Track athlete a finalist for NCAA Woman of the Year
 Fredonia State’s Julia Hopson, ’09, is flanked by ESPN personalities Doris Burke and Stephen Bardo at the 2009 NCAA Woman of the Year banquet Oct. 18 in Indianapolis. |
Julia Hopson, ’09, was a finalist for the 2009 NCAA Woman of the Year award. She and eight others were chosen from an initial pool of just 132 nominees among all NCAA colleges and universities nationwide. The award recognizes NCAA female student-athletes for their athletic and academic excellence as well as their community service and leadership.
Hopson was honored Oct. 18 at the 19th annual NCAA Woman of the Year dinner at Indianapolis, Ind. The evening culminated with University of Arizona swimmer Lacey Nymeyer, an Olympic silver medalist, receiving the 2009 Women of the Year award. Television coverage of the dinner was shown on ESPNU and re-aired several times on the CBS College Sports Network.
A native of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Hopson earned five All-American awards in track and field throwing events at Fredonia State, including a national championship — the first by a Blue Devil woman in any sport — in the 2009 women’s 20-pound weight throw. She was an academic All-American, a Dean’s list student, and received academic recognition from the State University of New York Athletic Conference several times. She was also honored with the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence. A Graphic Design major, her artwork was displayed at the 2009 NCAA Convention in Washington, D.C., and also featured in the NCAA’s Champions magazine.
