Illinois Wesleyan University's Elise Anderson was named the 2013 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) "Woman of the Year" on Wednesday (June 26) and will represent the conference as a nominee for the 2013 NCAA "Woman of the Year" award.

It is the fifth straight year for an Illinois Wesleyan athlete to win the CCIW "Woman of the Year" award and the sixth time in the eight years the honor has been given.

Anderson, a member of the Titans' cross country and track & field teams, was chosen through a voting process conducted by the CCIW Senior Woman Administrators and Faculty Athletics Representatives. She was chosen among a group of five other nominees including Wheaton's Laura Karsten (soccer/basketball), Carthage's Krystina Leazer (softball), North Central's Marisa Miko (golf), Augustana's Megan Vandersee (golf) and Elmhurst's Lauren Williams (cross country/track & field).

The NCAA "Woman of the Year" award honors senior female student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership.

A senior elementary education major from Wheaton, Ill. (Wheaton-Warrenville South HS), Anderson carried a cumulative grade point average of 3.84 and was a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, Kappa Delta Pi Educational Honor Society, Phi Beta Delta International Scholar Society and the National Society of Leadership and Success.

Anderson was also active in campus and community projects, having served on Illinois Wesleyan's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and also tutored and mentored children in the townships of South Africa through the Student's Health and Welfare Centers Organization. She assisted in the Child Life Department at Advocate Hope Children's Hospital, helping with entertaining, comforting, and engaging with children. She also mentored fourth grade students through a lunch buddies program and planned activities and engaged with children with Neuroblastoma Cancer while their parents attended medical conferences.

During the indoor season, Anderson won the conference title in the 5,000-meter run (17:41.52). She then finished second in the 10,000-meter run (37:37.05) at the conference outdoor meet and she placed 11th in the 10,000 at the NCAA Championship (36:20.19). In the fall, Anderson helped lead the Titans to a conference cross country title, finishing third in the 5K with a time of 22:29.

Anderson's nomination will be forwarded to the NCAA "Woman of the Year" selection committee, which will select the top 10 winners in each of the three divisions of the NCAA. From among those 30 honorees, the selection committee will determine the top three in each division. Finally, the members of the Committee on Women's Athletics will vote from among the top nine to determine the 2013 NCAA "Woman of the Year". The top 10 honorees and the nine finalists from Divisions I, II and III will be honored and the 2013 NCAA "Woman of the Year" winner will be announced at a ceremony in Indianapolis October 20, 2013.

CCIW "Woman of the Year"

2012-13 – Elise Anderson – Illinois Wesleyan (Cross Country/Track & Field)
2011-12 – Lauren Knaack – Illinois Wesleyan (Soccer)
2010-11 – Elizabeth Ave Maria – Illinois Wesleyan (Cross Country/Track & Field)
2009-10 – Lindsey Haines – Illinois Wesleyan (Golf)
2008-09 – Nicole Spear – Illinois Wesleyan (Golf)
2007-08 – Sarah Richardson – Wheaton (Soccer)
2006-07 – Meghan Voiland – Augustana (Track & Field)
2005-06 – Melinda Sprague – Illinois Wesleyan (Cross Country/Track & Field)


The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services eight member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, IL), Carthage College (Kenosha, WI), Elmhurst College (Elmhurst, IL), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, IL), Millikin University (Decatur, IL), North Central College (Naperville, IL), North Park University (Chicago, IL) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL). During the 2011-12 academic year, the CCIW honored 1,323 academic all-conference recipients, 16 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, 1 CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year, 89 all-Americans and three national championship teams.