NORFOLK, Va., June 11, 2012 - Delaware State University's Jazmyne Hefflefinger was named the 2012 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Woman of the Year, the conference announced today. Hefflefinger will be awarded the honor during the annual MEAC Football Press Luncheon on Friday, July 20 at the Sheraton Waterside Hotel in Norfolk, Virginia.
The award, selected annually by the MEAC Senior Woman Administrators, celebrates the achievements of female senior student-athletes who have excelled in academics, athletics, service and leadership.
Hefflefinger guided the DSU Lady Hornets to back-to-back MEAC bowling championship titles (2009, 2010) and a NCAA Bowling championship appearance in 2009. The Harrisburg, Pennsylvania native served as anchor during her junior and senior seasons and averaged 187.5 pins during her senior campaign. She participated in 52 team games and 59 Baker games and recorded a season high 255 to earn all-tournament honors at the Bethune-Cookman Invitational in 2011. During her career at DSU, Hefflefinger earned All-Conference honors three times and was named to two MEAC All-Tournament teams (2009,2010).
Off the lanes, Hefflefinger served as a member of the MEAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Her community services ventures included volunteering to build ramps for disabled persons, walking to raise awareness for the American Heart Association and AIDS research and serving as a Tournament Official and Group Guide Facilitator for Special Olympics. Hefflefinger also donated her time to the DSU Community Park and Boys and Girls Club.
Other leadership roles included serving as the DSU bowling team captain from 2008-2012 and as a Fellowship of Christian Athletes leader (2011-12).
Hefflefinger graduated in May with a 4.00 GPA in Movement Science with a concentration in Pre-Health. She earned scholastic accolades such as Department Scholar of the Year (2010-11, 2011-12), President's List (2008-2012), Dean's List (2008-2012), MEAC Commissioner's All-Academic Team (2009-2012) and United States Achievement Academy All-American Scholar Award Winner (2007-08). She was also inducted in two national honor societies including the Chi Alpha Sigma National Athletic Honor Society (2011) and National Society of Collegiate Scholars (2009).
Hefflefinger will represent the MEAC as its nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. The NCAA established the Woman of the Year Award in 1991 to celebrate the achievements of women in intercollegiate athletics. Now in its 22nd year, the award is unique because it recognizes not only the athletics achievements of outstanding young women, but also their academic achievements, community service and leadership.
Savannah State University track and field student-athlete Amara Jones was the 2012 MEAC Woman of the Year runner-up.
MEAC Woman of the Year Honorees
2006 Renecia Lovelace, North Carolina A&T (Softball)
2007 Courtney Smiley, Howard (Basketball)
2008 Jessica Worsley, Maryland Eastern Shore (Bowling)
2009 Loreal Smith, North Carolina A&T (Track and Field)
2010 Kalyn Washburn, Delaware State (Bowling)
2011 Kristina Frahm, Maryland Eastern Shore (Bowling)
2012 Jazmyne Hefflefinger, Delaware State (Bowling)
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