Virginia Tech's Tincher Named One of Three Finalists for 2008 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year

May 21, 2008

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - The Amateur Softball Association, the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States, announced today the top three finalists for the Seventh Annual USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award. The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, in its seventh year, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by NCAA Division I collegiate softball players across the country.

An initial "Watch List" was released on Jan. 30 and the list of 25 finalists was announced on April 9. The field of finalists was trimmed to 10 on May 7 just prior to the start of post-season competition.

For the fourth consecutive year, the three finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year come from different Conferences including the Southeastern Conference (Tonya Callahan, Tennessee), the Big 12 Conference (Megan Gibson, Texas A&M), and the Atlantic Coast Conference (Tincher). These three individuals in their senior seasons have already garnered top awards in their respective Conferences and two of them have led their teams into the NCAA Super Regionals.

"I'm ecstatic to be one of the three finalists for the National Player of the Year," Tincher said. "This is unreal to me because I've seen past winners like Cat Osterman and Monica Abbott be honored. I can't believe I'm being considered for the same award. Megan Gibson and Tanya Callahan are such great athletes so this award will definitely go to someone who deserves it."