Fresno State Athletics
Amanda Scott Receives NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
8/4/2000 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Aug. 4, 2000
FRESNO, Calif. - Four-time first team NCAA All-American and two-time GTE Academic All-American Amanda Scott picked another award, this time a NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Having been selected as the WAC's top female athlete of the year (Joe Kearney Award) just last month for the second time in her career, Scott became the university's tenth NCAA Postgraduate Award winner and the second Fresno State softball player to be a postgraduate recipient. Recipient of a $5,000 scholarship for postgraduate study at the university or professional school of choice, Scott joins former Bulldogs Henry Corda, Dwayne Westphal, William Griever, Jr. (football), Roger George (track), Wendy Martell (basketball), Tommy Minor (baseball), Robyn Yorke (softball), Dora Djilianova (tennis) and Price (track & field) as NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Award winners.
In 1964, the NCAA created a postgraduate scholarship program honoring outstanding student-athletes from member institutions who also are outstanding scholars. The NCAA awards 174 scholarships each year to student-athletes who have excelled academically and athletically, and are in their last year of intercollegiate athletics competition. Criteria for nomination include: a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00, enrolled in school in final year of competition, performed with distinction as a member of a varsity sport, intend to continue academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree as a full-time graduate student, and behaved both on and off the field with dignity. There are 35 scholarships awarded for football players, 32 scholarships for basketball players (16 each for men and women), and 107 scholarships (36 for men and 71 for women) for participants in sports other than football and basketball in which the NCAA conducts national championship competition. The NCAA postgraduate scholarships are one-time grants and are not renewable.
Scott added to her long list of accomplishments in softball by becoming the 1999-2000 Joe Kearney Award winner (Western Athletic Conference female athlete of the year) last week. Receiving the award in 1998, Scott concluded the 2000 season with a 33-5 record while winning her second straight NCAA ERA statistical title (0.41) and recording a school-record 314 strikeouts. Scott finished her pitching career as the WAC's all-time leader in wins (106), saves (10), ERA (0.55) and strikeouts (851). Offensively, she is the league's all-time leader in RBI (212) and games played (277).
The three-time WAC Pitcher of the Year and MVP of the 1998 NCAA Women's College World Series is only the WAC's second female to be a two-time Joe Kearney award winner and the fourth WAC athlete to be a two-time recipient. Scott also is Fresno State's first two-time Joe Kearney honoree. In addition, she is only the second softball player in WAC history to ever receive the prestigious Joe Kearney Award.
The two-time Fresno State Female Athlete of the Year followed in the footsteps of three-time All-American Nina Lindenberg, who was the first softball player to ever receive the award and Fresno State's first ever Joe Kearney recipient - male or female - in 1996. Both Scott and Lindenberg were members of Fresno State's 1998 NCAA softball championship team.
First bestowed in 1991-92 and named in honor of former WAC commissioner Joe Kearney, Fresno State has been singled out four different times by its exceptional performance in sport by its student-athletes.
