NCAA bestows. The award recognizes senior student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership.

All conference nominees will be forwarded to the NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee. The selection committee will choose the top 10 nominees in each division. From among those 30 honorees, the selection committee will determine the top three in each division. Finally, the members of the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics will vote from among the top nine finalists to determine the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year.

The top 10 honorees and the nine finalists from Divisions I, II and III will be honored and the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be recognized Oct. 16 at an awards dinner at the Westin Indianapolis.

In conjunction with the changes in the nomination process for the NCAA Woman of the Year award, the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Woman of the Year award was established for the 2005-06 athletic season. Beginning in 2006, the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics (CWA) started receiving conference-designated nominees in lieu of the previous institution- and state-based nomination format.

From 1991 to 2005, each state had a woman of the year honoree and from that group 10 finalists were selected. From the top-10 finalists, the national winner was then chosen. Since 2006, each conference and independent school forwards nominations to the NCAA. 

To read about past winners of the SCAC Woman-of-the-Year award, click here.