April 3, 2012

CLEVELAND - George Washington senior forward Tara Booker has been selected as the female recipient of the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association (ADA) Postgraduate Scholarship, the organization announced Tuesday. In addition, Booker was one of 11 student-athletes from across the nation named to the association's women's basketball Scholar-Athlete Team.

A sociology and organizational sciences major with a 3.38 grade-point average, Booker will receive $5,000 towards postgraduate studies. She will be presented with the award during the ADA's annual membership meeting in Dallas in late June. Mick Hedgepeth of Belmont University was chosen as the male recipient of the prestigious scholarship.

Booker finished the 2011-12 season as GW's top rebounder (7.0 rpg) and second-leading scorer (12.0 ppg), and she ranked among Atlantic 10 Conference leaders in scoring, rebounding, steals (2.0 spg), blocks (1.1 bpg), three-point percentage (.353) and three-pointers made (1.6 pg). The team captain ranks sixth all-time at GW with 162 career three-pointers, and she is 13th with 599 rebounds.

Off the court, Booker graduated from GW after just three-and-a-half years with a bachelor's degree in sociology, and she is currently enrolled in grad school at GW pursuing a master's degree in organizational sciences. In addition, Booker was among only a handful of GW students accepted as group leaders at last weekend's Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U), which was hosted on campus.

Basketball players from all Division I-AAA ADA member institutions are eligible for the Scholar-Athlete Teams. Each of the nominees must have a minimum GPA of 3.20 in undergraduate study and have been a starter or important reserve. He/she must have reached junior athletics and academic standing, having completed at least three academic semesters at the nominating institution, and have participated in at least 50 percent of the team's games.

Now in its 11th year, the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association's mission is to enhance initiatives common to its Division I-AAA membership - the 99 Division I institutions that do not sponsor football - and in particular, aspects related to their flagship basketball programs. The Division I-AAA ADA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).

2011-12 Division I-AAA ADA Women's Scholar-Athlete Team
Maggie Blair, Manhattan
Tara Booker, George Washington
Courtney Chihil, Florida Gulf Coast
Lily Grenci, Siena
Alex Hall, Hartford
Dayon Hall-Jones, Missouri Kansas City
Sarah Hansen, Florida Gulf Coast
Michelle Kurowski, UMBC
Kevi Luper, Oral Roberts
Anna Martin, DePaul
Julie Wojta, Wisconsin Green Bay