Connecticut’s Rizzotti Is Named Top Women’s College Athlete

NASHVILLE —  For the second consecutive year, the winner of the Honda-Broderick Cup honoring the top women’s college athlete is a basketball player from the University of Connecticut.

Point guard Jennifer Rizzotti was the 1997 honoree, it was announced Monday night at the annual Honda awards dinner.

Last year’s winner was UConn All-American center Rebecca Lobo. She was unable to make it to the dinner in Dallas last year because a blizzard left her stranded in the East, so she came this year to help present the award to Rizzotti.

Rizzotti, an All-American in both her junior and senior seasons, led UConn to a 34-4 record and a spot in the NCAA semifinals in 1996. She started every game in her four-year career and is the school’s all-time leader in assists, with 637, and steals, with 349.

Other nominees included Marisa Baena, golfer from Arizona; Kathy Butler, cross-country runner from Wisconsin; Jill Craybas, tennis player from Florida; Jenny Dalton, softball player from Arizona; Jenny Hensen, gymnast from Kentucky; D’andre Hill, track and field athlete from Louisiana State; Shannon MacMillan, soccer player from Portland; Kristine Quance, swimmer from USC; Carole Thate, field hockey player from James Madison; and Allison Weston, volleyball player from Nebraska.

Also honored at the dinner were Division II winner Jennifer Clarkson, basketball player from Abilene Christian; Division III winner Shelley Swan, volleyball player from Washington University in St. Louis; and inspiration award winner Corrine Carson, basketball player from Marymount University in Arlington, Va. Carson returned to intercollegiate competition after receiving a liver transplant.