Bowdoin's Calnan Nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year Award

Two-Sport Standout Nominated by NESCAC for Academic, Athletic, and Community Excellence

HADLEY, Mass. – Michaela Calnan (Melrose, Mass.), a 2011 graduate of Bowdoin College and a former two-sport athlete for the Polar Bears, has been nominated for the 2011 NCAA Woman of the Year Award by the NESCAC.

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, service and leadership. The award has been given annually since 1991. The 2011 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced on October 16 in Indianapolis, Ind. More information on the award and a list of previous winners can be found at www.ncaa.org.

Calnan embraced all that Bowdoin had to offer during her four years in Brunswick, Maine, enjoying the numerous educational and experiential learning opportunities afforded by NESCAC and Division III institutions. She served as a leader for the Polar Bears' field hockey and ice hockey teams and was a mentor to other students in the campus and local communities, all while pursuing a degree in neuroscience with a minor in chemistry. Calnan graduated with honors this past May from Bowdoin with a 3.63 grade point average.

The Polar Bear field hockey team had their most successful period in program history during Calnan's tenure, winning three NCAA and NESCAC titles and going 69-9 overall. During her first season at Bowdoin, Calnan's team went 20-0 and won the school's first national title in any sport. The Polar Bears repeated in 2008 with a record of 19-2, then won their third crown this past fall, going 20-1 overall. Over her final two seasons with the field hockey team, Calnan started every game in the backfield. On the ice, Calnan served as captain for the Polar Bears in her senior season and helped her squad reach the semifinals of the NESCAC championship in 2010 and 2011. The blue-liner was named to the NESCAC All-Sportsmanship team this past winter.

Calnan also lent her talents to the campus and local communities. At Bowdoin, Calnan served as a Baldwin Mentor, which are peer mentors who work with fellow students to set academic goals and priorities, understand academic expectations, and develop effective learning strategies. In addition to working with students, Calnan organized training and meetings for mentors and provided feedback to directors in an effort to improve the program. She also was a laboratory mentor for a first year student, participated in Circle K and the young alumni leadership program at Bowdoin, was part of her team's community outreach during the Polar Bears' annual Girls and Women in Sports Day and Skate with the Polar Bears events, and built relationships at the Mt. Ararat Middle School through one-on-one mentoring.

At Bowdoin's McKeen Center for the Common Good, Calnan was designated a Fellow as a student leader for the Bowdoin Volunteer Corps. Serving as president in 2010-11, Calnan worked with the student-run mentoring programs to ensure they were managed effectively and met all mentoring-specific requirements. In addition to training student leaders on the skills needed to run their programs, Calnan oversaw the organizations' budgets and funding which totaled $20,000.

Among her many honors and awards, Calnan has been recognized as a Sarah and James Bowdoin Scholar, honored on the NESCAC All-Academic team in both field hockey and ice hockey in 2009-10 and 2010-11, named an Academic All-American four times and to the Second Team All-Region in 2010 by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA), earned her field hockey team's unsung hero award in 2010, and was twice the recipient of Bowdoin's Christopher Charles Watras Memorial Women's Ice Hockey Trophy. The award, named in memory of Chris Watras '85, is presented annually to the member of the team who best exhibits the qualities of sportsmanship, leadership, commitment, and dedication to her teammates and the sport, on the ice as well as in the community and the classroom.

"Four years ago, I never would have imagined that during my senior year I would present my neuroscience honors research at a state-wide symposium, be charged with coordinating 30 volunteer groups on campus, or win a third national championship with my field hockey team," stated Calnan. "Throughout my college career I have been presented with extraordinary opportunities and I have been able to follow my passions to the fullest on the field, in the classroom, and in my community.

"While following my passions, I created a unique identity for myself on campus - I am not just another athlete, scientist, or volunteer. Instead, I think of myself as a well-rounded woman and a contributing member of my community. Through my academic, athletic, and service experiences, I have learned to adapt and succeed in a diverse array of situations."

Calnan was chosen by a committee of conference administrators to represent the NESCAC from a field of talented student-athletes nominated for the Woman of the Year Award. Other nominees included Kendra Stern (Albuquerque, N.M.) of Amherst, Kaitlynn Saldanha (Yarmouth, Maine) of Middlebury, Laura Komarek (Plymouth, Minn.) of Trinity, and Julia Browne (Old Brookville, N.Y.) of Tufts.

Michaela Calnan, top row, second from left, stands next to Bowdoin field hockey head coach Nicky Pearson. The Polar Bears won their third NCAA title this past fall, defeating Messiah in penalty strokes.

NESCAC member institutions offer extensive and broad based intercollegiate as well as club and intramural opportunities for both men and women. The Conference sponsors 26 conference sports and with member schools sponsoring an average of nearly 30 varsity programs, the NESCAC provides more than 7,500 opportunities for participation in intercollegiate competition at the Division III level.

Founded in 1971, The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) consists of 11 liberal arts colleges and has consistently reflected its commitment to the values of athletics and academic achievement. The member colleges of the conference are Amherst College, Bates College, Bowdoin College, Colby College, Connecticut College, Hamilton College, Middlebury College, Trinity College, Tufts University, Wesleyan University, and Williams College.