Brigetta Barrett celebrates with typical enthusiasm after setting the collegiate high jump record last month. Photo by Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Pac-12 has been handing out a Woman of the Year award for the past eight seasons.
Five of the winners have been from the University of Arizona.
The latest is record-setting high jumper Brigetta Barrett, who now becomes a candidate for the NCAA Woman of the Year award.
Barrett, a 2012 Olympic silver medalist, set the collegiate record at the Pac-12 championships last month with a jump of 6 feet, 6.25 inches (1.99 meters). She cleared 6-7 at the London Games although that didn’t count toward the collegiate record.
She is a three-time NCAA indoor champion and will be going for her third outdoor championship this week in Eugene, Ore.
The Woman of the Year award is more than just athletics, though, and Barrett has it all covered — academics, community service and leadership.
She graduated cum laude in May with a degree in theater arts, and she’s been an academic All-American. She has been co-president of the Pac-12 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the co-president of the Committed to Christ student group at Arizona.
Her community service efforts include work with Mentor Kids USA.
The multi-talented Barrett has sung the national anthem before many sporting events, including the 2013 Fiesta Bowl. She was Arizona’s 2012 Homecoming queen.
Yeah, there’s not much she can’t do, and she’s a perpetual ray of sunshine.
Previous winners of the Pac-12 Woman of the Year award are:
Hillary Bach, ASU softball (2012); Annie Chandler, Arizona swimming (2011); Justine Schluntz, Arizona swimming (2010); Lacey Nymeyer, Arizona swimming (2009); Arianna Lambie, Stanford track/cross country (2008); Whitney Myers, Arizona swimming (2007); Kate Richardson, UCLA gymnastics (2006).
Barrett now moves into consideration for the NCAA Woman of the Year award, an honor recently won by Schluntz, Nymeyer and Myers from Arizona. UA high jumper Tanya Hughes also won the award in 1994.
The list of 10 finalists for the award will be announced in early September, with the winner announced in October.
Brigetta Barrett celebrates after winning an Olympic silver medal last summer. Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)